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LA based NOFX is a Punk rock band created by Eric Melvin and the singer and bass guitar player Fat Mike. Eric Sandin and El Hefe joined in the early nineties to create the current line up.  NOFX had a large fan base by the year 1994 and their album “Punk in Drublic” made its way to gold without significant airplay, music company participation, or even large-scale videos. “Punk in Drublic” is NOFX’s best selling record and one of their proudest undertakings.

This punk rock group is well-known as they have sold more than six and a half million records. NOFX is an independent band that has had been able to find success on their own conditions, and even have had their own special on Fuse TV called “NOFX: Backstage Passport”.

Their sound is diverse and blends punk, metal, reggae, skate punk, and ska into their own sound which uses pointed satirical lyrics that seek to uncover societal inequities. Not much of a surprise, the Subhumans and the Sex Pistols with Johnny Rotten were two of their greatest influences.

NOFX has done it all on their own without the help of corporate music companies; and therefore have been able to only have to answer to themselves. NOFX turned down a number of lucrative record deals so as not to violate their musical and personal freedoms, allowing them to focus on the music they wanted to produce.

The NOFX record album lineup includes:
• 1984: Maximum Rocknroll, which was a re-release in 1992
• 1988: Liberal Animation
• 1989: S&M Airlines
• 1991: Ribbed
• 1992: White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean
• 1994: Punk in Drublic
• 1996: Heavy Petting Zoo
• 1997: So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes
• 2000: Pump Up the Valuum
• 2003: The War on Errorism
• 2006: Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing
• 2009: Coaster

NOFX merch has been released to please their large fan base, and no doubt this band will be around for a long time to come going outside the envelope of political correctness.

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Punk rockers Rise Against are fast rising on the music scene in America. The band got its start as Transistor Revolt during 1999 in Chicago, changing the name in 2000 shortly before striking a record deal with Fat Wreck Chords, manned by Fat Mike of NOFX. Today the group continues to record under the Geffen label, part of the Universal Music Group.

The bandmembers are Tim McIlrath, who handles lead vocals and guitar, with Brandon Barnes on percussion, Joe Principe on bass and Zach Blair also on guitar. Except for Brandon Barnes, everyone in Rise Against is involved in PETA and devoutly vegetarian. In the early years, the band had a few changes, but the core members are now cohesive and solid in partnership, both professionally and personally.

The band first went under contract to Fat Wreck Chords, with many new top acts given their start there. Touring hard, the band’s work was beginning to pay off. Rise Against Merch and music began to attract more attention as the band played with groups like Sick of it All, Strung Out, NOFX and AFI. On the Warped Tour in 2003, major record companies began to take notice and came to call on this independent act. In another year, the group scored one of its biggest accomplishments, which was that it made the first of its Geffen label albums. In 2004, they released their album, Siren Song of the Counter Culture.

With this 2004 album release, they became visible on the Billboard charts, and would finally get a gold record. In 2006, they came out with The Sufferer and the Witness. This album popped onto the Billboard charts at number 10 and sold almost 50,000 copies during its first seven days. Some of the top songs for the band during 2004 through 2006 were “The Good Left Undone,” “Prayer of the Refugee,” “Give It All,” and “Swing Life Away.” In 2008, they released their album, Appeal to Ransom, which contains hits like “Reeducation through Labor,” and “Audience of One.”

Rise Against continues to tour and work constantly on stage and in the studios. This effort has paid off with a much bigger fan base, but the edgy punk sound is now more mellow. Fans really don’t care about this, though, because the group’s drive and talents continue to be the force behind their great musical talents, continually on show. In 2009, Rise Against will be on tour again in Canada and the United States with punk bands Rancid, Billy Talent, and the Riverboat Gamblers.

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