The Loiterers

The Loiterers formed during the bleak musical landscape known as 1996 to unknowingly re-invent punk to a style more suited towards rocking out and less about self-conscious mimicking of old and tired past trends. Taking all the good parts of the musical past and throwing away all the pomp, convention and pretense, The Loiterers have managed to play hundreds of shows and record over a hundred songs for an audience thirsting for true, honest balls-out punk that’s not afraid to accidentally step into a pile of metal or even pop. When they first banded together, The Loiterers had a rough, gritty buzzsaw attack that was definitely rough-around-the-edges but still instantly recognized for it’s no-nonsense approach to writing and performing. With songs like "Chainsaws & Cheerleaders", "Bad Taste" and "Ron Jeremy", the band was on the path to somehow forging a mix of musical styles that had just the right amounts of the elements they touched upon. It’s hard to describe in words, but the songs were simple, catchy yet still rocked hard enough to whip the crowd up into a whirlwind of energetic approval. They released three full-length LP’s and one EP in this period. Each collection of songs showed leaps and bounds of musical creativity and innovation over the last and were well received by both the public and the critical elite. Unfortunately, due to members of the band being forced to face sudden commitments, The Loiterers had to take some time off between 2001-2005. When the band got back together in the spring of ’05, they realized that the music world had changed significantly both in the band member’s tastes as well as in the public’s. They found themselves writing strange new music that was still punk but was somehow heavier than most of the metal bands out there. Suddenly it became apparent that the unique blend and different musical tastes of the band members had congealed into a thick stew that got richer and meatier with age and had met at a musical crossroads to form a bombastic and completely different sound. People who didn’t even like punk were starting to react to their live performances and recordings. The release of their LP, "Infected Host", catapulted the band into a newfound appreciation by an audience begging for a punk rock record that acknowledged the past while moving ahead both in songwriting, lyrics and production, which the band handled themselves. Standout tracks such as "Heartfist", "Florida", "Infected Host" and "Orange Punks on Acid" (as well as many others) became instant crowd favorites and drew a favorable reception among anyone hearing it for the first time. One fan summed up this new direction the most accurately saying "If you don’t feel your heart racing when you see a Loiterers show, you might be dead inside". The band is planning to head into the studio to record the follow up to "Infected Host" in May of 2008. The new material picks up where their last record left off, going in new sonic directions unheard as of yet. It will definitely be the most heavy-yet-catchy and diverse Loiterers record so far. Look for them playing some place close to you as they plan on touring as much as possible to support all this new music. Also in the works is "Dead Rapper’s Delight", which will contain a juicy smorgasbord of all of the band’s pre-"Infected Host" material. Thanks for listening and be prepared for the new face of punk, bitches!- for a complete discography & a partial list of prior shows check out our blogs -BAND MEMBERS:MARK STALKER (lead vocals):One of the founding members of the band, Mark has a vocal sound and lyrical sensibility like no one else. If Johnny Cash and Black Francis had a threesome with Jello Biafra and produced a male offspring he might come close to what Mr. Stalker’s voice sounds like. His stage presense is both menacing, humorous and understated. Mark is also a talented guitarist and has performed many solo acoustic gigs that show another side of his musical personality.BRENDAN SCARECROW (guitar, back vocals):Also a founding member of The Loiterers, Brendan’s guitar sound always manages to cut through the chaos of sound the band makes with a razor- sharp, yet warm distorted blanket. He is a master of the riff and a natural talent when it comes to creating offbeat, quirky yet unpompous music. His backup vocals are noted for being so loud that he almost doesn’t need a microphone to get them to carry throughout the club. Onstage he resembles a scarecrow come to life to reek havoc on the unsuspecting victims of the audience. Brendan also does solo acoustic gigs and plays drums in the burgeoning young ska/punk band, The Dead Army.JEFF JADED (bass guitar, back vocals):Jeff is by far the most outspoken of the group. His onstage wrath is outshined only by his bass-playing, which is so unique that you always know it’s him playing after the first note. Lightning-fast, tasteful and perpetually perplexing is his approach to the bass. It’s almost as if he is the lead string player sometimes, yet his role in the deep, dirty anchor of the low is never neglected. When he provides his vocal ability to the band, children cry and grown men pee themselves out of fear that the anger and raw shriekings coming out of this throat will manifest themselves as demons come to give payback for their sins. Jeff has also played in a number of other bands including Six-Pack de Heysuess (bass) and Greyview (bass, lead vocals).SMATH (drums, back vocals):smAth’s role in the group is one of pounding out a cavity inside the heart of The Loiterer’s music. His drumming style ranges from all out bombastic chaos to an understated groove when needed. The chemistry between the drums and the bass is truly the backbone of the band. He also lends his vocal talents to the mix which tend to lean towards melodic rage. To watch him play with the band exudes a fluent dance that works like a machine that has just found it’s soul. He has also worked as the band’s recording engineer and mixer on "Up Your Ass With Broken Glass" and "Infected Host". Other bands he is currently playing with are Tom Fury (guitar, lead vocals) and Grain Elevator (keys, back vocals).