Fat Wreck Chords

Following a series of backroom negotiations, some Sicilian muscle and a telling interview with superstar newswoman Pepsi, Fat is proud to announce the acquisition of Joey Cape’s full catalog, bringing these five titles into the family they probably should always have been a part of.

Here’s what we will have on offer come March 18th: Joey’s first two proper solo albums, Bridge and Doesn’t Play Well With Others. His collaboration with Jon Snodgrass on acoustic covers of their respective bands’ songs, Liverbirds. His full-band take on a selection of previously acoustic songs, Joey Cape’s Bad Loud – Volume One. And finally, his last collaboration with Tony Sly, Scorpios, also featuring Snodgrass and Brian Wahlstrom.

With catchy hooks, three part harmonies, and a drummer who fires her ‘guns’ harder than most of her male compatriots, Bad Cop/Bad Cop bring to mind the ‘90s heyday of chicks who actually rocked, from the snarl of The Distillers and synchronized vocals of Dance Hall Crashers to the guitar prowess of The Muffs and wry lyrics of Lunachicks. All hailing from different parts of the U.S., the foursome met in Los Angeles while playing in bands like Compton SF, The Radio Sweetheart, The D’Maggs, The City, Angry Amputees, and Cunt Sparrer. After playing at the “Lilith Bear” party during San Francisco Bear Pride 2013, they were supported and encouraged by an unlikely audience member: NOFX’s Fat Mike. “After our set, Mike approached and said he liked all the songs and that he was going to do something with our band. I almost crapped myself, and the rest is history,” says singer & guitarist Stacey Dee.

Look for their brand new EP, Boss Lady, out on Fat this Spring!

Strung Out’s last album, 2009’s Agents of the Underground, was their 7th full length and celebrated the band’s 20th anniversary. A true testament to their relevance and longevity is their ability to organically evolve through the years. Strung Out began their career as a strictly melodic punk band known for their tight musicianship and catchy melodies but evolved into a more aggressive, metal-infused veteran punk band. That is what all of us were most interested in capturing: the true musical journey of one of the founding bands on Fat Wreck Chords. This box set, Volume One, showcases the first three albums: Another Day in Paradise, Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues, and Twisted By Design, all fully remixed by Ryan Greene, helping to display the true power of these songs along with nuances previously unheard. We’ve re-scanned all the artwork from the original pieces and included deluxe foldout inserts with never before seen photos and extensive liner notes from the band. The real gem in this set, in the works for a decade (!!!), is the first-ever Strung Out DVD! You get a full 2012 concert where they performed the Suburban and Twisted albums in their entirety, all professionally filmed and recorded, and that’s just the start. There’s a TON of footage from the ‘90s: shows, tour antics, interviews, behind the scenes stuff; a veritable treasure trove of classic Strung Out. For you vinyl hounds, the LP box set includes The Skinny Years… Before We Got Fat, remastered and on vinyl for the first time ever! (It’s also included in the CD box set, as bonus tracks on the Paradise disc). Finally, we think the box set does a nice job of encapsulating the distinct personality of Jim Cherry’s contribution to Strung Out. Jim is another member of the Fat family who passed way too soon, and as Strung Out vocalist Jason Cruz states in his liner notes to the fans, “This box set is as much for Jim as it is for you.” We hope it serves his legacy and your expectations.

Happy New Year! We should probably start it off by coming clean about the pressing info on the Off With Their Heads/Morning Glory special tour split 7” we released in December. Well, as some of you may know, we pressed two colors, one for each band to sell exclusively on tour. What you didn’t know is that we pressed a limited black version to be sold through the Fat webstore. Here’s a little tip for you now that 2014 is upon us: color is the new black. Or is it: black is the new black? Shit’s confusing, whatever. The point is we’ve got super rare black vinyl available and we’ve even got a few copies of the color versions on hand for all you that haven’t yet reconciled with the new trending status of black. Don’t say we never did anything for ya.

We’re just as bummed as you all are that the Cobra Skulls may be calling it a day. Read what singer Devin Peralta had to say here, check out the video for their last single Eagle Eyes below and come see them tonight in Santa Cruz with Good Riddance and Western Addiction! We’ve loved working with Devin, Tony and Luke, and can’t wait to hear whatever music any of them become involved with in the future.