New York City's BULLY pound their influences -- The Beatles' harmonies, Black Sabbath's riffs, Led Zeppelin's soul and Nirvana's angst -- into a highly identifiable modern rock sound, laden with monolithic guitar riffs and in-your-face melodic hooks. Imagine the marijuana-damaged guitars of Queens of the Stone Age topped by the precision vocal harmonies of King's X and you'll be within spitting distance of BULLY's sonic signature.
BULLY convened in 2001 when Dan Karkos and brothers Matt and John Farley teamed up with guitarist Scott Fletcher. Plugging in their crusty Gibson and Fender guitars, the quartet immediately bonded over a shared affection for high-decibel riffage. But their sound didn't fully come to life until they tapped their own tremendous vocal capacity, adding stellar four-part harmonies to the mix. After writing just a few songs, the group's mighty aural stamp was forged -- and the name BULLY couldn't have been more apt.
In 2003, the group released their first full-length album "Songs That Make You Cry" on Underdog Records. Produced by Brad Morrison (The Figgs, Phish) and recorded almost entirely "live" in the studio, the record loudly captures the raw edges of BULLY's formidable concert presence, while highlighting the group's undeniably powerful songwriting and tight musicianship.
After a string of pummeling and well-received gigs in New York City (Don Hill's, Arlene's Grocery, Continental, Sin'e) and upstate New York (Planet 505, Steel Music Hall) over the next year, Scott Fletcher amicably left the band. While Bully sought his permanent replacement, they continued to write even more sharp-edged new material and managed to squeeze in a few side projects: Dan teamed up with his brother Virus, guitarist for Chicago nu-metallers Dope, for the dark, downtempo Black and Blues project (which produced an excellent, eponymous EP); the band also began an ongoing stint in 2005 with Jerry Gaskill, drummer of legendary Texas hard rock trio (and major Bully influence) King's X. In the first half of 2006, Bully kept up their profile in the NYC club scene by playing a series of gigs with their good friend Andee (of NYC band P*S*K -- and also of the Jerry Gaskill band) happily sitting in on lead guitar.
By summer's end, Bully finally found a permanent resident for their lead guitar slot in BSTONE, a local musician who'd served time with veteran New York rockers Joker Five Speed (who had just split up). They couldn't have picked a better candidate for the job; BSTONE's penchant for high-volume rock (infused with a bluesy tastefulness) fit Bully's music like a well-worn leather glove, while his experience in the New York rock scene and workmanlike attitude made him perfect for Bully on a personal and professional level.
Since the successful live debut of the new-look Bully on August 5th, 2006, the band have been busy woodshedding a slew of devastating new songs for a planned recording in the fall. Get ready to be knocked on your ass.
One of the most distinctive bands of the new generation of hard rockers, BULLY are the self-proclaimed "purveyors of pushy rock." A thousand times more potent than the chest-beating emo-metallers that clog up the modern rock airwaves, Bully are more than simply loud and aggressive -- they are also skilled, soulful and, most importantly, real. And they're here to teach you a lesson.
-Andy Hinds (All Music Guide)
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BULLY's SONGS THAT MAKE YOU CRY CD!
