Brine & Bastards

Brine and Bastards in Those Damn Headhunters

2009-04-23T18:12:00.000-04:00

Check out our new exciting street team mission...

Ahoy!
Would ye believe that your favorite Pirate Punk band has been marooned
on an island of savage headshrinkers! Our Boat, Queen Latifah's
Revenge, has been shipwrecked and we have no way of fixing it. Good
thing the chieftain of the Head Hunting tribe has offered to help but
with a catch... We need to bring him heads! So here's your mission, you
send us your address and we'll send you a button pack. Then you take
said buttons and give them to people. Once you've done that take a
picture with said person and email it to brineandbastards@gmail.com
so we can show the chief. When your out of buttons we'll send you more.
Hopefully, we'll get through this harrowing ordeal with only a few
casualties.

--Brine & Bastards

Record Release!

2009-04-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to take a second to say thank you to all those who came out to the CD Release Party for Pure Rock Scurvy. The Loop was packed with lots of familiar faces and new friends. We had a killer time (and a case of beer hiding behind the stage) that night. Nothing we like doing more than playing rock and roll for all our friends (and foes alike). Hope you all are diggin the new songs, we've got more on the way and if you ask nicely (or demand with your fists), you might actually get to hear us play Fuck This World someday. Buying us beer and whiskey is a good way too. I'm just sayin.

Your Friend,

Handsome John Miserable

California Dreamin

2009-04-07T15:56:00.001-04:00

So I am back in the Garden State after a tactical rock strike on the state of California! I had a blast at Bamboozle, and actually managed to get in and out with my vampire like complection intact! Thank you to everybody who came out for the show, I hope you had fun. I loved every sweaty second of it.

Bamboozled

2009-04-04T12:07:00.003-04:00

Ahoy, go see Hambone in Peathermouth playing this sunday at bamboozled left. Pretty Epic awesome!

http://www.thebamboozle.com/

-geo

A mighty thank you from Brian and the Bastards

2009-04-01T14:05:00.001-04:00

We started this band 5 years ago with the sole aspiration of making a drunken mess. We never for a second thought it'd amount to anything more than that, and believe me there were times when we completely succeeded at our first mission. There were also times where we almost self destructed from the inside and called it a day. If you are reading this now then you are one of the people responsible for keeping this motley crew together and most importantly having fun. Whether you came out to a show, bought the record, or just said hello over the internet, you kept the Ship afloat. From the bottom of our cold black hearts we thank you. These songs were what was left over from "Set Sail for Sodomy", and a couple that were written directly after the completion of the record. Play them often, and Loud.
-Brine and Bastards

Ahoy!!! Free shipping for all

2009-03-31T17:37:00.003-04:00

Earlier today, on the way to the studio to do a little cleaning, I took a trip to the post office to mail out the preorders of Pure Rock Scurvy.

Then it hit me, I hate paying for postage. I know it takes people, technology and work to move stuff around the world at an acceptable speed agreeable on both the person shipping and the person receiving, and without the postal service I wouldn't have an awesome movie like the Postman, starring Kevin Costner, to watch, it doesn't change the fact that I just don't like paying for it.

SO that being said, Free Shipping on Brine and Bastards merch in the US and 10 ducks anywhere else in the world.

--geo

Treasure chest!

2009-03-27T17:51:00.002-04:00

Being Shawn's best buddy for 20 plus years now, I can't say I've ever been happier to see his mug than today, bursting out of a ups box!

--Geo

Ahoy! Mr. Postman

2009-03-26T12:39:00.003-04:00

I am excited to say the Brine Ep is in the Mail!!!! So we should be getting them in the next few days. And then shipping them off to all of you who did the preorders! Awesome, Thank you so much!

--geo

A Great Day in the Life of Johnny "Hambone" McGuire

2009-03-25T13:51:00.001-04:00

The Brine and Bastards EP, Pure Rock Scurvy is available now on Itunes!!! So order it up, repost this link, review it, dance muthafucker, eat a sandwich and pass out from awesomeness. Rinse and Repeat.

MAKE THIS THE BEST WEDNESDAY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks love
Hambone!

All I want for Christmas....

2009-03-20T18:22:00.001-04:00

The other day I was elated to find that "Pure Rock Scurvy" is available on Rhapsody.

This is weeks before it'll be up on itunes, and some days before we'll have the physical cd's in our hands. As excited as this made me, it brought me back to a Christmas Eve long ago where I as a child was allowed to open one present early.

I scurried to the pile of gifts under the tree, my greedy fingers clawing at each and every one until in an odd moment of clarity I chose my victim. The box was smaller than the rest but nonetheless was at long last mine for the taking. I began to shred the layers of paper off the gift in the way a hungry bear would attack a rabbit who interrupted his hibernation. Lo and behold underneath the thin layers of paper was the Lion Leg of the Mighty Voltron!!!!! I was psyched to say the least, racing around outer space in my living room Lion in hand ready to thwart the forces of evil!!!

The world was truly my oyster until I had the realization that if the Coffin was dropped from the sky and the monster began to grow, I would be unable to form the mighty Voltron to combat it because, alas the rest of the Lions were buried beneath the tree until Christmas Morning.

This is in some ways how I feel about Pure Rock Scurvy. As great as it is that we've got it up on Rhapsody, I won't be able to completely enjoy it until it's reached it's full Rock potential. One day soon tho, we'll be able to join our Lions together and lead them to victory.

Until then I wait, and hope.

---HJM

Happy St Patties

2009-03-18T15:31:00.001-04:00

I love Guinness. I love everything about it. I could drink it like water. Sometimes I wish it were the blood flowing through my veins. Happy St. Patricks Day. Drive Safe.

Things that feel nice...

2009-03-18T13:27:00.002-04:00

There is a kind of serenity I find in doing mundane tasks. It takes me back to a much simpler time when I'd fall asleep under the counter at Kinko's after an all night printing binge. I spent tonight making and cutting flyers for the EP release show then shot down to the club to hang em up. It's kind of my favorite part of getting ready for the show. That and clubs usually buy you beer when they see you show initiative.

--HJM

2009-03-13T14:35:00.002-04:00

Ahoy Scalawags!

April 10th will be the comeuppance of theee Pure Rock Scurvy ep, you can order the cd directly from us at Brine and Bastards goods and trade. And on April 17th Pure Rock Scurvy hits iTunes.

Hear a preview track at

Pirateyness is always next to goodliness!

Happy New Years YARR!

2008-12-31T18:49:00.004-05:00

2008 was a pretty great year for Brine and Bastards; We released our debut cd Set Sail for Sodomy, we played alot of great shows, made alot of new great friends, met some super new people, and in the end almost finish recording another EP. Next year Pure Rock Scurvy comes out, we'll play more shows, have a few more drinks with friends, and live out the punk rock dream. So Happy New Years and Cheers to every pirate out there pillaging and running amok!

--The Port Newark Pirates

Click to order our debut cd.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2008-12-10T01:06:00.003-05:00

Preorder the Brine and Bastard

Pure Rock Scurvy Ep and

Get the EP, a button and a Sticker for free.

Shipping Included in the price!

Brand New Shirt

2008-11-05T14:10:00.002-05:00

hey check out our brand new Pure Rock Scurvy Shirt!

Recording - Day One

2008-09-29T17:22:00.000-04:00

Ahoy,

Recording the click track for Dan was great, the only snag we ran into was finding out the EP was going to be way too short. We decided to remedy this by adding another song. Our security officer Johnny, after finally being able to get his massive back through the door frame started filming us recording. We editied it down that same day for your viewing pleasure and here it is. Episode 1. Hopefully we can get the drums tracked this week and the corresponding video made which promises to be fun and laden with expletitives.

Cheers,

HJM

Recording - Day Zero

2008-09-26T13:36:00.000-04:00

Ahoy,

Last year around this time Geo and I began recording "Set Sail For Sodomy" at Strong Arm Studios. It was the beginning of a four month process for which we avoided sunlight and negative people to finally put what we thought was our masterpiece. It was the end of a four year struggle where we weathered through a myriad of line up changes, false starts, and a long stint of writers block. By the time the album finally came out it was as if a great and tiresome weight had been lifted off our collective shoulders. We had a new purpose, new vitality, and the realization that we just loved playing music together. All the bullshit had finally flowed downstream and it was just the four (now 6) of us just having a good time, once again playing Rock n Roll cause we just felt like hanging out together, drinking beer and having a few laughs. Out of this came a bunch of new (and old) songs that we couldn't wait to record on a full length, so tomorrow Geo and I will once again submerge ourselves in the basement of Strong Arm (which now is very nice and un-dungeon like) and begin work on "Sail Among Us". It is going to be a good old fashioned punk rock Ep that we'll have out before Christmas. Five songs for five bucks! I am going to keep up this blog while we record "Sail Among Us", and there will be webisodes and other goodies soon to follow. I'm Psyched!!!

I hope all is well wherever you are,

Handsome John Miserable

Tour Day Twenty Six: The Last Waltz

2008-09-18T00:11:00.001-04:00

So I'd like to think of the tour ending like one of my favorite tv shows getting canceled after the first season. It sucks, cause once you really start getting into the show, it's over. This one didn't have an unresolved cliffhanger, there were no unanswered questions, Reggie and The Full Effect played their last show Sept 14th at the TLA in Philly.

It was possibly the best show I have ever been to in my 29 years. I sincerely hope that it doesn't end up on youtube because if you weren't there then you just missed it. No three minute clip could really convey the spirit of the night. I remember going to shows as a kid and seeing and hearing things that made me feel like I was a part of something, like something bigger than me was unfolding right before my eyes. I had that feeling at the TLA, and I was thrilled to be there.

Now I'm back home again. I'm exhausted, but happy to be here. I'd like to say thank you to Jen for being amazing and working pretty much all my shifts so I could go on this tour. Chris for being a fantastic boss and a great friend (I'll always "follow that dream"). George for being the Goodliest Buddy what ever was, the better half of the worlds greatest songwriting duo, and convincing me to write a little every day. Johnny, Lauren, and Diane for the camera. And You. You know why, so thanks.

If you are reading this, don't leave any comments. I appreciate them all but this is it for awhile. And if you are on the fence about going to see a band play, whether they be your favorite or a friends, always go, you never know what you might miss out on by staying home.

J 9-18-07

Tour Day Twenty Two: No Diving in the Pool

2008-09-11T17:22:00.001-04:00

I shouldn't eat for a few hours before I play. It's like how they say you should wait fifteen minutes after eating to swim. I should wait at least three hours before I play. I felt like I had ankle weights on. Gross. Cambridge was awesome, they were the best crowd since Detroit. You also have to love a club that sells Tall Boys of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Tour Day Twenty Three: Don’t Let a Mugging Get You Down

2008-09-11T17:16:00.001-04:00

The last time I was in Baltimore I got mugged. It sucked but that was like 12 or thirteen years ago. This time I hear there is a Chick Fil A right by the venue. Already this trip to Baltimore totally kicks ass. I mean after getting mugged here, I guess everything that happens after is gravy, but the fact that I get to enjoy Chick Fil A is a total bonus. It really is the one thing preventing me from becoming a vegetarian. Well that and Kearny BBQ.

I've also been seeing a lot of cool and creative homemade T-Shirts at the shows. I think that's really awesome. High Five to all who craft in their spare time.

Tour Day Twenty One: We’re Gonna Have A TV Party Tonight!

2008-09-09T22:13:00.000-04:00

I love the tv show Monk. It is possibly my favorite thing right now. I spent most of my day off catching up on the episodes I missed while on tour. It was fantastic. Monk had a crush on a suspect, and then went on to solve 100th and subsequently 101st case (a murder within a murder). Lots of guest stars and shenanigans from our favorite Defective Detective.

In between new episodes of Monk, and gorging myself on pancakes, I caught up on all the new episodes of Psych. I swear if I didn't normally work on Friday nights, I'd never leave the house. USA's Friday night lineup is unstoppable. I also checked out the past two weeks Burn Notice, and the mini episodes of Rescue Me and the season premier of Entourage. Thank God for DVR!

I did however make the mistake of renting AVP 2. It totally sucked. Even with all the lights out I still couldn't see a fucking thing. They filmed it so dark I might as well been listening to a book on tape. Lame.

Tour Day Twenty: Home Sweet Home

2008-09-08T16:46:00.000-04:00

Today I have a day off at home. I am going to eat pancakes, do laundry and watch television. Life is good. Warships record comes out November 4th. Buy their record.

Tour Day Nineteen: Back to School Kids

2008-09-07T10:22:00.001-04:00

Today felt like the last day of summer. It was a lot colder than it should be for early September. I spent most of the day in a hooded sweatshirt, and most of my time in the club where I kept myself busy until the start of the show. It's funny how in Austin less than two weeks ago, I almost couldn't breathe from the heat and here I am today shivering from the cold.

I used to think of tour as a vacation. It was my way to get away from it all for a short period of time, kinda put my life on pause for bit and just go. I would always come back though, I never wanted to but I always did. Same shit job, same fucked relationships, same as it was before I left.

Now it's more of a blessing. I like my life back home, and I am really excited to get up everyday and live. Where it used to be a chore and constant uphill battle it now feels easier. I'm lucky, not everybody gets a second chance, and not everybody who does makes the best of it.

No matter how happy I am at home, I still get the itch. I thought this was going to be the first year since I was 21 that I wasn't going to go on tour. It really bummed me out, but by around February I had made my peace with it. That's what led me to go to Las Vegas for my 29th birthday, which was for the first time and an actual vacation.

It's in my blood I guess. I know I could live in New Jersey for my entire life, but I can't help but want to go other places, see things, have a drink in every state. It makes you appreciate home more. This trip has done nothing but add to my growing appreciation for my home, and my friends, and my family. Hell I am even happy to go back to my job for once. I fucking love my job. This is the first time I will ever come back from a tour and not feel as hopeless as I did when I left.

There really is a first time for everything.

Tour Day Eighteen: Denouement

2008-09-06T05:47:00.000-04:00

So I had a great time in Chicago. Even though I was sick, I still got to have lunch with an old friend and walk around the city a bit. The last time I was in Chicago it was under less than ideal circumstances. So this was refreshing. For some reason Chicago seemed a lot more quiet than I remember it. It was kinda nice.

Detroit was fantastic. It's really rare that you find a place that really encompasses all the things you dig. Pizza, Bowling, Punk Rock, and a second restaurant for fine dining. I love to eat, I'm not totally shitty at bowling, and I live to play music. So on all fronts I left Detroit completely satisfied.

Pittsburgh is always fun. It's surprisingly a lot busier than I remember. Having always been here in winter, I guess I never got to experience the summertime party town aspect of the city. I had fun at the Smiling Moose, beer was cheap there and they played old soul and reggae. Oh! and Thanks for the cough drops.

Once we hit NYC on Sunday, we're pretty much in the home stretch of this tour. As much as I miss everybody back home, I really wish it were longer.