DYS (band)
Encyclopedia
DYS is an American straight edge hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts who were part of the notorious "Boston Crew
" in the 1980s, along with contemporaries such as SSD
and Negative FX
. The group later expanded their sound, becoming one of the first hardcore bands to veer into heavy metal
.
– a record still held in high regard by fans of hardcore music, which sells for more than $150 a copy on ebay, and DYS, an album that took more of a metal
direction than their debut. DYS is considered by many to be one of the first crossover thrash
albums released. During their later rock/metal period, live sound was handled by noted hard rock producer Andrew Murdock, who works under the professional name "Mudrock."
Both albums have been re-issued together on CD and in digital formats by Taang! Records
(titled Fire and Ice), and Brotherhood has also been reissued on CD and on iTunes
in early 2005 by Taang! Records in its original format – with the addition of the Wolfpack demo tape, featuring Hüsker Dü
singing back-up vocals.
DYS took its name from the Department of Youth Services, a Massachusetts
governmental organization where delinquent youth were housed as well as the Alice Cooper song "Department of Youth."
, Gang Green
and The F.U.'s
, as well as New York City’s Antidote. The show was in support of xxx ALL AGES xxx, a documentary about the hardcore punk scene in Boston in the early 1980s, produced by Gallery East
in association with Stone Films NYC.
The initial reunion line-up of DYS featured additional guitar player Bobby Frankenheim (ex-Death Wish) and new drummer Jack Clark of Jerry's Kids, Unnatural Axe and Cheetah Chrome's solo band.
Since that first show, DYS co-founders Dave Smalley and Jonathan Anastas have recruited ex-Foo Fighters
and current Scream (band)
guitar player Franz Stahl, ex-Powerman 5000
drummer Al Pahanish Jr. and guitar player Adam Porris (ex-Far From Finished).
DYS has played 2010/2011 shows at the House of Blues, Boston, MA, in support of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' 13th annual Hometown Throwdown and in NYC at Webster Hall (formally the Ritz, where they had played in their previous incarnation), Baltimore, Phili, Sound and Fury Festival in Santa Barbara, Rumble Fest in Chicago and the legendary Gilman in Berkley CA. The band has also announced several shows in Norway and Sweden, LA, Toronto, Denver, Atlanta, Seattle, and plan to spend much of April 2012 touring Europe and appearing at the Groezrock festival in Belgium.
On June 23, 2011, the band and their new label - Bridge 9 - announced the August 9th release of "More than Fashion: LIVE from the Gallery East Reunion" on vinyl and Digital formats.
The band has also completed summer 2011 recording sessions with their old sound man (and now producer of note) Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock in Los Angeles. Recordings from these sessions will be released as Digital singles in Fall/Winter 2011. The first being "Wild Card" - released 11.8.2011 - to be followed by "Sound of our Town" featuring Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on guest vocals.
. His new name is Mahan Atma Singh Khalsa, and he is active as an influential Kundalini yoga
teacher in Amritsar, India.
Added lead guitarist Ross Luongo played in the re-formed line-up of Jerry's Kids
and started his musical career in Impact Unit, Mighty Mighty Bosstones' front man Dicky Barrett
's first band.
Co-founder and singer Dave Smalley
went on to sing for Dag Nasty
, ALL
and Down By Law
before founding the Jam
-influenced band The Sharpshooters. Dave is a noted newspaper editor and "Conservative Punk
" columnist.
Co-founder and bassist Jonathan Anastas
became a founding member of Slapshot
, writing, recording and touring behind their debut album "Back on the Map." Prior to starting DYS, he also founded the short-lived band Decadence. Their song "Slam" was documented on the legendary "This Is Boston, Not LA" compilation, and later adopted for a long-running MTV
advertising campaign titled "Santa, the Man, the Myth, the Slam Dancer." Anastas initially left the music business for college, followed by a career in advertising and marketing.
Boston hardcore
Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. Boston hardcore is the hardcore punk scene of Boston, Massachusetts. (Not to be confused with Boston metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore; itself an...
" in the 1980s, along with contemporaries such as SSD
SSD (band)
SSD were a straight edge hardcore band from Boston. They released two records as SS Decontrol and then formally changed their name to SSD. As SSD they released two more records, these with a very heavy metal influenced sound...
and Negative FX
Negative FX
Negative FX was a hardcore straight edge band from Boston formed in 1981. Though the band lasted only a short time, playing only a total of five shows , the band was well-known for their involvement in the local straight edge scene of the early '80s...
. The group later expanded their sound, becoming one of the first hardcore bands to veer into heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
Original Band History
The band initially released two albums: Brotherhood, produced by legendary punk producer Lou GiordanoLou Giordano
Lou Giordano is a record producer and recording engineer who worked at Radiobeat Studios and Fort Apache Studios. He has produced a wide variety of bands, including Hüsker Dü, the Goo Goo Dolls, and many others....
– a record still held in high regard by fans of hardcore music, which sells for more than $150 a copy on ebay, and DYS, an album that took more of a metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
direction than their debut. DYS is considered by many to be one of the first crossover thrash
Crossover thrash
__FORCETOC__Crossover thrash, often abbreviated to crossover, is a form of thrash metal that contains more hardcore punk elements than standard thrash. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and punk rock...
albums released. During their later rock/metal period, live sound was handled by noted hard rock producer Andrew Murdock, who works under the professional name "Mudrock."
Both albums have been re-issued together on CD and in digital formats by Taang! Records
Taang! Records
Taang! Records is an American independent record label founded by Curtis Casella in Boston, Massachusetts which is currently based in San Diego...
(titled Fire and Ice), and Brotherhood has also been reissued on CD and on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
in early 2005 by Taang! Records in its original format – with the addition of the Wolfpack demo tape, featuring Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü
Hüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
singing back-up vocals.
DYS took its name from the Department of Youth Services, a Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
governmental organization where delinquent youth were housed as well as the Alice Cooper song "Department of Youth."
Reunion
On August 29, 2010 DYS headlined a reunion show and movie shoot in front of over 1,000 fans along with fellow Boston hardcore punk pioneers Jerry's KidsJerry's Kids
Jerry's Kids is one of the earliest Boston hardcore bands, formed in 1981, from Braintree, Mass.. Their first recorded output was on the Modern Method This Is Boston, Not L.A. compilation LP in 1982. They contributed six tracks along with other early Boston Hardcore band Gang Green.Frontman Bryan...
, Gang Green
Gang Green
Gang Green is a band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty , Bill Manley and Mike Dean started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1984...
and The F.U.'s
The F.U.'s
The F.U.'s were an early-mid 1980s Boston hardcore punk band, who later changed their name to Straw Dogs, moving toward heavy metal and reformed under their original moniker in 2010.-History:...
, as well as New York City’s Antidote. The show was in support of xxx ALL AGES xxx, a documentary about the hardcore punk scene in Boston in the early 1980s, produced by Gallery East
Gallery East
Gallery East is an art and performance network based in Boston, Massachusetts notable for being one of the first venues to host hardcore punk rock shows for an all ages audience. Founded in 1979 by Duane Lucia and Al Ford, it closed its location at 24 East St...
in association with Stone Films NYC.
The initial reunion line-up of DYS featured additional guitar player Bobby Frankenheim (ex-Death Wish) and new drummer Jack Clark of Jerry's Kids, Unnatural Axe and Cheetah Chrome's solo band.
Since that first show, DYS co-founders Dave Smalley and Jonathan Anastas have recruited ex-Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
and current Scream (band)
Scream (band)
Scream is a hardcore punk band from Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia active from 1981 to 1990. As of 2009, the band has reunited to play several shows.-Biography:...
guitar player Franz Stahl, ex-Powerman 5000
Powerman 5000
Powerman 5000 is an American Metal band formed in 1991. Through the span of over two decades, the group has released several albums and gained their highest commercial success with 1999's science fiction themed Tonight the Stars Revolt!...
drummer Al Pahanish Jr. and guitar player Adam Porris (ex-Far From Finished).
DYS has played 2010/2011 shows at the House of Blues, Boston, MA, in support of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' 13th annual Hometown Throwdown and in NYC at Webster Hall (formally the Ritz, where they had played in their previous incarnation), Baltimore, Phili, Sound and Fury Festival in Santa Barbara, Rumble Fest in Chicago and the legendary Gilman in Berkley CA. The band has also announced several shows in Norway and Sweden, LA, Toronto, Denver, Atlanta, Seattle, and plan to spend much of April 2012 touring Europe and appearing at the Groezrock festival in Belgium.
On June 23, 2011, the band and their new label - Bridge 9 - announced the August 9th release of "More than Fashion: LIVE from the Gallery East Reunion" on vinyl and Digital formats.
The band has also completed summer 2011 recording sessions with their old sound man (and now producer of note) Andrew "Mudrock" Murdock in Los Angeles. Recordings from these sessions will be released as Digital singles in Fall/Winter 2011. The first being "Wild Card" - released 11.8.2011 - to be followed by "Sound of our Town" featuring Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones on guest vocals.
Post-DYS activities
Guitarist Andy Strachan later co-founded the more rock-focused band Slaughter Shack. Slaughter Shack went on to win the Boston musical contest the "Rumble." After leaving music, Strachan has since converted to SikhismSikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. His new name is Mahan Atma Singh Khalsa, and he is active as an influential Kundalini yoga
Kundalini yoga
Kundalini yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline for developing strength, awareness, character, and consciousness. Practitioners call Kundalini yoga the yoga of awareness because it focuses primarily on practices that expand sensory awareness and intuition in order to raise individual...
teacher in Amritsar, India.
Added lead guitarist Ross Luongo played in the re-formed line-up of Jerry's Kids
Jerry's Kids
Jerry's Kids is one of the earliest Boston hardcore bands, formed in 1981, from Braintree, Mass.. Their first recorded output was on the Modern Method This Is Boston, Not L.A. compilation LP in 1982. They contributed six tracks along with other early Boston Hardcore band Gang Green.Frontman Bryan...
and started his musical career in Impact Unit, Mighty Mighty Bosstones' front man Dicky Barrett
Dicky Barrett
Richard Michael Barrett , better known as Dicky Barrett, is the frontman of Ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live...
's first band.
Co-founder and singer Dave Smalley
Dave Smalley
Not to be confused with Dave Smalley Dave Smalley is an American musician, best known as the punk bands DYS, Dag Nasty, All and singer/guitarist with Down By Law. He is known for his influence on pop punk music and his early contributions to the emo genre...
went on to sing for Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty
Dag Nasty was a Washington D.C. punk band formed in 1985 by guitarist Brian Baker of Minor Threat, drummer Colin Sears and bassist Roger Marbury, both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and vocalist Shawn Brown...
, ALL
ALL (band)
All is an American punk band originally from Los Angeles, currently residing in Fort Collins, Colorado, formed by Descendents members Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton.-Formation and Cruz Records Years:...
and Down By Law
Down by Law (band)
Down by Law is a punk rock band formed in 1989 by former All frontman Dave Smalley, who is the their only permanent member. The band has recorded 7 studio albums. They stayed on Epitaph Records until 1998 and have since switched to labels. Down by Law has never achieved substantial commercial...
before founding the Jam
The Jam
The Jam were an English punk rock/New Wave/mod revival band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. They were formed in Woking, Surrey. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore smartly tailored suits rather than ripped...
-influenced band The Sharpshooters. Dave is a noted newspaper editor and "Conservative Punk
Conservative Punk
Conservative Punk was a website that promoted conservative views in the punk subculture. It was created by Nick Rizzuto, an employee of a New York City rock radio station, partially in response to the left-liberal group Punkvoter . The Conservative Punk website received significant press coverage...
" columnist.
Co-founder and bassist Jonathan Anastas
Jonathan Anastas
Jonathan Anastas is a Los Angeles-based marketing & advertising executive, and a musician who cofounded a number of influential Boston hardcore punk bands in the 1980s.-Punk rock musician:...
became a founding member of Slapshot
Slapshot (band)
-History:Slapshot was formed in 1985 by Steve Risteen and Mark McKay, formerly of Terminally Ill; Jack "Choke" Kelly, formerly of Negative FX and Last Rights; and Jonathan Anastas, formerly of Decadence and DYS...
, writing, recording and touring behind their debut album "Back on the Map." Prior to starting DYS, he also founded the short-lived band Decadence. Their song "Slam" was documented on the legendary "This Is Boston, Not LA" compilation, and later adopted for a long-running MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
advertising campaign titled "Santa, the Man, the Myth, the Slam Dancer." Anastas initially left the music business for college, followed by a career in advertising and marketing.
Discography
- 1983 – DYS "Brotherhood"
- 1984 – DYS "DYS"
- 1993 – Various Artists "Faster and Louder, Volume Two" (Contributed the track "Wolfpack" which was the band's unreleased first demo tape and a live favorite)
- 1993 – DYS "Fire and Ice" (first two albums combined on CD)
- 2005 – DYS "Wolfpack" – "Brotherhood" re-released with the addition of the band's original Wolfpack radio demo featuring Hüsker DüHüsker DüHüsker Dü was an American rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist Bob Mould, bassist Greg Norton, and drummer Grant Hart....
on back-up vocals - 2011 – DYS "More than Fashion: LIVE from the Gallery East Reunion" – live tracks from the "Gallery East Reunion" festival and "xxx All Ages xxx" movie shoot, on Bridge 9 Records
- 2011 - DYS "Wild Card" - Single on Bridge 9 Records
External links
- PMAKid Interview – Interview with Dave Smalley on PMAKid.com
- Suburban Voice Interview – DYS interview from 1993
- Taang Records site, DYS page
- DYS Page on MySpace
- DYS video of "City to City" live on YouTube
- Jonathan Anastas Interview