The Bouncing Souls

The four band members, Greg Attonito, Pete Steinkopf, Bryan Kienlen, George Rebelo, were all members of bands in high schools in Basking Ridge. After they decided to move to New Brunswick to follow the growing underground music scene there. With a strong fan base formed from students from the nearby Rutgers University, The Bouncing Souls, who took their name from a Doc Marten’s advertisement, became a staple of the local scene, and also brought supporting bands to the forefront at their shows.

The band released their debut album titled “The Good, The Bad & The Argyle” in 1994 on their own independent label, Chunksaah Records. The album was a compilation of all their previous EP’s, and an album of wholly new material, “Manical Laughter” followed two years later. Half of the songs were written in a week, and their new wave punk sound gained them a tour slot with Youth Brigade, and a major label contract with Epitaph Records.

After a slight false start with their third eponymous album, Hopeless Romantic, their fourth album was a huge hit with fans and critics. The band was heralded for their experimental modern take on punk, paired with deep lyrical content.

The turn of the millennium saw some band line up changes and a new album, titled “How I Spent My Summer Vacation”. By this point the band had gained a large following around the world, as they became veterans in the punk scene. More recently they have toured with the likes of Black Flag, and had their music used for Hollywood movies such as “The Manchurian Candidate”. In 2004, the band released an anniversary DVD; “ Do You Remember? 15 Years of the Bouncing Soul”.

The band came together in 2006, consisting of the four members Greg Barnett (guitar/vocals), Tom May (guitar/vocals), Eric Keen (bass) and Joe Godino (drums). The band impressed with their self-titled demo released in 2006, gaining the attention of record label Go-Kart Records, who brought the band onto their roster.

A year later, The Menzingers had released their debut album, titled "A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology," which made significant waves in the punk world, finding new fans, achieving a sound similar to the likes of the Lawrence Arms. The band moved to Red Scare Industries in 2009 to release their four-song EP, "Hold on Dodge," before then embarking upon a tour alongside Broadway Calls.

In 2010, they released their second full-length, "Chamberlain Waits," which went on to be named one of the best punk records of the year by sites like Punknews.org, Absolutepunk.net and Exclaim.ca. The success of the record also gained them a front-cover appearance on AMP Magazine. The album brought the respect of their peers, embarking on support slots for The Gaslight Anthem, Against Me!, NOFX and ANTI-FLAG across the US and Canada.

With hype building, Epitaph Records signed the act, going on to release their third album through the popular punk label, titled "On the Impossible Past, released in 2012. The album was voted album of the year on a number of online media outlets, including Absolutepunk.net. "Rented World" followed, being released in April 2014.