This New Jersey ska band mixes punk sounds with hardcore politics. Their album, Permanent Revolution, explores the life of Russian Marxist Leon Trotsky. They've been a staple in the Victory Records lineup soon after forming in 1996. Mainstream bands like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday got their start opening for Catch-22.
On their 10th anniversary of playing, recording and touring, Catch 22 unleash a concept album called Permanent Revolution, using their horn-driven, uber-catchy ska to explore the life of Leon Trotsky, the father of Marxist theory and leader of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Ousted by Stalin and exiled to Mexico, Trotsky was assassinated by a Russian agent, but his fierce convictions and sound political theories changed the face of society in Europe and continue to resonate today. In a song cycle that traces his life, the band sought to provide a musical interpretation to the groundbreaking events of his early years and the eventual tragedy of his death. When asked the source of the album concept, bassist Pat Kays explained, "Trotsky is an intriguing character who we felt we could relate to in a lot of ways. And he has a very powerful story that is important and very relevant to our current world situation. That"s why this record came about. We really wanted to make something meaningful, not just a slightly better alternative to pop-punk."
Produced by Steve Evetts, known for his work with The Cure, A Static Lullaby, Saves The Day and Sick Of It All, the band delivers a record that mingles the hardcore beats and reggae, dub and funk melange that has earned them thousands of loyal fans. Having self-produced some projects and worked with Evetts on others, Catch 22 was glad to be back with an old friend. "It was an amazing experience," trumpeter/vocalist Kevin Gunther said, "to have a professional with his perspective help us determine which songs needed development and which songs were ready to go was invaluable. He also made our sound bigger without losing tonal quality." The songs trace the life of Trotsky chronologically: highlights include "Party Song (1917)", with its fast guitars and high energy horn arrangements; the repeating, unique guitar and horn riffs in "The Decembrists Song (1921)" and "The Opportunity (1940)", a slower reggae tinged song about his assassination.
The industrial landscape of New Jersey has been the home of Catch 22 for the last decade. A state that brought such diverse artists as Frank Sinatra, Queen Latifah and Bruce Springsteen launched of the music"s merriest, upbeat combos in Catch 22. As pioneers of the ska/punk scene, the band has built a reputation for smoking live shows and musical innovation. The band formed in the fall of 1996 when founding members Chris Greer, Ryan Eldred and Kevin Gunther set out to play a genre of music that quickly became a huge national trend. Over 200,000 album sales later, Catch 22 are still one of the most consistent live bands on the road today, filling venues worldwide and helping launch the careers of many others. Among the bands they invited out as supports acts are Sum 41, Thursday and Taking Back Sunday.
After rocking Bamboozle festival in early May, summer will find Catch 22 back on tour, playing Warped Tour dates before headlining a national tour, supported by Voodoo Glow Skulls, Big D and the Kids Table, Suburban Legends and Westbound Train. Permanent Revolution will come as a welcome surprise to fans of reggae, ska and hardcore who seek meaning and insight in the lyrics of their favorite catchy, danceable songs.
From Lastfm:There are several bands called Catch 22, including ones in the ska (1), metal (2), jazz, American alternative, and 1980s UK punk genres. German tech-house producers Daniel Girresser & Michael Erb also use the name.
1) Catch 22 (ska):
Catch 22 is a third-wave ska band based in New Jersey. The band was formed in 1995 by drummer Chris Greer and vocalist Tomas Kalnoky. They released a self-produced demo tape, Rules of the Game, in 1996. All 2000 copies of the tape quickly sold out. The band mailed several copies to labels they were interested in working with, including Gainesville, Florida's Toybox Records (which had previously released a 7" by Less Than Jake). Toybox was owned and operated by Sean Bonner, who had recently moved to Chicago, Illinois to work at Victory Records. Sean brought the tape to the Victory office and suggested the band be signed.
The band then signed to Victory and produced their first studio album, 1998's Keasbey Nights. Ansley left and was replaced by Pat Calpin. Kalnoky left the band shortly thereafter, having decided to continue his education rather than tour. Catch 22 continued on with Pat Calpin moved to guitar, Pat "Mingus" Kays on bass, and Jeff Davidson on vocals. The band tested out their new lineup with the 1999 EP Washed Up!. Egan left to continue teaching. Alone in a Crowd followed in 2000 with Mike Soprano on trombone. During this time, the band began touring heavily on a national scale, appearing with Mustard Plug, Reel Big Fish, and other third-wave ska, hardcore, and punk acts. Davidson and Soprano left the band in 2001 to pursue other projects, and for a while the band actively courted new vocalists, even putting an advertisement on their website. The group also recruited Ian Mckenzie, formerly of Long Island, New York ska band Edna's Goldfish, on trombone/vocals.
After a fruitless search, the band decided to continue on as it was, with Ryan Eldred and Kevin Gunther sharing vocal duties. Washed Up and Through the Ringer, an expansion of the Washed Up! EP, was released in 2001, featuring two new songs, three rarities from the Alone In A Crowd era, and a handful of live tracks recorded in October 2000 at Club Laga in Pittsburgh and Euclid Tavern in Ohio. The band released its third full-length album, Dinosaur Sounds, in 2003. This was roughly the same time that Streetlight Manifesto, a band founded by former Catch 22 frontman Tomas Kalnoky and featuring Josh Ansley and Jamie Egan (as well as former members of the NJ ska band One Cool Guy) released their debut, Everything Goes Numb. Both albums featured veiled attacks on each other, suggesting to many fans that there was some sort of disagreement or heat between Catch 22 and Streetlight Manifesto. This was true, although the two parties have since reconciled their differences. Given that Catch 22's Kevin Gunther is in charge of Streetlight Manifesto's tour booking, and members of both bands have said in conversations with fans that there is no "beef" between the two, it is safe to assume that any disagreement is firmly behind them.
In 2004, Catch 22 released Live, a combination CD and DVD recording of a show performed in Farmingdale, New York earlier that year.
Several bands who opened for Catch 22 in the past have gone on to find fame on the mainstream, including Sum 41, Bowling For Soup, Thursday, and Taking Back Sunday.
Catch 22's fourth studio album, titled Permanent Revolution, was released on June 27, 2006. The album can be classified as a concept album, centering around the life of Leon Trotsky (1879 - 1940); the title represents a theorum called Permanent Revolution that Trotsky had been associated with.
2) CATCH 22 (metal):
GENRE:
US Power/Thrash Metal
ORIGIN:
USA (Marietta, Ohio), 1992
CURRENT LINE-UP:
T.J. Berry (vocals, lead and rhythm guitar)
Jesse Forrest (rhythm guitar, backing vocals)
Hank Ramage (bass, backing vocals)
Joe Bailey (drums, backing vocals)
BIOGRAPHY
CATCH 22 was formed by T.J. Berry (vocals, guitar) in 1992 in Marietta, Ohio. When grunge was hitting it big, CATCH 22 stayed true to their art form (metal) and treaded on.
In 1994 their first 6 song demo tape, "Crazier Than Life", was released. One song from this demo, "Fate Keeps On Happening", scored a spot on the Rodell Records compilation "Sounds From The Underground". That was a brave move from Rodell Records because at that time CATCH 22 were considered very uncool as anything metal was labeled uncool.
In 1995 they recorded a 3 song tape, that gained them some national exposure and encouraged them to record a full length CD entitled "Through Eyes Of Pain" in 1997. They scored distribution and a Metal Edge magazine ad from Perris Records, that is known for glam metal, but saw the potential of the band and couldn't resist it.
In 1998 CATCH 22 released their second album, "Time Reveals All", to rave reviews from all over the world. Songs such as "Burn" and "Think For Yourself" still pop up at the band's live shows. CATCH 22 played at the March Metal Meltdown in New Jersey. The year was 2000 and they were surrounded by death metal cookie monster vocals and the outcast once again, waving the flag of true metal loud and proud.
The following year saw the beginning of a great relationship for CATCH 22 with the Classic Metal Festival series. They went to Kalamazoo (Michigan) to play the first annual CMF. At CMF 2 they met J.B. Mestad which led to his label Molten Metal, releasing CATCH 22 third album, "Awaken", in 2003.
CATCH 22 played at Classic Metal Festivals 1, 2, 4 and 5 and have shared the stage with TESTAMENT, EXCITER, ANVIL, OMEN, ATTACKER, HALLOWS EVE, S.O.D., SEVEN WITCHES, CAGE, DORO and many other well known acts.
CATCH 22 were featured on four tribute CDs released by Dwell Records, performing songs of KING DIAMOND, TESTAMENT, WHITE ZOMBIE and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES.
In December 2006 CATCH 22 entered the studio again to record songs for the new album. The sessions resulted in 22 heavy and diverse power/thrash metal cuts, however due to the limited budget only half of these songs saw the light of day, being released by the band under the title "Soulreaper Vol. 1" in 2007. This CD got many great reviews from all over the globe, however it was more of a promo without the booklet, so Metal On Metal Records decided to release "Soulreaper" the way it was planned by the band in the first place: as a double CD with all the songs, lyrics plus a lot of additional artwork in the booklet.
3. Catch 22
Catch 22 is a UK Hip Hop artist signed to Sugar Free. Catch 22 released his debut feature length album "The Harlequins Monologue" in 2009 on Sugar Free.
From Wikipedia:Catch 22 is an American ska punk band from East Brunswick, New Jersey. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tomas Kalnoky and drummer Chris Greer who recruited trumpeter Kevin Gunther, who was working in a local record store. Bassist Josh Ansley, saxophonist Ryan Eldred, and trombonist Jamie Egan, who was also Kevin Gunther's first music teacher, rounded out the original lineup.