Lagwagon, Strung Out, et Swingin' Utters

Vocalist Joey Cape, guitarists Chris Flippin and Shawn Dewey, bassist Jesse Buglione, and drummer Derrick Plourde formed Lagwagon in 1990 and shortly after their formation they signed a record deal with Fat Mike’s record label, Fat Wreck Chords. Their debut album “Duh” was released in 1992 and was produced by Fat Mike. Although the album did not place on the charts it was considered a huge success for Fat Wreck Chords and is considered by critics to be one of the most influential punk albums of the ‘90s.

Lagwagon’s second studio album “Trashed” was one of their most successful albums to date. It was released in 1994 during the same year that Green Day released “Dookie” and The Offspring released “Smash”. During this time Lagwagon had the chance to sign with several major labels, but they turned down the offers to stay on Fat Wreck Chords. In 1995 the band released their third album “Hoss”, which was followed by a world tour and then the departure of drummer Derrick Plourde and guitarist Shaun Dewey. The band’s next album “Double Plaidinum” was released in 1997 and reached the No. 20 position on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Ken Stringfellow filled in for Dewey’s absence on guitars and Dave Raun would fill in on drums after Plourde’s departure. The band’s fifth album “Let’s Talk About Feelings” was released in 1998 and received critical praise from such publications as “Pitchfork”. Some of the songs from the album were also featured in films like “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Welcome To The Dollhouse”.

After the release of “Let’s Talk About Feelings” the band took a brief hiatus to work on side projects. In 2000 Joey Cape formed the band Bad Astronaut with former Lagwagon drummer Derrick Plourde. Bad Astronaut followed a musical style close to alternative rock and featured highly emotive and personal lyrics. After Lagwagon’s hiatus came to an end they released the album “Blaze” in 2003. The album showed the band continuing with their typical sound of pop punk and melodic hardcore music.

After the band released their 2005 album “Resolve”, the band would go on hiatus again with Joey Cape pursuing a solo career where he would release two solo albums. In 2010 bassist Jesse Buglione officially announced his departure from Lagwagon and would be replaced by Joe Raposo. The band began touring again in 2012 and in 2014 they released their first studio album in 9 years, which was called “Hang”. The album would go on to reach the No. 95 position on the Billboard 200 chart.

Lagwagon is known for their energetic performances and have toured all over North America, Asia, and Europe. The band has also played several festivals like Vans Warped Tour as well as has toured with notable bands like Dead To Me, Useless ID, and The Flatliners.

Originally formed of vocalist Jason Cruz, guitarists Jake Kiley and Rob Ramos, bassist Jim Cherry, and drummer Adam Austin, Strung Out made their debut with a 7” self-titled record released shortly after their formation. Following the release the band became one of the first bands to sign with Fat Mike of NOFX’s label Fat Wreck Chords, which marked the departure of Austin on drums eventually replaced by Jordan Burns.

Strung Out’s debut album “Another Day in Paradise” arrived in May 1994, produced by Fat Mike himself and featured the singles “Population Control” and “In Harm’s Way”. The band subsequently released the albums “Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues” in 1996 and the pre-Fat Wreck Chords compilation album “The Skinny Years… Before We Got Fat” in 1998.

The band’s third album proper “Twisted by Design” released in 1998, showed a musical maturity and development of technical skill compared to its predecessors, and largely established Strung Out’s future sound. In 1999 bassist Jim Cherry was fired from the band and went on to join the band Pulley and later Zero Down, before dying of heart failure in 2002. Cherry’s replacement Chris Aiken, represented a slight shift of focus for the band and made a notable contribution to the EP “The Element of Sonic Defiance” released in 2000.

Strung Out’s fourth full-length album “An American Paradox”, released in 2002, was their first to appear in the Billboard 200 and featured the single and video “Cemetery” – which found its way onto a number of punk rock compilations. The band has subsequently released the albums “Exile in Oblivion” in 2004 and “Blackhawks Over Los Angeles” in 2007. Both albums earned positive reviews from critics, the latter of which reached No.5 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart.

A collection of rare tracks and B-side got its release in March 2009 entitled “Prototypes and Painkillers”, followed by Strung Out’s seventh studio album “Agents of the Underground” released in September 2009.

Originally formed under the moniker Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin’ Utters in 1987, the band remained with the name until 1994. Comprised of singer and frontman Johnny “Peebucks” Bonnel, guitarist/accordionist Darius Koski, bassist Kevin Wickersham, and drummer Greg McEntee, the group moved from Santa Cruz to San Francisco soon after their formation and began recording material for the labels Side One, IFA Records, and New Red Archives.

Johnny Peebucks and the Swingin’ Utters’ debut release surfaced in 1992 as the full-length “Scared”, however it was the record’s follow-up, “The Streets of San Francisco”, that propelled the California-natives to punk-rock notoriety. Released in 1995 under the Swingin’ Utters moniker and produced by Lars Frederiksen, the album won the Best Debut Album Award at the Bay Area Music Awards. In both promotion and support of “The Streets of San Francisco”, the band were invited to tour as a part of the first annual Vans Warped Tour, as well as alongside Rancid on a national tour.

Following a move to Fat Wreck Chords, Swingin’ Utters’ third full-length album “A Juvenile Product of the Working Class” was released in 1996. Taking the name from the Elton John song ”Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”, the record proved another popular release, and paved the way for their subsequent album “Fiver Lessons Learned” in 1998. Following the release of their self-titled, fifth studio album in 2000, the band embarked on a national tour with The Damned and Dropkick Murphys, before heading to Europe with Rancid. A sixth album arrived in 2003 entitled “Dead Flowers, Bottles, Bluegrass, and Bones” before Swingin’ Utters took a six year break from recording and touring.

In their absence, fellow punk rock band compiled the tribute album “Untitled 21: A Juvenile Tribute to the Swingin’ Utters”, released by Red Scare Industries. In 2010 the band returned to issued the EP “Brand New Lungs”, followed in 2011 with the full-length “Here, Under Protest”. Released in early 2013, the group’s eighth studio album “Poorly Formed”, marked the arrival of bassist Miles Peck, and was supported by an Australian tour alongside Dropkick Murphys and Frank Turner.