Jason A.K.A. Pantalone Morone- Guitar/Puck Stopping/Brown Pants Wearing
Harry - Bass/Striped Shirts/Chihuahua Turds
Christian - Drums/Frowning/Annoying Stick Exercising
Influences
It depends on which member of the band you ask... but...
Melvins, Clutch, Queens of The Stone Age, Black Flag, Rye Coalition, Ramones, Misfits, Dead Meadow, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Nirvana, Butthole Surfers, Aunt Hildegard, Soundgarden, Hot Snakes, Built To Spill, Six Finger Sattelite, Isis, Old Metallica, Black Sabbath, Milemarker, Quicksand, Faith No More, Kyuss, Monster Magnet, Thelonious Monk, Sonic Youth, Tomahawk, Helmet, Jesus Lizard, C.O.C., Alabama Thunder Pussy, Lovage, Dillinger Escape Plan, White Knuckle Ride, Tool, James Brown, AC/DC, Iggy & The Stooges, Testament, Slayer, Unsane, Shellac, Mule, Big Black, Cave In, Bad Brains, Pixies, Husker Du, MC5, At The Drive In, Drive Like Jehu, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Fu Manchu, Minutemen, Sleep, Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist, Mudhoney, Pearls & Brass, The Sword, Jane's Addiction, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh, The Clash, The Dictators, Sex Pistols, The Germs, Pelican, Mogwai, Slint, Guided By Voices, Johnny Cash, Motorhead, Tom Waits, June Of 44, X, Eagles Of Death Metal, Doomriders, Ween, Rollins Band, Earth, Celtic Frost, Wormsmeat, Discharge, Fugazi, PJ Harvey, 12 Eyes, Alice In Chains, Fantomas
Sounds Like
We are so tight it hurts us inside where the horse went deep...
We will not play "pay to play" shows, so don't ask us!
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
- Hunter S. Thompson(R.I.P.)
Reviews
The onesheet that came with the brand spanking new John Wilkes Booth album Sic Semper Tyrannis was bang on. It stated that this Long Island based foursome mixed punk and stoner rock with a small smattering of metal. I couldn't have said it better. I've heard rumblings of this album for quite sometime (not as long as Chinese Democracy) but it is only now that this thick album surfaces. John Wilkes Booth has been around since 2005, releasing a self-titled EP in 2006 that got fans salivating for their full-length.
This album is awesome for a self-made effort. It starts off very strong with "Eye Rack", showing more of the punk roots of the band. They get pretty bottom heavy on tracks such as "Breathing For No Reason". It has more of the stoner rock feel but you can still hear a definite hardcore punk influence at play. More punk is present on "Rats In My Room". Then the true stoner rock comes out in "The Jesus Song". You can almost call it sludgy. They could have saved me an earache by eliminating the first minute off of "Haze" with the feedback. That song has a fun gentle groove to it.
So the difference between these Long Islander's as opposed to other stoner rock classicists such as Fu Manchu is JWB tend to relying on being heavier as opposed to groovier. I would suggest that the band work just a bit more on polishing the final product. The songs are so solid but they would have seen slight improvement had they had that perfect polish that you tend to get from a Brant Bjork release. All in all Sic Semper Tyrannis is an stellar debut album.
- Dennis Scanland http://www.musicemissions.com
"Would we then have had John Wilkes Booth the band? Maybe, but they probably would've been known as John Hinckley, as in the would-be snuffer of Ronald Reagan. As a punk rock band at their core, John Wilkes Booth under said alter ego would've thus swiped the standard from the Dead Kennedys for most uncomfortably amusing political potshot ever. Funny to think that no band named John Hinckley cropped up during the eighties since Reagan (along with British prime minister Margaret Thatcher) had punk rock's biggest heat seeking bullseye taped to his back. Guess we'll settle for a later-year punk act that has enough tact to dismiss our current president who's already digging forked tongues out of his hopeless keister and dip back more than a century to derive a brazen namesake. To boot, John Wilkes Booth throws a party on the tab of their figurehead, participating in "punk rock pillowfight" shows and coralling a slew of ridiculously funny caricatures.
Not that John Wilkes Booth is bluntly political in their business. In fact, there's almost no proselitizing or soapboxing to John Wilkes Booth's snub-nosed "dirt rock," as they call it. In essence, this Long Island quartet possesses the inherent attitude and snide chicanery of punk and garage rock culminated from an eighties versus nineties hodgepodge: Mudhoney to Nirvana to JFA to Black Flag to Kyuss to the Melvins.
As Sic Semper Tyrannis opens with the instantly gratifying stomper "Eye Rack," John Wilkes Booth establishes out the gate they're a smart bunch of musicians and not gimmicky cellar dwellers clad in faux politburo pants. These guys can play quite well on punchy songs like the Helmet-dashed "Breathing for No Reason" and the jam whirlwind that unravels coolly and hazily for six minutes on "Albino Mechanic." There's even some smuggled funk sludge ala Clutch ("The Inner Workings" for example) and an almost hilarious merge between Black Flag and Monster Magnet on "Rats In My Room."
Frequently clever, John Wilkes Booth utilizes a jazz-type of drum solo from Christian Horstmann to lead into the anxiety-laden "Only the Facts," which employs a similar razor-dragging-across-the-proverbial-vein effect that Steve Austin does as a speciality in Today is the Day. "Only the Facts" is sharply-written and it pays off in dividends with scraping riffs from Jason Beickert, clobbering beats and dosed wailing from Kerry Merkle. Ditto for the subsequent snarling ditty "The Jesus Song," which needles out strains of Clutch, Skrape and The Melvins.
Included on Sic Semper Tyrannis is John Wilkes Booth's four song EP, which has only maybe a difference in fidelity, but is an equally exciting announcement of a rapidly-developing band you're likely missing out on. For these guys to sound this hot on their own duckets only means one of two things: a record contract is going to make them legendary or it's going to turn a potentially great band into a smoldering ash of its former self (the once-vibrant Quicksand comes to mind in that respect).
Still, you get the feeling that John Wilkes Booth will take their sweet time getting along whatever road they seek to travel. These guys watchdog the scene as much as they cheekily rip apart Lincoln and his mustachioed assassin. Pay-to-play venues beware; this John Wilkes Booth is equally sniper-minded."
Rating: ****
-Ray Van Horn- Metal Minute Blog
I don't remember details of my MySpace surfing, but a few months ago I landed on the Long Island band John Wilkes Booth's site and became transfixed by the brutal music the band calls "dirt rock" and I was hooked. I've been waiting for them to come out with their 1st full-length CD and they finally have. This new release is something to buy by a band to watch. They are one of our best finds of '08.
The band formed in 2005 and released a self-titled EP the following year that also rocks. This stuff is not punk, not metal. Dirt rock they say. Fortunately for late comers like myself, the 4-song EP included at the end of the new "Sic Semper Tyrannis" CD. So what exactly is this "dirt rock" they keep playing and talking about. I asked vocalist Kerry (Merkle) if it rises from the metal era of Black Flag (think the "My War" album) and Iggy and the Stooges's "Fun House" album, especially that record's "Dirt" (Oooh, I've been hurt/And I don't care/ Ooh, I've been dirt/And I don't care...). Kerry said I was getting a bit warm.
The brutal, but roughly beautiful assault begins with "Eye Rack", a rocking plea for the safety of an apparent friend being sent to Iraq. It hints darkly at the mistaken US policies gone awry and the deadly personal situation this Iraq-bound buddy must now face head-on. Sounds like a college radio fave with the tougher left-of-the-dial radio show formats.
Even at their most accoustic, like "Smack For Larry", the band is as intense and spooky as Iggy on his accoustic-driven classic "Gimme Danger", yet the Booth boys are still quite original. There seem to be many influences here, and some are not too obvious. Regardless, JWB will strike you like a bullet to the head. The only recent hard, hard rock find I've come up with to rival these guys is Athens, OH's We March. Both are tough as hell. JWB have already opened for national acts such as The Hidden Hand, Zoroster, Puny Human, Wooly Mammoth and Wrecketh.
These guys have also been known to spice things up with unusual studio production on tracks like "Hey Girl" and especially the EP's "Haze" with it's bizarro feedback and generally noisy long intro. This is one band to hang with. They will not be forced into a box anytime soon. Get ready for 15 tracks that will assassinate your ears. And once you order their CD don't forget to check out the truly inspired blogging by bassist Harry (Vrooman). Harry is murderously funny and fun.
-Michael Gasper of We Have The Technology 'Zine
Normally I’m not a fan of band names that may (or may not) be glorifying presidential assassins, but I’ll make an exception in this case - John Wilkes Booth out of Long Island, NY. Found these guys online, or more accurately they found ME, and have been jamming out on their Myspace tunes all afternoon (which loads intermittently, so be forewarned).
They sound (to my demented ear) in the vein of Garage or Grunge with more than a smattering of Punk thrown in for good measure, but call themselves ‘Dirt Rock’ so what do I know. Ok, ignore categorization and listen to them yourself - you decide. Each song on their Myspace page stretches slightly into a different musical direction like a parasitic tentacle, drawing from the past yet melting it into something all its own. On their homepage, guitarist Jason Beickert lists ‘None’ under influences - we’re not being entirely honest now, are we Jason? There are elements of Jam band, the aforementioned Punk & Grunge, Hardcore, Metal and even good old fashioned Rock. Hardly a ‘NON - influenced’ band.
But in all honesty, they have the makings of a group that thrives on live performance. Nothing wrong with that, but I can only guess if I’m accurate since I’ve yet to see them. Regardless, give’em a listen and see if you’re not like me - wishing they were outside, jamming in your garage so you could crack a cold one and listen in.
-Rim Of Hell Blog
"John Wilkes Booth keeps the quality level high with two new tracks. Glad to finally get a chance to review their material because they are a band I consistently strike out with. I missed them in Pittsburgh. Strike one. I have their previous demo and never got around to reviewing it. Strike two. Now, I could go down swinging and somehow forget to review their tracks but that’s not going to happen. These guys sound like they’re getting a lot tighter. The demo was solid but you could tell that there was a decent margin for growth. “The Inner Workings” is my favorite track of the two. The offbeat intro makes strong use of dissonant chords that create an eerie mood before the no bullshit rock comes in swinging like a surprise left hook. Musically, they are a beer swilling form of biker rock that draws largely from punk and stoner rock with just a small smattering of metal."
-Fumes From A Dead Scene review by Jay Snyder of Hellride.com
"I had a kickass time tonight.....
The Booth kick ass....and if you never heard them....you should look at my top friend list to see .......cuz they fucking shake the earth's core with their rockness......The power of the Booth cannot be contained.....They rock the very core of the earth's magma and all that other scientific shit you learned in science.....
And also they're a bunch of really cool, down-to-earth guys.....So....on top of sending the rock to the heavens....they are very cool people and that is a bonus in my book.....
I am done for the night but I felt the need to let everyone know that John Wilkes Booth rocks....."
Post from April (A kick ass fan & friend)
"when i say loud i mean they don't make ear plugs for this type of decibel.... The dirt rock assassins played an absolutely flawless set of bone shattering, ground shaking hard rock. Hooks that never end and a sound you will need to shower from to feel clean again, JWB are the real fucking deal!! "
- 1.05.07 Bar 131 show review ~ The NY Speed Coalition
"BIG, FAT, HEAVY- these are a few of my favorite things. I really dig this song. I love the rawness of this recording- it is real and you can feel the energy. Tight performance from the band. I really like the drumming goin on here- nice job man. I am a fan of "clutch" and I can hear their influence here. Great job!! and good pick Swede!. "
- Post on Fatcat boards
"man, i've just been blastin away the four myspace tracks of you guys non-stop since yesterday...hitting my firewood...
Dense: drives coffin nails in your soul!
LIP: ignites a fire-bomb in your head!
i can feel yer heart: abstract original as hell & awesome!
Green Machine: nuff said! "
- Brandon - a myspace fan
"L.I.P. - From the self-titled 4 song demo. Call it 'stoner', call it 'sludge', call it 'Monster Magnet-ish'.....whatever you wanna label it, JWB rocks."
- Fatcat Radio
"The rumbling and monolithic sludge rock pushed forth by Long Islands John Wilkes Booth evokes the hesher wares of Kyuss, Monster Magnet, and Scissorfight, as this crusty quartet demonstrate heavily doped-up grooves equipped with memorable hooks and organic musicianship on its four-track sampler. Fully trained in the art of rocking with bloodshot-eyed exuberance, this units sinewy rhythms and bong-fueled jams bust out of the speakers like gangbusters on tracks like L.I.P., while Unknown Waiting takes the listener on a rowdy ride down a road well-traveled by bands like Cathedral, Clutch, and Nebula. Spacey enough to be considered cosmic yet providing those gargantuan vibes that weight them down to the ground, John Wilkes Booths self-titled endeavor is a worthy companion to your stoner rock discs and blacklight poster collection."
- Mike SOS www.316productions.com
"While listening to the demo from Long Island, New York's John Wilkes Booth, I kept getting flashbacks to my AmRep obsessed years. Not that they're 100% in the AmRep style, but they certainly remind me of a cross between a few of the later period bands from that label (Chokebore being a main one) and maybe even the first Soundgarden EP. With songs like "Dense" and "L.I.P.", you're treated to some nice, sludgy yet polished guitarwork and a good rhythm section (the drummer pound the shit out of his drums at some points, he's a loud one). "Haze" slows things down a bit, sounding just a bit too much like Monster Magnet. It doesn't get out of the same groove as it trundles along. "Unknown Waiting" starts off slow and then gets back into the aggression I liked from the first two tracks. I'm definitely curious to hear what they do with a proper release."
- Written by Scott
Strange Reaction http://www.strangereaction.com
"Other bands may have more volume, more distortion, more plastic energy, but you
guys are the gutsiest sounding of them all.
Great lyrics too.
Im looking forward to hearing more."
- Fan on Soundclick.com
"John Wilkes Booth delivers fat bottom end... fucking loud... with grooving hooks that feels like an elephant stuck his trunk in your ears and sat on your chest."
- Tom Seizure Crypt/Bar 131
John Wilkes Booth- This one made me want to listen to it again, not just b/c i thought i should, to be able to review it better. We're told straight up that they aim for the "garage" sound, so the production didn't surprise me any. That doesn't matter though- again it's all about the attitude, and this band is *selling it* in a big way. Vocalist isn't going to be everybody's cup of tea so to speak, but i liked what he was doing- nothing technically "wrong" with it. Everyone else has it together pretty solid- i heard one spot in the middle that didn't seem *quite* together, but it also made me bet this was recorded live, or at least 90% live, and especially if such is the case, a name producer could probably take this somewhere big. To sum up- well done!
JWB - LIP ..... Energy, energy, energy. More than enough to make up for lackluster production and the "fuzznoise" guitar sound I personally despise. This band is just tight and slamming. Like John said, I bet these guys tear the roof off live and with this style the rough as hell recording is almost a prerequisite. You can tell that they love it and they are selling it. 9 outta 10 cans-o-kickass.
LIP! What a mess! It's actually kind of exciting 'cause everythings so screwed up it's likable. I don't really have a problem with the production value of this for the simple reason I think they did this on purpose. Cool riffs....vocals fit the clusterf *&** of sound and I love the skins. I gotta go see what else they got.
John Wilkes Booth-"LIP" Now THIS is what the fuck I'm talking about! LIP and the rest of JWB's songs kill.I can forgive the Fugazi like fidelity, and even welcome it because they play these songs so convincingly it hurts.Unlike the wimpy dimpy copycat tracks that have been playing here these past few, JWB acknowledge Quicksand, Helmet, and Bad Brains, but serve up a dish that is all their OWN.Thank You Vin.Thank You. You are the Man!You know when the pull out that Ace that's up your sleeve, and just when to play it.JWB are heavy as an elephants foot, and they know how to stomp it.THIS is what ROCK ANGELS-The Bands is all about.JWB, you need to come to Detroit when you can fuckers.I give JWB 5 out of 5 Guitar Picks because they are the real deal.
I have to agree that they sound right in your face and it's cool. I actually dig this band regardless if they have shit production. I would pay to see these clowns run on the ball! The riffs are killer, their vocals fit right in the mix and the drummer can stop on a fucking dime! I would even gig with them if the opportunity came across!
First off the name is cool as hell...Secondly the sound came out the speaker kickin ass...don't sound like anyone in particular...Which means they have a brain in the rock and roll heads.....tryin to lead and not follow...
Rock on John Wilkes Booth
- Wayne CRASH Andrews
CRASH + CADILLAC
BIO
John Wilkes Booth has just completed their first full length release Sic Semper Tyrannis. Booth fans, whose numbers are ever increasing, have eagerly been awaiting the fulfillment of promises for new tracks from the latest recording sessions. They will not be disappointed. Since the formation of the band in 2005, the band has consistently recorded and played live shows while continually escalating their fan base.
With a sound "that draws largely from punk and stoner rock with just a small smattering of metal" this eclectic quartet deems their brand of sinewy rhythms and bong fueled jams "Dirt Rock." In 2006, John Wilkes Booth released a self titled EP. The tracks "The Inner Workings" & "Only the Facts" were featured on the Compilation "Fumes from a Dead Scene" in 2007. Both received praises from fans as well as critics.
John Wilkes Booth abides by a strict "no-pay-to-play" policy, refusing to financially compensate venues in order to be added to the bill. The band’s popularity has featured the foursome playing shows along the east coast with such national acts as The Hidden Hand, La Otracina, Zoroaster, Puny Human, Solace, Wooly Mammoth, and Wrecketh. The NY Speed Coalition reviewed the Booth show at Bar 131 and stated, "The dirt rock assassins played an absolutely flawless set of bone shattering, ground shaking hard rock."
In May of 2008, Aural Fix, a Long Island magazine covering the local music scene, featured the band on the front cover. In 2007, John Wilkes Booth was chosen as a featured band on Fatcat Radio as well as selected as band of the week for Joe's Podhole. In June of that year, they were voted by listeners as band of the month on local radio station, Radiox. Podcasts and word of mouth have turned on audiences across America and the world.
Let Sic Semper Tyrannis assault your ears with the sound that so many fans have been waiting for. Let John Wilkes Booth assault your mind.
JWB presently has a self-titled 4 song EP and 11 new tracks specifically designed to throb your cerebellum.
Description: "Where the land ends and the metal begins part 3." The World Podcast returns to the land of poets and heavy rockers for the third time to feature some of the many metal bands from Chile. In this episode Williams -the metal nomad- presents the following Chilean metal bands: BOA; CAPROFAGO; SADISM; DOWNFIRE; DAMA JUANA; MAR DE GRISES; RAPTOR; HUINCA; and a special interview with the band from Val Paraiso, Chile, SORDIDO. Discover some of the best latin metal bands in South America and their metal culture. Varied artists with varied playing styles; Recorded interview with the band SORDIDO; Language: English; Duration: 63 minutes aprox. Check out CHILEANMETAL.NET for more Chilean bands. "Geographical distances may separate us, but through rock and metal music we all speak the same language." -Williams, The World Podcast
The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them, They walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen.
THANKS FOR THE REQUEST!!! YOU GUYS FUCKIN ROCK!!! IT MAKES UP FOR THE FACT THAT Y'ALL KILLED MY GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER;) ALL GAYNESS ASIDE HOPE TO CHECK Y'ALL OUT LIVE SOMETIME. TIL THEN METAL HORNS WAY UP!!!!!
Described as: 'like Soulfly if Trent Reznor were part of the band,' their debut album "There's No Profit in Truth", mixes the pent up frustration of acts such as Rage Against The Machine with the raging, highly charged riffs of classic Machine Head. Good, honest, politically aware and highly charged Metal at its best...
Thanks for the add hey guys,,,currently in top 15 n just shot my mtv music video for Dark Angel.. help me spread this widget out and add it to your profile so i can win a record deal with myspace music.. a new music flavor,,check it out..club/rock :) D'anthony Music&Love
Hey John Wilkes Booth, we need your help with the “89X Im with the band” contest. Come out to the show @ TNT’S July 23rd and cast your vote for Core Effect at the door, If you can’t make it to the show then be sure to visit www.myspace.com/89ximwiththeband where you can vote once every 24 hours starting July 17th.
Subscribe to our Blog for updates on the Curious Curio of the Day!
Come see our all Gorey goodies! Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, Charles Addams, Mark Ryden, Gris Grimly, Michael Sowa, Shag, Edgar Allan Poe, Alice in Wonderland, Coraline, Emily, Lenore, Twilight, Tattoo & Pin-up Art, Dark Décor, Haunted Portraits, Vintage Halloween, Classic Horror Monsters, Vampires, Skulls & Gargoyles, Pirates, Zombies, Alchemy Gothic Jewelry, Villainess, Rubber Stamps, T-shirts, Postcards, Toys, Books, Posters, and much more!
thanksssssss
..