*The Following Press Release Was Issued By FIFTYcc*
Bruce Lee Band Lands a Knockout Punch With Division in the Heartland EP;
Out Now via Asian Man Records
SAN JOSE, CA — May 28, 2021 — Today, the Bruce Lee Band released their explosively cathartic Division in the Heartland EP, via Asian Man Records.
A politically hard-hitting record for the legendary ska-punk group – featuring Mike Park, Jeff Rosenstock, Dan Potthast and Kevin Higuchi – this five-track release pairs sparkling bright hooks with bruising lyrics, moving with all the exhilarating hop and bounce you’d expect from a quartet of ska trailblazers. Proudly ska-punk, it’s a vital dispatch from four guys who know better than anyone the power of raising their voices in hard-skankin’ harmony.
LISTEN: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music
From the opening brass grooves of “Say Goodbye to Yesterday” to the choir-backed communion of the EP’s title track, Division in the Heartland finds this era of the Bruce Lee Band sounding tighter and more melodic than ever – a natural outgrowth of the years they’ve spent finding a shared wavelength. When Rosenstock sings Park’s lyrics in Korean on “BLT” (Bruce Lee Theme), it’s both a show of trust and a thrilling declaration of unity between two DIY punk legends, who’ve decided to tag-team all future Bruce Lee Band releases with close friends and collaborators Potthast and Higuchi.
In the studio last November, Park brought the heartfelt lyrics, Rosenstock supplied his powerhouse arrangements and Potthast and Higuchi put their heads together to give these tracks the rhythmic bodies they needed. As always, it was a winning combo, even as band members spontaneously traded roles to make for unexpected sonic moments.
Locked down in quarantine throughout 2020, Park had found himself drawn into the political climate he’d watched grow increasingly toxic and volatile across the past four years. “There’s so much division, and I’m so tired of being full of such anxiety and hate,” says Park. “That’s really where these songs came from.”
If 2019’s Rental!! Eviction!! EP introduced listeners to the Bruce Lee Band’s restlessly creative and hook-heavy new sound while paying respects to foundational eras of ska-punk, Division in the Heartland raises the bar further by channeling their synergized energies into swinging up-stroke anthems that speak forcefully to our political moment, calling out capitalist greed, racism emanating from the highest seats of government and the brain-melting horror of seeing such violence every day.
“I just needed to get these thoughts out of my head,” adds Park, who led recording sessions with the band over just a few days in order to keep everyone loose but energetic. “I found myself getting unnecessarily riled up, doom-scrolling on Twitter, engulfing everything. I was like, ‘What the heck is wrong with me? This isn’t healthy.’ I needed to get back to making music. These songs are for my own mental health.”
Division in the Heartland will also be available as a limited edition 12” random-colored vinyl through Asian Man Records.
The Bruce Lee Band is Mike Park (Skankin’ Pickle, Bruce Lee Band) on vocals, Jeff Rosenstock on bass, Dan Potthast (MU330) on keyboards and guitar and Kevin Higuchi (Jeff Rosenstock) on drums.
Related Links
Asian Man Records: https://asianmanrecords.com
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bruce-lee-band/206146553
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B000QK9HUI/bruce-lee-band?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US
Bandcamp: https://asianmanrecords.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruceleeband
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BhJtndfqL4E0eO0ZGKrhY
About Asian Man Records
Asian Man Records is the brainchild of Bay Area multihyphenate Mike Park, founded in 1996 with the goal of supporting independent bands while keeping music prices affordable for fans. In between fronting The Chinkees and pursuing other musical ventures, Park’s egalitarian approach has led him to sign bands including Alkaline Trio, AJJ, Bomb The Music Industry, Grumpster, Lemuria, Joyce Manor and more. For more information, please visit asianmanrecords.com.
