“These are the songs that people ask for when we’re on tour,” says vocalist/guitarist Brian Sella of THE FRONT BOTTOMS, about their new six-track ROSE EP (Bar/None Records; “They’re songs that were either we’ve played live at shows or we’ve had kicking around that we couldn’t let go of.” A collection of some of the best tracks of their career so far,

Named after drummer Mathew Uychich’s grandmother Rosemary, Rose marks the first in a series of EPs named after their grandmothers which they plan on releasing in the future. “These songs were also Mat’s grandmother Rosemary’s favorite songs,” he explains. “So it was kinda fitting that we named this EP Rose.” Launching the CD with the crowd-pleaser “Flying Model Rockets,” it kicks off with an epic and bombastic bang. Epic and conversational, the track propels listeners through their trademark clever lyrics and has started massive sing-alongs at their live shows. “Lipstick Covered Magnet” and “Be Nice To Me” continue the punk thematics while the moody and introspective“Awkward Conversations” projects the tension of a relationship on the verge of collapse. The immediate smiling infectiousness of “12 Feet Deep” posits the story right in the middle of that precarious time between high school and college when kids have to confront a wider world. The first song and video released “Jim Bogart” puts Brian in the unbelievable position of pining for a girl who doesn’t reciprocate his feelings.

Released June 17, 2014, on Bar/None Records.

…more fireworks, more swimming pools, more beer, more fun.

The hook-filled, anthemic, and conversational album Talon of the Hawk debuted on seven different Billboard charts (#144 Top Current Albums, #3 Top New Artist, #2 Alternative New Artist, #30Independent Record Label, #97 Overall Digital Albums, #18 LP Vinyl Albums, #32 Current Alternative Albums). American Songwriter called it “…epic and unruly all at once…”, Punknews suggests you should “Let yourself find your new favorite lyrics”, and Alternative Press assures that “The Front Bottoms will soundtrack your life until it’s like you’ve never been without them”. Bob Boilen of NPR has been a huge supporter since day one and has branded them “…A great rock ‘n’ roll band”. You can see their Tiny Desk Concert hereThe Front Bottoms’ self-titled debut still ranks as one of the most positively-reviewed albums of the last two years, garnering major attention from NPR, LA Times, MTV, Huffington Post, Filter, DRUM, Aquarian Weekly, AOL, Star-Ledger, etc., propelling the band to tour with Bad Books, Say Anything, New Found Glory, Motion City Soundtrack, Dashboard Confessional, among many others. At the core of the Front Bottoms’ new album Talon of the Hawk, is the crazy hybrid of slamming rock drumming and acoustic guitar The Front Bottoms are known for, but this time the band augments their sound with electric guitars, synths, and even a little accordion. Over top is Brian Sella's confident heartfelt vocals that will have you laughing one minute, crying the next, and then maybe pumping your fist and singing along when you least suspect it. Talon of the Hawk rocks harder than their debut and it is more complex in both subject matter and arrangements. Once this sucker gets its claws in you're going to soar. Written mostly on the road over the span of the last year, Talon of the Hawk is the sound of a band that is coming into its own. “It's hard to say how much The Front Bottoms means to us,” they both say. “It has become so much of a lifestyle at this point. It's not our jobs, hobbies, nor our obligation. It's just who we are.” At once immediate and catchy while also complex and profound, the music of The Front Bottoms is a study in contrasts, something The Daily News caught on when they called their debut “endlessly fascinating” and crowning it one of the Top Ten for 2011. Bob Boilen of NPR chimed in, saying “The young duo's smart, irreverent, self-titled debut strikes a deft balance between the comical and the emotional.” Charming and comical with a very real heart, their music isn’t just a byproduct of their overactive youthful imaginations… as they stated earlier, it’s just who they are. Kicking off the record with the snarky send-off “Au Revoir (Adios)”, it’s evident that Talon of the Hawk isn’t a departure but an extension of their last record. Their ode to marijuana, “Skeleton” is an herb-inspired rock song that’s just begging to become a sing-along staple at their live shows. The driving melody of “Lone Star” begs to be blasted out of the windows of a cross-country road trip. It is this very visceral and tangible sense of imagery that makes The Front Bottoms so relatable and so refreshing. Brian’s trademark stream-of-conscious lyrics are most evident in the seemingly-inspired-by-“La Bamba” track “Back Flip”, which explores regrettable tattoos, the process of breathing, and anticipating the changing of traffic lights. The contemplative and epically soaring “Twin Size Mattress” (the first publically released track from the album) embodies everything that made them such breakthrough artists… the surreal lyrics, Brian’s obtuse phrasing, the fascinatingly intricate guitar melodies, and Mat’s confident drumming. The song’s video – a road film of sorts - begins and ends with their van… the perfect embodiment of their last two years spent on the road, logging in hundreds of shows, playing for thousands of fans, and traveling countless miles of pavement. Talon of the Hawk was produced by Chris "Frenchie" Smith at the Bubble in Austin TX. Additional production by Sean Rolie.

Released May 21st, 2013 on Bar/None Records

What can we say about The Front Bottoms? We know we love them: a punk band that uses acoustic guitar, indie-rock dance grooves, and Springsteen-y keyboard lines (this they might deny). It’s hook-filled… it’s anthemic… it’s confessional. Maybe Joni Mitchell by way of Green Day? They must have heard some Replacements along the way, and it seems like what Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers did for the Boston suburbs these guys are doing for Bergen County, NJ. But they still leave us scratching our heads. Just what the hell have the Front Bottoms alchemized?

“We like to keep it familiar so that it’s not too intimidating,” says singer-guitarist Brian Sella, “but we always make sure it’s not immediately recognizable.” It’s true, you just can’t quite put your finger on ‘em but Bar/None Records invites you to try to peg these guys with the release of their self-titled debut The Front Bottoms.

Brian Sella and drummer-bullhornist Mathew Uychich have known each other since they were 10 and 8 years old respectively and have been making music for a lot of that time. It shows in the rich hooks and clever rhythms and the effortless way they string riffs together into surprising song structures. Take a song like “Maps” - it opens with half a Sex Pistols riff before going into an orchestral flourish on keyboards. Then there’s a verse complete with a hillbilly hiccup in the vocal followed by an arpeggio guitar part and full-on raging synthetic strings that lurch into handclaps and an enigmatic chorus “one day you’ll be washing yourself with hand soap in a public bathroom,” And that’s in the first minute and a half of the song.

Lyrically Brian Sella fires off scattershot images that the listener can gather up and make sense of like working puzzle pieces on the floor. Romance, freedom, paranoia, partying and somehow getting clean all tumble together from song to song.

“I’m swinging like a fist fight concrete colored basement all right, let’s keep this as clean as clean as you like” (“Looking Like You Just Woke Up”)

“I’m a creature of a culture I created/ I’m the last one on the dance floor as the chandelier gives way and I am permanently preoccupied with your past.” (“Swimming Pool”)

“A lot of the kids we graduated with are homeless which puts them in shady situations with shady people….” (Flashlight”)

In “The Beers,” the narrator surveys said beverage “in coffee mugs, water bottles, and soda cups” in the cinematic residue of a basement party. He recalls beefing up for a Jersey Shore summer of steroids “because you like a man with muscles and I like you.” In “Father,” the narrator dreams about beating his father with a baseball bat and then tries to find solace in his girlfriend’s bed before musing about his ancestral bloodline, “You look good tonight, girlfriend. Can I sleep in your bed? / And when I crawl out in the morning can I stay inside your head? Cause you were in high school and I was just more like real life…”

With the wonders of the internet and their obsessive gigging, they are now known from New Jersey to…Spain (?) where director Pablo Nieto found them online and asked to create a video for “Maps.” The video features Williamsburg, a farm (where Mathew sometimes works), and that aforementioned Econoline as well as some “loveable” hand puppets. Word of mouth and great reviews has them fielding calls from promoters all over the tri-state area.

“We kinda thought we were a punk band but then we’d play on bills with real punk bands and we’d be like ‘Whoa, we’re not punks,” says Mathew. “What the hell are we?”

We can’t wait to find out the convoluted answer to that question.

Released September 6th, 2011