Suicide Invoice is the second album by the San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

 rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Hot Snakes

Hot Snakes

Hot Snakes were an American post-hardcore band led by Rick Froberg and John Reis, formed in 1999 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005. Reis and Froberg had previously performed together in Pitchfork and Drive Like Jehu, after which Reis had found international success with Rocket from the...

, released in 2002 by Swami Records

Swami Records

Swami Records is a San Diego based independent record label specializing in punk rock, indie rock and garage rock that was founded in 2000 by John Reis...

. It was recorded in a similar manner to the band's previous album Automatic Midnight

Automatic Midnight

Automatic Midnight is the first album by the San Diego, California rock band Hot Snakes, released in 2000 by Swami Records. Both the band and the album began as a "side project" for John Reis in June 1999, during time off from his main band Rocket From the Crypt. Reis wrote and recorded a batch of...

, with guitarist John Reis taking time off from his main band Rocket from the Crypt

Rocket from the Crypt

Rocket from the Crypt was an American rock band led by John Reis, formed in 1989 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005.The band gained critical praise and the attention of major record labels after the release of their 1992 album Circa: Now!, leading to a recording contract with Interscope...

. As a visual artist and illustrator singer/guitarist Rick Froberg

Rick Froberg

Eric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...

 provided the album's artwork, while Reis released the album through his Swami Records label.

In comparison to the band's previous album Automatic Midnight, Suicide Invoice is slightly slower paced and more experimental, incorporating organ

Organ (music)

The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...

s and melodica

Melodica

The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...

s which the band had not used before. It is also less aggressive and primal than their subsequent album Audit in Progress

Audit in Progress

Audit in Progress is the third and final studio album by the San Diego, California rock band Hot Snakes, released in 2004 by Swami Records. It was recorded in a similar manner to the band's previous two albums, with guitarist John Reis taking time off from his main band Rocket From the Crypt...

.

As with Automatic Midnight, touring in support of Suicide Invoice was limited due to the band members residing on opposite sides of the country, though they were able to tour the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The following year drummer Jason Kourkounis departed the band and Reis resumed full-time work with Rocket from the Crypt. The band would reunite in 2004 for another album and more extensive touring, replacing Kourkounis with Rocket from the Crypt drummer Mario Rubalcaba

Mario Rubalcaba

Mario Rubalcaba is an American drummer from San Diego, notable as a member of numerous rock bands including Thingy, Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes, Earthless, the Sultans, and Off! He has also played on albums by The Black Heart Procession and Pinback and was formerly a professional...

.

Track listing

1. "I Hate the Kids"
2. "Gar Forgets His Insulin"
3. "XOX"
4. "Who Died"
5. "Suicide Invoice"
6. "Paid in Cigarettes"
7. "LAX"
8. "Bye Nancy Boy"
9. "Paperwork"
10. "Why Does it Hurt"
11. "Unlisted"
12. "Ben Gurion"

Performers

• Rick Froberg
  Rick Froberg
  Eric "Rick" Froberg is an American musician and artist. He was born in Los Angeles, lived in Encinitas, California, and currently resides in Brooklyn...
  
   - guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , lead vocals
• John Reis
  John Reis
  John Reis is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket from the Crypt, which he formed and fronted for the entirety of its career from 1990 to 2005...
  
   - guitar, melodica
  Melodica
  The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
  
  , backing vocals
• Gar Wood - bass guitar
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  , Magi 44 organ
• Jason Kourkounis (credited as Jsinclair) - drum kit
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Frankie Stains - organ on finale of "Paid in Cigarettes"

Album information

• Record label: Swami Records
  Swami Records
  Swami Records is a San Diego based independent record label specializing in punk rock, indie rock and garage rock that was founded in 2000 by John Reis...
  
  
• Recorded 2002 at Drag Racist studios by John Reis, Gar Wood and Ben Moore
• Mixed at Big Fish Recorders in San Diego by John Reis, Gar Wood and Ben Moore
• Artwork by Rick Froberg