DISGRUNTLED NATION
Disgruntled Nation s/t - Montana based hardcore punk band that sounds like an early 90's CT punk band with low sung vocals and a low-fi recording. Good tempo changes keep the record interesting. www.beliefcrisisrecords.com
Disgruntled Nation-Beaded
Marauder
Out of the ashes of Humpy, who put out some pretty ripping stuff in the
90s. This 7" is actually a few years old but showed up with the other
releases on this label and it's some raging, old-school hardcore. Don't
expect much in the way of fidelity but expect blistering riffs and angry
vocals. -Suburban Voice #46, May 2003
DISGRUNTLED NATION
- EP
If I'm not mistaken this may be Montana's DN's third EP and its no surprise
that this continues along the same path of old school hardcore punk. The
four-track recording is done extremely well...not that the volume couldn't
be higher but the overall energy is dead on target. Fast enough to thrash
yet still retaining a unique style, this band is still great and can still
unleash a solid hardcore record. Worthy of much support. -Short, Fast
+ Loud #9, April 2003
DISGRUNTLED NATION
- S/T 7"
No frills fast n' basic hardcore punk; not much else needed. 6 songs on
7 inches. Rough around the edges, but it works. These songs have a bit
of melody and there own definable structures. Cool. Check it out... -Jay,
Slug & Lettuce #74, February 2003
Disgruntled Nation
"Beaded Marauder" EP
More great hardcore coming out of Montana, a place that if you have ever
driven through feels like a scene out of a Marlboro Country cigarette
ad. So it baffles me how a scene can even exist in such a hotbed of God
fearing redneck country. But Poisoned Candy continues to pump out the
goods. DISGRUNTLED NATION have the same early ECONOCHRIST feel to it,
but the singer for DISGRUNTLED NATION sounds like he is straight off the
DYS "Brotherhooed" LP. Like a tough sounding squirt, who won't
stand for shit. But unlike DYS, the lyrics address living as a punk in
a small town, rock star attitudes, and drowning your sorrows in a little
fermented grape juice. -SP, EqualizingXDistort, January 2003
Disgruntled Natin
- "Small Town, Smaller Minds" EP
Wild subterranean noise (being literally-minded types, it was all recorded
in a basement). The DISGRUNTLED NATION are raw-boned hardcore suffused
with a Reagan Era "loot the 7-11 because bombing commences in five
minutes" feel...they're more interested in making the loudest noise
with the fewest possible notes, and aren't engaged in a life-or-death
struggle to break the North American Land Speed record. Grainy, simple,
and as easily understood as a black-and-white photocopy. Kills. "White
Wash" and "Already Dead" rule. -JH, MaximumRockNRoll #235,
December 2002
Disgruntled Nation
- 7"
Disgruntled Nation plays hardcore in with a DIY sound. The recording is
rough around the edges, making it all the more edgy and real. The songs
themselves are alright. Most of them have good elements but, like any
band, could stand to be tighter and perhaps a little more well defined.
Plus, the recording is a little muddy. Their songs focus in on a medley
of things that have pissed them off. Be it people that annoy them, small
town society, corporate propaganda, or domestic violence, it will find
its way under the microscope of this Disgruntled Nation. -LO, Heartattack
#36, November 2002.
Disgruntled Nation
self titled EP Beer City Record
Disgruntled Nation is by far, in my opinion, the best punk band to ever
come out of Montana. These boys from Kalispell have gone from juvenile
lyrics about dumb jocks and defecation to lyrics about more important
social issues such as getting drunk and belligerent damaging fellow working
class comrades property to herd clinging group followers that can't think
for themselves. These boys have come a long way, I'm hesitant to say it
but they've started to get sort of a crust punk sound to them. -Aggro
Scab #3, 1998
Disgruntled Nation.
'Kill Crazy Rampage' 8 song 7".
Your North-Lake Hardcore Connection, Disgrunnnnnnnnntled NAAAAAAAAAtion!!
I jock I go Skool is the winner for brevity and quality content, the single
string riff at the song's beginning is also the one thing I can remember,
and hum occasionally. Aside from being a quite bodily single, the word
'ass' mentioned near seventeen times, it seems to be quite a paranoid
bit of work, like most of their contemporaries I'll wager. "Murdilized"
is as fine a bit of lexecution one's gonna find, too. Vive Les Wordcoiners!!
And thanks too, to the Kalispell office (orifice, heheheheh, dude) of
the Pink House for putting us on their mailing list. Rock with Disgruntled
Nation and the rest of the Flathead Nowhere League. -Josh, Inner Muscle
#6, 1997
Disgruntled Nation
"kill Crazy Rampage" 7: EP
Scalding Flathead County punk from these rural miscreants. Snarling vocals
and an utter contempt for everything. These guys just keep getting better
and better! For just a few dollars, you can help steer these kids away
from a life of glue-sacks, Germs burns and small-town hooliganism. Look
for them on the "Wood-paneled Pacer Wagon with Mags" comp on
Too Many Records! -Pink House Records
Disgruntled Nation-
Kill,Crazy,Rampage- Fast music for fast people. Speedy band with speedy
lyrics. A great 7'. I love it and so will you.
Pesticide #2 - 1996
Interview in Aggro
Scab #3, 1998:
Disgruntled Nation is Montana's best punk band, coming from Kalispell
up in the Flathead Valley. For this reason, I decided to interview their
bassist Brent.
Interview by Emma Rhoids (Missoula'shated bitch)
AS-Give a brief history of the band.
B-I'm not sure what to say here-We've been around since roughly October
1994. Our membership was originally 50% felons (makes us sound tough huh?)
back in the day, practicing in a trailer, singing songs about drunk postal
carriers and such. We've had the current line-up for nearly four years,
put out a demo tape, two seven inch ep's and done two US tours (if you
want to call them that). Whoopee!
AS-iI remember watching- your band when I was a bit younger, and I can't
believe you guys have been around as long as you have. There are a lot
of things that are different now, like I noticed that as far as the younger
kids go there isn't much of a scene in the Missoula area, and I know you
are from Kalispell but you have all had a big part in the so called Missoula
punk scene. When I left Missoula for Seattle a few years ago, the scene
was fairly healthy and when I came back a couple months ago, I couldn't
believe how dead things were here, and its not just me because there are
a lot of people that said that they moved here a few years ago and all
of a sudden things went dead. Do you have any comment on that?
B-John Fleming (Ear Candy) did an admirable job of throwing shin-digs
(and loosing money) down at the Union Hall for a number of years, and
when he quit (two summers ago?), no-one took up the cause. Thus the death
of the all ages scene, but to be realistic, it was on it's way out long
before then. You never knew if people would show up or not, and even if
it was a great show, everyone was sure that the show sucked, for what
reason I'm not sure, other than people aren't too keen on the Union Hall.
So who's going to pick up and get this shit going again? The older bands
certainly aren't going to do it, they have absolutely no incentive to
do set up/promote shows like that, why should they? They have Jay's Upstairs
(yep we play there, call us hypocrites) . With shows there, all you have
to do is show up, play, and drink your free beer. None of that renting
halls, lining up PA's, trying to find bands, flyering, etc., then having
nobody show.
In Jay's defense, they even tried some all age matinees- the first flat
out rocked- us, Humpy, Whorehouse of Representatives, and The Obliterated.
Somewhere on the order of three days notice and yet roughly 100 people
showed up. But what happened with the ones after that? I think there was
one with The Sputniks and Spanker (?) with a good turnout, but after that
nobody showed up. Basically, until "the kids" get involved,
there won't be [all ages] scene in Missoula.
AS-What changes have been made for Disgruntled Nation since you've been
signed as far as your sound goes, and your message? What is the difference
between your lyrical content now as opposed to before you were signed
to Beer City, what inspired the change?
B-Beer City haven't actually "signed" us. As far as putting
out records, they're very informal, meaning no contracts or such silliness
like that - of course we hope they'll be willing to release more from
us, but who knows?
Our changes, both lyrically and musically have been a more or less slow
unconscious change, from poppy type stuff with silly/juvenile lyrics about
poop and roadkill towards a faster, more aggressive sound singing about
things that are (for the most part) a bit more serious. Not so much political
but about social issues and things that are fucked up in everyday life.
More just getting older and a becoming a bit more aware about what's going
on around
us.
AS-When reading the lyrics to the song "Laugh to Death," I noticed
that the song is about animal rights, could you elaborate a little more
on the idea backing that aong. Also, how does living in a small town in
Montana full of testosterone driven thugs, usually poaching and not respecting-
aninal life, feed your anger and motivation towards this cause?
B-The song isn't so much about "animal rights", but about "games
rednecks play" and/or other similar forms of senseless violence.
More specifically going out and finding some nice field, drinkin' some
beer and plinking away at gophers/squirrels/or whatever is currently geographically
abundant. To be honest, we have several friends who do hunt for food in
a more or less respectable and responsible way. They're not infected with
the bloodlust/testosterone effect, but there definitely are plenty of
folks who most certainly are.
AS-What is the most important cause to take up for Disgruntled Nation,
and how do you guys plan on making a change, what effect has your music
had on people thus far, that you know of?
B-We don't really have an agenda as a band, that's more of an individualized
deal as far as that goes.
AS-What pisses you off the most, individually, in life and what would
you like to do to end it?
B-Mostly we piss each other off. We need a good marriage counselor. Aside
from that, up here in the [Flathead] Valley, there's a lot of shit to
challenge- the standard potpourri of small town bullshit. We've recently
taken up with a local "social reform squad" under the name Flathead
Activist Collective with such modest goals as raising awareness of our
various pet causes amongst the yokels, and/or hopefully making a general
nuisance of ourselves.
AS-What are your plans for the future? Do you plan on staying in Kalispell
or moving the band somewhere else? Sow much longer do you expect Disgruntled
Nation to be around for?
B-We're hoping to have a new release out before Summer, then it's off
on tour. As for moving the band, it isn't really an option, basically
if any of us get that itch and wander off, it would most likely be the
end. After doing this for four plus years now, it would be nice to think
that we'll still be around for a while longer, we've gone on way longer
and done way more than we ever thought.
Interview in Fork
Coalition #2, 1998:
Gary (G): How old are each of you guys, and what do you play?
Matt (M): 20, drums, vocals Brent (B): 26, Bass, vocals Rob (R): 22, Guitar,
vocals
G: Are all of you Montana natives?
M: Yeah, I've lived in Montana my entire life. Rob's lived here his whole
life too.
B: Not me.
G: Brent- Where are you from, and why are you in Montana now?
B. I grew up in "The Great Evil"- Southern California. Monrovia
to be exact. I actually wanted to move here since I was
10 or so, and what with the wacky evil step-dad and a screwed up ex-girlfriend
"situation", escape became necessary. So, IVe been here about
5 years, living with my Grandmother and daughter.
G: Rob and Matt - Do you ever plan on leaving?
B: They always threaten it...
M: I'd rather live here than in a city most days, but I'm planning on
moving within a year or two.
G: How did you guys meet?
M: Long boring story in a small boring town. Rob was friends with Ed Pollai,
our original bass player (Brent played guitar and Rob was merely a groupie).
I had a class with Rob and he knew I played, so I was recruited one night
as I stumbled through a parking lot. Ed knew he was going to be sent to
boot camp, possibly prison. So Rob started learning the songs so we'd
be able to keep playing. It was somewhere in there that we changed our
name from Garth Vader to Disgruntled Nation...
B: Pretty much a series of coincidences, is what it was. A funny note-
we thought Matt's name was Tony for his first two weeks in the band.
G: Are you guys content with what Montana has to offer for you?
B: I like it here a lot. I live in the woods.
R: I'm not content with what Montana has to offer me. Montana offers me
beer... (trails into various beer glorification tales)
M: It's fun living in a place where you can watch the scene develop when
all this shit is still exciting to everyone. But it can get pretty annoying
being surrounded by this small town life constantly.
G: From what I have read in your lyrics, you guys seem to talk about our
Government, people blinded by the molds of society, and rude people. Why
do you guys choose this as your message to your listeners?
M: Well, when we first started, most of our lyrics were about silly stuff
like drunk mail ladies, roadkill, and poop. Now most of our lyrics tend
to be about problems we see in everyday life or just things that annoy
us. I'm just tryin' to spread some love baby!
G: You "dislike" jocks too huh? Does this have anything to do
with those FABULOUS high school years? Can you tell us a story?
B: Once upon atime...
R: In 7th grade, I punched a jock in the throat and he cried. In 8th grade,
a jock put my shoe in a toilet.
B: No one event really stands out, just the general lunkhead antics. The
song "I Jock-1 Go School" actually began as a chant of mine
back in those school days.
G: So how did you guys hook up with Beer City records to put out your
new 7"?
B: Andy from Humpy told us we ought to see if they were interested- so
I sent them out one of our old records, almost as a joke. And as you Americans
say, the rest is history.
G: Are you pleased with the outcome of the record?
R: I think we could have done a better job of recording it.
B: No, but I'm not pleased with anything. We actually recorded twice-
the first time came out like total crap. The problem was, the only guy
that we could get to record us has no clue as to how to properly mix the
"punk rock".
G: Brent, you do the Montana Punk page, and I was wondering if you get
a large amount of response or not?
B: Not too much. A lot of people check it out, but I don't hear much back.
G: Any last words or comments to the people of the world?
B:Nope.
M: Cheers to those who still give a shit. And thanks to all the bands
and people who helped us out on tour last summer...
10 Things Jesus Wants You To Know #20, February 1999:
Scene report: MONTANA with Brent Schultz
Greetings from the Treasure State. I should note this is by no means all
that has been, or is occurring punk-rock-wise in our fair state. For the
full rundown try dialing up mtpunk.base.org on your favorite internet
browser. With that out of the way...the Fireballs of Freedom made a break
for Portland and/or super stardom this last September. Check out their
new eMpTy records LP "The New Professionals", as well as their
split seven incher with Humpy on Pink House/Wantage records. As the eMpTy
affiliation might imply, look to them for that trashy rock-n-roll and
the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The Helltones unfortunately signed
out in August, but not before recording one last time. Their brand of
garage/country/surf will be sorely missed, but fear not, John already
has a new band in the works with Josh of (ex?) Hedons fame. Humpy themselves
seem to have narrowly averted a similar fate. Their aforementioned split
with the FOF is damn near their best to date (second only to their Beer
City EP), with an even more intense version of "Queer", of Missoula's
late great Charles Bronson Superstar. In better news, punk rock dinosaurs
incarnate, the Banned, celebrated their 10th anniversary this last June.
Our own little commies, the Sputniks, are still going full on strong;
with a brand new seven inch EP "20 Minutes to the Year 2000"
on Dead City Records, and a 3 week Midwest/East Coast summer tour. They
definitely reside on the poppier end of the scale, but not that sissy
pop-punk stuff. Also of the touring crowd, Sasshole hit the West Coast
with Portland compatriots Lopez. The oft spoken rumor of a split release
amongst the two has of yet failed to materialize. Stepping up to prove
there's still hope, welcome the Cleaners. Finally a Missoula band with
all or most members UNDER 25! Let's hear it for youth! Straight forward
one-two goof punk, featuring Marcus "The Ladies Man". My band,
Disgruntled Nation, took to the States in a 5 1/2 week summer tour. This
spring, our Beer City Records EP finally saw the light, as did all 17
seconds of the Montana State song, aptly titled "Montana", on
the "Coolidge 50" double CD compilation. Fellow Kalispellians
the Vagrants, Fecal Matter and the Miscreants have all released demo tapes
and can be expected to be hit up Missoula show-wise damn soon, particularly
due to the distinct lack of a venue our way. Out in Billings, Idiot Fuel
has been kicking around for a year or two, trying hard to get a scene
going. Seff of Flatspot Presents in Great Falls is still serving up the
only regular all-ages shows in the state. He is one of the most reputable
and dedicated folks running shows that I've met, I must say. He also does
a radio show "MT Radio" every other Thursday night on KGPR,
and runs a small distro, Vinyl Retentive Mailorder. The Jay's Upstairs
comp CD "Ram It Home - Jay's Upstairs" showed up this summer,
featuring Sasshole, Volumen, FOF, Humpy, the Sputniks, the Helltones,
Cicada, Spanker, and many many others. Jeremy up in Kalispell is putting
on the finishing touches on his 20 plus band compilation LP "Finding
a Voice - a Benefit For Humans". Proceeds will go to People First,
a self advocacy group for the develop-mentally disabled within the state.
Among those representing the Northwest are Elmer, Lopez, Intifada, UN,
as well as a slew of previously the mentioned MT bands. A number of new
zines have cropped up as of late; Shafted By Society, Anxiety Disorder,
and Fork Coalition, out of Kalispell, Missoula, and Bozeman respectively.
Missoula zine veterans Shat Upon and Spaghetti Dinner & Dancing continue
plugging on as well, both of which are well worth your time should you
track them down in the zine review section. I suppose that's about it.
You can contact me at: Brent Shultz, 917 Patrick Creek Rd., Kalispell,
MT 59901-7528; 406-752-2620; Thanks much...