Follow Friday: Sleater-Kinney, The Interrupters, The Get Up Kids, and More

Sleater-Kinney

The all-girl group of 90s alt-rockers, Sleater-Kinney, is back. Though their first 12 year run was called off for hiatus in 2006, they have been back in action since 2014. Their latest album, The Center Won’t Hold, released just last month as their second album since the reunion. Produced by the legendary Ernie Ball artist, St. Vincent, the album release was a huge critical success.

The album speaks to a time where what is now normal should really be abnormal. So we wanted something a little disjointed. The song is kind of a choreography of grief and sadness. It’s couched in a domestic setting, so a feeling of despair and betrayal by someone you love, but in my mind, ‘you got me used to loving you’ – it can be (that) you start to trust in people, systems, government, a country.

Carrie Brownstein, Dazed

The album also marks a new direction for Sleater-Kinney. Not only will it be the last to feature longtime member Janet Weiss, but it also has a standout sound from the rest of their work with its extremely sleek and polished production. You can see the band perform the album live by checking out tour dates near you on their official website.

Sleater-Kinney roll with Ernie Ball Power Slinkys.

Check out Sleater-Kinney‘s top tracks below.

The Interrupters

The Interrupters are a ska-punk band based out of the heart of the scene: Los Angeles. Their sound is plucked straight from ska-punk’s hay-day in the late 90s and early 2000s. Take a look at the comment section of any of their videos — you’ll find a group of long-time fans of the genre confused how The Interrupters are from the modern era.

As a band and as songwriters, we’re always trying to grow. So really, it might be more of a growth than a change. I think growth means trying to elevate ourselves as songwriters, singers, arrangers, and trying to make the best record possible. We’ve learned so much in our years of touring and making music together. We learned about ourselves and about the kind of music we want to make and the songs we want to put out. So, we kind of put all that stuff into it.

Kevin Bivona on Fight The Good Fight 

The band was just recently announced as the special guest for the Hella Mega Tour, alongside fellow Ernie Ball artists Green Day, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy. Find out more information on the Hella Mega Tour here.

The Interrupters capture their sound with Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys and Hybrid Slinky bass strings on bass.

Get a flashback with The Interrupters down below.

The Get Up Kids

Missouri-based The Get Up Kids have been a part of the Midwest emo scene since their formation in 1995. Their sound strikes a balance between happy-go-lucky pop punk and the droning, dissonant rock that the genre is usually associated with. After celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album, Something To Write Home About, came their 2019 release, Problems.

I mean, it’s called Problems. On the one hand, my own catharsis in songwriting is only going to fill up so much space, so I need to draw from other people’s issues to have things to write songs about. As I’m always saying, I love my kids, I love my wife, life is good’ is not really good fodder for rock music.

Matt Pryor, Billboard

The Get Up Kids have been receiving critical acclaim as an essential piece in the music scene for the Midwest for years. In 2019, this is still the case. If you want to see them perform tracks from Problems live, make sure to check out tour dates near you.

The Get Up Kids rock with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Coated Titanium RPS on guitar and Hybrid Slinky bass strings on bass.

Move your feet with The Get Up Kids‘ top tracks down below.

Galactic Empire

Do you like metal? Do you like the ever expanding space opera series, Star Wars? If that is the case, there could not be a band more tailored to your interests than Galactic Empire. Their name is a good indication for how subtle this metal band is with harkening to the world-famous sci-fi series: not at all. From their accurate attire down to their scene-for-scene reproductions that serve as music videos, Galactic Empire deals in absolutes when it comes to turning the Star Wars soundtrack into head-banging hits.

John Williams just happens to write stuff that really lends itself to heavy metal!  But, it is daunting because the mind of a classical composer isn’t at all like the mind of a rock and roller. Rock and roll is all power chords and roots and fifths.  So, it was overwhelming to have to learn the stuff.  We’re better with it now because we’ve been doing it, but starting off was kind of a nightmare to get it all down

Chris Kelly, AXS

If you want to hop in an X-Wing and travel through hyperspace to see a Galactic Empire performance with your own eyes, head to their official website for tour dates near you.

Galactic Empire harness the power of the force — and the guitar — with Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Cobalt Slinkys, Hybrid Slinkys, and Regular Slinky Cobalt Bass.

Take a listen to music from a galaxy far, far away with Galactic Empire.

The Hank Williams, Jr. Band

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana as the son of Hank Williams, country music runs in Hank Williams Jr.‘s blood. With the full band, also called “The Bama Band,” –Lamar Morris Wayne “Animal” Turner, “Cowboy” Eddie Long, Jerry McKinney, Ray Barrickman, William Claude Marshall, and Billy Earheart — at his side, they have created some of the most iconic country music since his father.

We can’t. We can imagine, but we can’t know. We can’t know what it’s like to be the only son of Hank Williams, the long gone and lonesome singer whose brief life transformed country music. We can’t know what it’s like to be linked to such a transformative force by blood and name but not by memory, to learn about a famous father from books and photos and others’ stories.

The Hank Williams Jr. Band Official Bio

If you want to get the pure American experience of seeing The Hank Williams Jr. Band perform in a stadium across the U.S., go to their official website and look for tour dates near you.

The Hank Williams Jr. Band uses Ernie Ball Pedal Stainless Steel 10 String E9 Tuning strings, Regular Slinkys, Everlast Medium Light 80/20 acoustic strings, and Regular Slinky 5 String bass strings.

Experience country with The Hank Williams Jr. Band down below.