Band Profile - Propagandhi

[Buzzbomb]

Propagandhi

Members:
Jord Samolesky (Drums, Back Vocals)
Todd "The Rodd" Kowalski (Bass, Lead Vocals)
Chris Hannah (Guitar, Lead Vocals)

Former Members:

John Samson (Bassist and Singer, Left 1997, formed The Weakerthans)
Mike Braumeister (Second Bassist. played some of Propagandhi's first shows)
Scott Hopper (First Bassist. Left Propagandhi and formed a Grind band called Crawl)

Albums and S'hit
F'uck the scene (Demo) (Unknown)
Propagandhi/I Spy (Split) (Unknown)
How To Clean Everything (1993)
How To Clean A Couple O' Things (7") (1993)
Less Talk More Rock (1996)
Where Job Quantity is Number 1 (1998)
Todays Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes (2000)
Potemkin City Limits (Expected realease October 18th 2005)

Compilations with the kick a'ss Propagandhi
Fat Music Volume I: Fat Music For Fat People (Fat Wreck Chords)
Fat Music Volume II: Survival of the Fattest (Fat Wreck Chords)
Fat Music Volume III: Physical Fatness (Fat Wreck Chords)
Fat Music Volume V: Live Fat Die Young (Fat Wreck Chords)
Fat Music Volume VI: Uncontrollable Fatulence (Fat Wreck Chords)
F'ucken Eh! Volume 2 (Triple Threat Records)
Letters From Punksville (Reinforcement)
Peace Not War Volume 2 (Peace Not War)
Teenage Kicks (Liberation)
Return of the Read Menace (G7 Welcoming Commitee)
Take Penacilin Now (G7 Welcoming Commitee)

Related Bands:
The Weakerthans(John Samson's band after leaving Propagandhi)
Crawl(Grind band featuring Propagandhi's first bassist)
Swallowing S'hit(Grind band Todd was in before Propagandhi)
I Spy (Another Todd Band)

The History of Propagandhi

The great f'ucken band known as Propagandhi got its start way back in the day of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba a small town located near the Winnepeg. It started when two thrash-metal heads who were influenced by metal bands such as Slayer and Motorhead, Jord Samolesky and Chris Hannah played Bantom hockey together for awile then ended up hanging out together at school. Chris and Jord shared the same musical influences and in the mid 80's through metal music they got into punk music together. Their punk band influences include fellow kick a'ss canadian punk band D.O.A, Dead Kennedys, Subhumans and DyS. Because of their interest in the punk scene they slowly started getting into political s'hit.

As the years went on, Chris ended up asking if Jord wanted to start a band with him and he agreed with Chris being on the guitar and Jord being on the drums. They later moved to the capitol of Manitoba, Winnepeg where they would search out for a bass player by posting signs that read "Progressive Trash band looking for bass player Contact Chris(Insert number here) and Jord(insert other number here) at a local record store in Winnepeg called Records On Wheels. They called themselves Progressive Thrash because they did not consider themselves punk, hardcore, or metal just simply progressive thrash. Their ad was finally asnwered by some drunk named Scott Hopper who would have a smoke break every five or so minutes and would always drink beer. He eventualy left the band to start the grind band Crawl. After Hopper left the band he was replaced by "Stinky" Mike Braumeister who would wear a leather jacket in the summer and have no shirt on underneath, hence the name stinky. It was also at this time that the band became known as Propagandhi. Stinky stayed with the band for awile longer then Hopper and played their first show with them in Green Bay, Wisconsin (which was a display for technical errors) and a show with Fugazi in 1991. Stinky grew tired of the rest of the band and left to move to Vancouver. They said goodbye to him at a bus station.

Enter John Samson, he took over for Stinky on bass and vocals.They showed John all the songs quickly just before a gig with NOFX and a smaller less known band The Riel Brothers putting on a show in the Royal Albert Arms Hotel and recording their demo tape titled "F'uck the scene". After the gig Fat Mike of NOFX approached the band after the show and asked for their demo tape. He gave it a listen and asked if they wanted to be on his upstart label Fat Wreck Chords. At the time they had only had a 7" by Lagwagon, the band did agree though thinking Fat Wreck would never take off.
Fat Mike would call remain calling them for the rest of 1992 and after all that, Chris lost a round of rock, paper, scissors and called him back. Mike invinted them down to L.A to record for six days at West Beach Studios. They would proceed to record their first full length, the f'ucken awesome, How To Clean Everything. Which took longer then expect cause the band is lazy and the cover art was three months late. If they didn't have the cover in, Fat Mike was gonna name the album "Meat: It just makes sense" with Donnel Cameron on the cover reading a Hustler magazine. The album featured classic Propagandhi songs such as Anti Manifesto, Stick that f'ucknig flag up your a'ss, you god **** son of a b'itch, Ska Sucks(which the band claims is their worst song ever) and a cover of I want you to want me. They also released a 7" that year titled How to clean a couple O things which featured 2 songs. The band was on the tail end of the early 90's punk explosion for three years with touring.

In 1996, Propagandhi decided it was time for them to record their second album and they soon hit the studio to record their follow up to How To Clean Everything. After a few months of recording the band returned with "Less Talk More Rock" which showed less humour from the band showed a bit more politicalness. The album was a good follow up to How to Clean Everything and it featured the title track Less Talk More Rock, with lyrics that would make a homophobe shiver, Apparently I'm a PC Fascist, Peoples History of the World and I was a pre-teen McCarthyist. While the album was great, it was clear to the metal-heads of the band(Jord and Chris) that John the Street poet wasn't fitting in very well anymore. And John was getting sick of piss soaked matresses and getting beat up by Nazi Skin Heads. John ,shortly after the release of Less Talk More Rock, got into an arguement with the band about money, and left Propagandhi to form the Ballad singing Weakerthans. Who have won Juno Awards(Canadian Grammies) for their work on the independant scene. After the departure of John, Chris dug out the old "Progressive Trash band looking for bass player poster" and John was quickly replaced by Todd "The Rod" Kowalski from Regina, Saskatchewan. Todd did not even own a bass guitar or a amp or even played a bass before but it didn't matter to Chris and Jord so they quickly brought him in as John's replacement.

With Todd now in the band the band continued touring throughout North America and Europe through 1997 and 1998. The band slowly stopped touring in 1998 to form their own record label in Jord's basement titled G7 Welcoming Commmitee Records and spent most of that year trying to establish G7 Welcoming Commitee and would release albums from The Weakerthans, The (Internation) Noise Conspiracy, and Randy(who are one of the bands favourite bands today) and also released their own album or B-Sides and Live tracks exclusively on G7 titled "Where Job Quantity is Number 1". In 1999 the band was able to maintain controll of their label long enough for Propagandhi to get back together and spent most that year in jord's basement discovering their "roots" again and why they started the band in the first place.

Later that year the band started recording what in my opinion would be their best album yet "Todays Empires, Tomorrows Ashes". The album was released world-wide through Fat Wreck Chords, and on G7 Welcoming Commitee in Canada. This would turn out to be thee most political and less funny Propagandhi album to date and the band showed themselves as animal friendly, anti fascist, gay positive and pro feminist.Todd brought clever lyrics and lots of political views and knowledge with lyrics about Cointelpro, Corporations, and Country Borders. The album featured great tracks such as Back To The Motor League which rips into mainstream bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and rapper Eminem. F'uck The Border which sows the bands more metal influences with Chris singing instead of Todd. Natural Disasters, a song about people who act all righteous and put you down. But, they are actually doing the exact same things as you but they do them behind closed doors, or in secret. They just won't admit it. And Purina Hall of Fame which features one amazing guitar solo to end the album. The band toured for the next three years up until the band got lazy around 2003 and just decided to stop playing shows for awile, and maintain G7 Welcoming Commitee

A Year later the band would begin work and slowly record their upcoming fifth album. It was set to come out in October of 2004, but the band would keep pushing the release date back. It was then suposed to come out in early 2005 but then yet again the b'astards delayed it until late 2005. Finally after all the delays a new Propagandhi song was released on the G7 comp, Take Penecilin Now that will be featured on the upcoming album. The band also released news that the new album was to be named Potemkin City Limit and its scheduled for October 18th 2005. The cover art and track listing is done so the band better not delay this album again. There was also news on the G7 website that says Chris left the band to pursue other interests, and he was replaced by some Glen guy, but this all turned out to be a joke.

This is one amazing band. I suggest checking them out if you have not already.

Recommended Tracks:
Anti-Manifesto
Ska Sucks
Stick the f'ucking flag up your god d'amn a'ss, you son of a b'itch.
People's History of the World
Less Talk More Rock
I was a Pre Teen McCarthyist
The Only Good Facsist is a very dead facsist
Back to the Motor League
Alrbight Monument, Baghdad
Purina Hall of Fame

That's a good profile. Lengthy, but good.

[AIRIC]

Nice job man.

[Buzzbomb]

Thanks alot. Took me long enough to make too. It would be longer if i could go over 10'000 characters.

[Mannik]

Excellent profile. Propagandhi have had huge influence on me through their lyrics and beliefs. Reading the "Animals are not biological machines" part of the Less Talk More Rock booklet and browsing their website made me a vegan. I wonder what the new album will be like with Chris gone.

Also, they first said the "Gay positive, animal friendly, anti fascist and pro feminist" thing on the Less Talk More Rock cd pressing.

[KingOfSka]

That's a long ass profile. How long did it take to write?

[Drop The Baby]

Originally Posted by screamOUTpunk

Thanks alot. Took me long enough to make too. It would be longer if i could go over 10'000 characters.

mate, that's a great profile. When i did my nofx profile it was too long, i just split it into two posts.

Good job indeed.

[Berserker!]

Rep the threadstarter Nick

Good job

[Rootsradical]

That's one of the best profiles I've read on this site. Really nice job, for a really good band.

[Rise Me Up]

Awesome. Nice profile, and way to actually contribute instead of copy and pasting.

[albert_bass]

Great. We all love Propagandhi.

[Shtein]

Wa all do, excellent job.

[redstainedeyes]

That was really good.

[refuse amen]

Originally Posted by albert_bass

Great. We all love Propagandhi.

Incorrect.

[Let's Chop Cats!]

Only fags don't like Propagandhi.

Originally Posted by refuse amen

Incorrect.

You're incorrect. You're on the punk forum, come on. Propagandhi rules. Fantastic band profile.

And, I was always confused about this...In "Anti Manifesto", the lead singer (I'm not saying The Rodd because I'm not sure he was when this song was made) says "By the way, I stole this riff." Then plays a guitar lick. Was there ever a guitarist and lead singer, or did he just say that for the hell of it?

[albert_bass]

Originally Posted by REINER

Only fags don't like Propagandhi.

Correct.

[Rude Boy Ska]

Very good profile of a very good band.

[RCVA]

Great profile. I think some rep is in order.