COURTESY OF KUNG FU RECORDS
Tsunami Bomb, scheduled to open for blink-182, is still performing today and tomorrow, even though blink-182 had to postpone their shows.
Punk wave slamming Tabu
Agent M reporting from Boston ... " Well, our phone conversation with the lead singer of Tsunami Bomb didn't EXACTLY start that way. But given her super secret-sounding moniker, and the emotional intrigue of her lyrics, this rockin' "spy" that fronts the Northern California band could've been as cryptic in her comments as her stage name.
But instead, she proved to be an easygoing interview subject, previewing the band's debut here this weekend. (At least they're making good on their concert commitment -- they were supposed to have opened for blink-182's Hawaii concerts, but those shows were postponed when drummer Travis Barker broke his foot while on tour in Australia.)
Tsunami Bomb
Where: Tabu Nightclub, 478 Ena RoadWhen: 7:30 p.m. today (with The Quintessentials and Extra Stout opening) and 6:30 p.m. tomorrow (with Pimpbot)
Tickets: $8 advance, $9 at the door, all ages (presale available at www.808shows.com)
Info: hwnexp@aol.com
While Tsunami Bomb has an upcoming album on the Kung Fu Records label titled "The Definitive Act," they're still touring behind their last album, "The Ultimate Escape."
"We actually weren't happy in how our last record sounded," she said. "It sounded too sterile. Our live show is more entertaining than that, so we wanted our next album to be more real sounding. We just finished tracking a few days ago, recording with producer Mike Poorman, who used to be the drummer in Hot Rod Circuit.
"Some of the topics addressed in the songs are a little more personal, but they're still about having a lot of fun about life," M said.
Plus, if the songs from the band's last album are any indication, another topic strongly addressed will be self-reliance. "Russian Roulette," "Say It If You Mean It," "20 Going On ... " and the leadoff standout track "Take the Reins" has M exhorting her listeners to take control of their lives. "Independence doesn't start when you leave home," she shouts on "Reins."
And credibility sometimes doesn't come easy as well. During their gigs with last year's Vans Warped Tour, M was still occasionally confronted with hostile reaction, all stemming from "a girl" fronting a punk band.
"It surprises me but, fundamentally, I write off that kind of reaction instantly. I'm used to it now, and it's come to a point where I don't really have a lot of backlash. But, for me and the band, it's not an issue."
Tsunami Bomb started out in Petaluma six years ago, but M says they'd be hardpressed to call themselves a home nurtured band. "We tour so much, we're hardly there anymore," she admitted. "We've also had a lot of band member changes spaced out over the years."
But, still, everyone met each other initially in the local scene, with M originally in two other bands, where she was both the singer and bassist.
"It was a bit of a transition, going from singing with the bass to just singing. During the act of playing, the bass was almost like protection -- a barrier between myself and the audience -- and not having it all of a sudden was somewhat of a shock."
Beginning with a tour across the mainland south, with only a couple of 7-inch vinyl releases preceding them, Tsunami Bomb has built themselves a solid reputation as one of the better bands on the punk circuit.
"No one knew who we were at the beginning -- it was very different after spending 9 months working on our sound back home. But it was really fun, a lot of work and a real adventure for us. ... It seems that people nowadays don't have problem accepting us. Because of the success of 'Take the Reins,' we've been able to travel to different countries, like throughout the U.K., Canada and Japan.
"When we hit Hawaii, we plan to do 'Reins,' 'El Diablo,' 'Not Forever' from our first EP, and probably play some new ones off the upcoming album."
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