Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record label. Gurewitz took the name from a King Crimson song of the same name. Throughout the 80s and 90s most of the bands on Epitaph were punk and pop punk groups, while there are many post-hardcore and emo bands signed to the label too. A large portion of the record label, known as Hellcat Records, is owned by Tim Armstrong, frontman of the punk rock band Rancid. Several sister-labels also exist, such as ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, Hellcat Records and Heart & Skull Records that have signed other types of bands.

History[link]

Early days[link]

Brett Gurewitz formed Epitaph Records as a vehicle for releases by his band Bad Religion.^[1] Its first release for the label was Bad Religion's 1981 self-titled EP, followed by their debut How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, which was also the label's first full-length release. Also released during this period was Peace thru Vandalism, an EP by The Vandals, who were the first band besides Bad Religion to sign to Epitaph. Two more Bad Religion releases followed – Into the Unknown and the EP Back to the Known – before their temporary split. After Gurewitz had cleaned up his drug issues, both Epitaph and Bad Religion were revived in 1987. In the following year, Epitaph released its first record as a proper label, which was L7's self-titled album, and it was distributed by Chameleon. Also in 1988, Bad Religion released Suffer, which was both released and distributed by Epitaph. Not only is Suffer often cited as one of the band's best by fans, but it is credited with "saving" the Southern California punk rock scene by fans and Bad Religion's contemporaries alike.^[2]

In 1989, Gurewitz signed NOFX to his label. They released their Epitaph debut S&M Airlines that same year, featuring the video for its title track and the cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way", which featured guest vocals by Gurewitz and Greg Graffin, who is also a member of Bad Religion. Following this were the release of Bad Religion's next two albums – No Control and Against the Grain – which sold 60,000^[3] and 100,000^[4] copies respectively.

By 1993, more punk acts had signed to Epitaph, including Pennywise, Down by Law, Coffin Break, The Offspring, Rancid, R.K.L., SNFU, Total Chaos and Claw Hammer. Epitaph's expansion saw the label relocate to new offices in Silver Lake.^[1]

Breakthrough success[link]

In 1994, Epitaph received widespread fame, both within and outside the punk community, when Bad Religion (even though they had left Epitaph by this time), NOFX, Rancid and The Offspring all released hit records. This was a big year for punk in the mainstream; Rancid appeared on Saturday Night Live the following year, playing "Ruby Soho" and "Roots Radicals". The Offspring eventually left for Columbia Records in a contract dispute, but their album Smash lived up to its name and quickly became the best selling independent album of all time, with more than 11 million units sold worldwide to date.^[5]

Gurewitz's split and reunion with Bad Religion[link]

Although Bad Religion was the founding band of Epitaph, releasing their early records through the label, they switched over to Atlantic in 1993, with Recipe For Hate being their first record outside of the label. Recipe for Hate was followed by their 1994 highly successful release Stranger Than Fiction. Brett Gurewitz is thought to have left Bad Religion as a result of internal disputes, but actually left the band in 1994 so he could run Epitaph full time. This came after lead singer Greg Graffin said he wanted to tour more and quit school to do so. The band responded by filling Gurewitz's place with Brian Baker. In 2001, Brett returned to the band and Bad Religion once again signed to Epitaph Records,^[6] releasing four more albums: The Process of Belief in 2002, The Empire Strikes First in 2004, New Maps of Hell in 2007, and The Dissent of Man in 2010.

Recent years[link]

In mid-2005 Epitaph was added to the official list of RIAA members^[7] along with several other high-profile independent labels. The reason for the listing is not clear, but one source points to an agreement for internet P2P distribution.^[8] Another source claims label management joined RIAA in order to get certified sales awards (i.e., official "Gold" or "Platinum" record status) for releases. This sparked some controversy as some feel they should no longer be labeled independent if they are a member of the RIAA.^[9]

However, the only source that has actually been used for these claims of membership is the official RIAA membership list, which has been disputed.^[7] As of this writing, not only is Epitaph listed as an official member, but Lookout! Records is once again listed, after being falsely listed before. In addition, Fat Wreck Chords has released statements denying their own involvement in the RIAA, condemning the organization.^[10]

Epitaph signed Weezer in 2010, the label releasing Hurley later that year.^[11] The label signed Social Distortion in the same year.^[12]

Artists[link]

Current artists[link]

Former artists[link]

Compilations[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• Punk-O-Rama series
• Unsound series
• How We Rock
• Spirit of the Streets
• Epitaph / Union skate/surf DVD series
  • Football Schmootball (1st)
  • DC Video (3rd) ^[13]
  • Circle One (5th)
• Out of Print Compilations
  • Bored Generation skate/surf enhanced CD-ROM (1996)
  • More Songs About Anger, Fear, Sex & Death (1992)
• New Noise (2010)
• New Noise (2011)

See also[link]

• Epitaph Records discography
• List of record labels
• Punk-O-Rama
• Hellcat Records
• ANTI-

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2011)

Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort^[1] or a contestant that seems unlikely to succeed.^[2]

Origin[link]

The term began as horse racing parlance. A dark horse is a race horse that is not known to gamblers and thus is difficult to place betting odds on.

The earliest-known use of the phrase is in Benjamin Disraeli's novel The Young Duke (1831). Disraeli's protagonist, the Duke of St. James, attends a horse race with a surprise finish: "A dark horse which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed in the list, rushed past the grandstand in sweeping triumph."^[3]

Use in the political arena[link]

The term has been used politically in such countries as Peru, Philippines^[4] and United States.

Politically, the term reached America in the nineteenth century when it was first applied to James K. Polk, a relatively unknown Tennessee Democrat who won the Democratic Party's 1844 presidential nomination over a host of better-known candidates. Polk won the nomination on the ninth ballot, and went on to win the presidential election.

Other famous dark horse candidates for the United States presidency include:

• Franklin Pierce, chosen as the Democratic nominee and later elected the 14th president in 1852.
• Abraham Lincoln, chosen as the Republican nominee and elected as the 16th president in 1860.
• Rutherford B. Hayes, elected the 19th president in 1876.
• James A. Garfield, elected the 20th president in 1880.
• Warren G. Harding, elected the 29th president in 1920 after his surprise nomination.
• Jimmy Carter, elected the 39th president in 1976; in the beginning of that same year, Carter was a relative unknown outside his home state of Georgia.

Outside of the United States, the term was also applied to Alberto Fujimori, who rose to the Presidency in Peru and Jejomar Binay, who rose to the Vice Presidency in the Philippines.^{[citation needed]}

Recently Sarah Grainger for the BBC News website, used the term to refer to former army officer Diosdado Cabello, who helped Hugo Chávez to stage a failed coup in 1992, in an article about possible successors for Hugo Chávez.^[5]

Use in film[link]

The term dark horse is also used outside the political context. Surprising or unlikely nominations for such prizes as the Academy Award (awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) are referred to as dark horses.

Use in music[link]

Guitarist and singer-songwriter George Harrison was nicknamed the "dark horse" of The Beatles, as his visibility as a songwriter and vocalist increased later in the Beatles' career, particularly on Abbey Road. Harrison went on to name his solo label Dark Horse Records, and to release both an album and a song named Dark Horse.

The blues band Savoy Brown have been called the "Dark Horse" band before, because of how under-appreciated they were.

The rock bands Crazy Town and Nickelback have albums titled Darkhorse and Dark Horse, respectively.

American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen was coined as the "dark horse" of the competition as he went on to win the competition and defeat the crowd favorite and front-runner Adam Lambert.

Jai McDowall was described as a "dark horse" of the show before beating hot favourite Ronan Parke in Britain's Got Talent.

Switchfoot's first single off album Vice Verses is called Dark Horses.

Independent guitarist and singer-songwriter Don Amero produced a song based on the end of a relationship titled "Dark Horse", similar to George Harrison's idea of Dark Horse

Use in publishing[link]

Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book publisher.

See also[link]

• Stalking horse
• Underdog (competition)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Experts Say Philippines is Dark Horse of Asia
• Jan 2012 - Philippine Market continue its charging rush to be Asia's Dark horse

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since August 2007. It may contain original research. Tagged since August 2007.

Death by Stereo (also referred to as D. B. S.) is a hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1996 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work. Their name can be attributed to the 1987 horror film The Lost Boys, for which Corey Haim speaks the line.

Death by Stereo has released five full-length studio albums and one live album. Their most recent studio album, Death Is My Only Friend, was released on July 7, 2009 in the United States. They also have a DVD in the works.

Biography[link]

Beginnings (1996-1999)[link]

The band was formed by Ian Fowles, Jarrod Alexander, Efrem Schulz, Paul Miner and Jim Miner out of what were the remnants of their former bands. Jarrod and Ian were from the band D-Cons, Efrem was from Clint and Paul and Jim, who are brothers, were from CleanX.^[2][3] All five members had known each other long before Death by Stereo formed, as their former bands had toured and recorded together previously. Paul's record label Dental Records had released music by Clint and D-cons and would later go on to put out the first Death by Stereo release.

The five practiced in Jarrod's garage for a few months before recording a demo. They recorded five songs at For The Record Studios, where Paul worked. Out of the five songs, four of them went on to be re-recorded and included on their first album. On March 5, 1998, they played their first show, and soon after began playing more shows around Southern California. By late 1998, the band released their first official release Fooled By Your Smile 7 inch. Following this release, Ian decided to leave the band, and was replaced by Keith Barney.

In 1998, Death By Stereo was signed to Indecision Records, and released their first album-If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die- in the following year. Shortly after Jarrod moved to Boston to pursue music full time at the Berklee School Of Music, and was replaced by Tim Bender. Keith also left the band, to pursue his other bands Throwdown and Eighteen Visions. He was replaced by Dan Palmer, formerly of the band Eyelid.^[4] They toured for the rest of the year.

Early career (1999-2002)[link]

In the winter of 1999, during a tour with Straight Faced and Ignite, Brett Gurewitz from Epitaph Records approached the band about releasing an album, ultimately signing them in 2000. Between a tour with Bane and Adamantium, they finished their second album, Day of the Death, which was released in January 2001.

Death By Stereo spent almost all of 2001, touring North America, with bands such as Sick Of It All, BoySetsFire, The Hope Conspiracy, AFI, Rise Against, Nicotine and The Planet Smashers. At this time, Tim decided to leave the band and was replaced by Todd Hennig from 'Heckle' and 'Seven Years War'.

By 2002, Death By Stereo had become fairly popular, as evidenced by a spot on the Warped Tour for that year. During the tour however, there was some conflict between the band, and some of the behind the scenes crew. It was rumoured that one Death By Stereo's crew had assaulted someone, which forced the band to drop off the tour for a few dates, even though they denied the accusation. They returned to their tour nevertheless. Their 2003 album Into the Valley of Death contains a track called 'I Wouldn't Piss In Your Ear If Your Brain Was On Fire', which Dan Palmer has said was written about their warped experience.

Increasing popularity (2002-2005)[link]

In early 2003, during the recording of their third album, Jim Miner left the band. Tim “Tito” Owens replaced him during a European tour. They released Into the Valley of Death, which was mostly recorded while Jim was still in the band, later that year. It is for this reason, that the albums liner notes, still credit Jim and Dan as the bands guitarists. Tito was credited also, as 'additional guitars'.

On September 28, 2003, during a tour supporting Thursday, Death by Stereo played a solo show in Blacksburg VA, at a venue called Solar Haus. During this show, a fault in the venue set up caused five people to be injured and one person to die. After this, Death By Stereo canceled the rest of their tour dates, and returned home. On October 29, 2003, they played a show to benefit the victims, at the Chain Reaction, in Anaheim, CA. This show was recorded and given away for free, with ‘Law of Inertia’ magazine.

Death By Stereo resumed touring, and began writing their fourth album in late 2004. During early 2005, founding member Paul Miner left to pursue recording, producing and mixing. He has since worked with many big bands, including New Found Glory, Atreyu and Thrice. He was replaced by Tyler Rebbe from Pulley.

They recorded their fourth album in early 2005. Death for Life was released in June 2005.

In July 2005, Death By Stereo's guitarist Tito left the band. They played as a four piece band up until late 2006. In December 2005 former guitarist Jim Miner returned to the band to play two shows, but he did not return to the band full time. In addition, Efrem stated that they looked forward to collaborating with Jim, in the future.

Playing as a four-piece (2005-2009)[link]

During the first half of 2006, Death By Stereo toured extensively despite having only one guitarist (Palmer). In February they played in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for the first time, marking the beginning of their Death to the Third World tour. They also played their first shows in Venezuela, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico. They also played in New Zealand for the first time, during June 2006, and supported Strung Out later that month in an Australian tour. The second half of 2006 saw few shows, as they worked on their new album and faced changes to their lineup. They played in Ecuador at Quito Fest on December (2006).

In August 2006, drummer Todd Hennig left the band to play in Sex N Violence featuring Gene Bullets, Brent Clawson, and Kevin Besignano from Bullets And Octane, and the reality TV star/Criterion Records owner Jeremy Miller.[1]. Todd was quickly replaced by Chris Dalley. Dalley's first live show with the band was in Colombia at Rock al Parque, performing in front of thousands of fans.

On January 23, 2006, which happened to be the fifth anniversary of their second album Day of the Death, frontman Efrem Schulz posted on his Myspace blog that saying that Death by Stereo will release a DVD that will contain "any footage". Bassist Tyler Rebbe stated on the band's message board that he is uncertain if it will be released any time soon. [2].

In September 2006, it was announced that the band's former drummer Jarrod Alexander and guitarist Jim Miner would rejoin Death by Stereo to participate in the writing and recording of their upcoming album. [3]. Since this time, Jim and Jarrod have participated in live shows and have assisted with writing songs. But have not rejoined the band full time. Death by Stereo’s touring lineup, from late 2006 until mid 2008 consisted of Schulz, Rebbe, Dalley and Palmer.

In 2006, it was also announced that Death by Stereo would release a split album with punk rock bank Love Equals Death. The album was to be titled Love Equals Death by Stereo. Love Equals Death subsequently disbanded in 2006, and this project was cancelled.^{[citation needed]}

Rebbe left the band in mid 2008 to concentrate on his other projects. He was replaced by Jeff Clarke. Death by Stereo went into a period of relative inactivity after Rebbe’s departure until the release of their fifth album.

On October 28, 2008, in a interview with Rebeltheory.com [4], it was announced the new album with be titled "Death Is My Only Friend".

Death is My Only Friend (2009)[link]

In 2009, Death by Stereo signed with Serjical Strike Records and released their fifth studio album. It was recorded in mid 2008 by Schulz, Clarke, Dalley, Palmer with their new rhythm guitarist JP "The Kid" Gericke. It was produced by Jason Freese. The album was finally released after many months of delay on July 7, 2009.

Line Up Changes (2009-2011)[link]

In June 2009, Chris Dalley and Death By Stereo parted ways due to internal friction. Chris has since been added as the new drummer for Voodoo Glow Skulls and Death By Stereo has taken on a new drummer Mike Cambra from the Los Angeles based Cry Havoc.

In November 2009, Death by Stereo toured with Todd Hennig’s new band; Nations Afire. The band also performed on the Persistence Tour in Europe in the winter of 2009. The band spent the first half of 2010 touring Europe, Japan and the U.S.

As of September 2010, according to their Myspace, Death By Stereo has begun writing new material for their next album.

Black Sheep of the American Dream (2011-Present)[link]

On October 24, 2011 Death By Stereo released a preview of their upcoming album on their Facebook page. The new song is titled "WTF is Going on Around Here?".

As of January 2012 the band created a new street team to help promote the upcoming album and touring. The street team was created via Facebook and goes by the name of Death Squad. Currently there are two branches of this street team, US, and UK, with more to come in the future.

As posted in the biography section on the bands Facebook page, they have signed to a new record label Viking Funeral Records. This record label is owned and operated by Fletcher Dragge of the band Pennywise. Black Sheep of the American Dream was released on April 24, 2012 on this label.

Line-Ups[link]

All members - Backing vocals

Current Lineup[link]

• Efrem "The Bean" Schulz - Lead Vocals, Guitars, Keys
• Dan Palmer - Lead Guitar
• Paul Miner - Bass
• JP "The Kid" Gericke - Rhythm Guitar
• Mike Cambra - Drums, Percussion

Timeline[link]

id:bass value:brightgreen legend:Bass
id:drums value:purple legend:Drums
id:guitar value:red legend:Guitar
id:vocals value:blue legend:Vocals
id:lines value:black legend:Studio albums

at:01/05/1999 color:black layer:back
at:01/01/2001 color:black layer:back
at:01/04/2003 color:black layer:back
at:01/07/2005 color:black layer:back
at:01/07/2009 color:black layer:back
at:24/04/2012 color:black layer:back

bar:Efrem text:"Efrem Schulz"
bar:Paul text:"Paul Miner"
bar:Jim text:"Jim Miner"
bar:Alexander text:"Jarrod Alexander"
bar:Fowles text:"Ian Fowles"
bar:Barney text:"Keith Barney"
bar:Palmer text: "Dan Palmer"
bar:Bender text:"Tim Bender"
bar:Hennig text:"Todd Hennig"
bar:Tito text:"Tim ‘Tito’ Owens"
bar:Rebbe text:"Tyler Reebe"
bar:Dalley text:"Chris Dalley"
bar:Clark text:"Jeff Clark"
bar:JP text:"JP Gericke"
bar:Cambra text:"Mike Cambra"

width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Efrem from:01/01/1996 till:end color:vocals
bar:Jim from:01/01/1996 till:01/03/2003 color:guitar
bar:Paul from:01/01/1996 till:01/03/2005 color:bass
bar:Fowles from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1999 color:guitar
bar:Alexander from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/2000 color:drums 
bar:Barney from:01/01/1999 till:01/01/2000 color:guitar
bar:Palmer from:01/01/2000 till:end color:guitar
bar:Bender from:01/01/2000 till:01/06/2001 color:drums
bar:Hennig from:01/06/2001 till:01/06/2006 color:drums
bar:Tito from:01/04/2003 till:01/08/2005 color:guitar
bar:Rebbe from:01/03/2005 till:01/01/2009 color:bass
bar:Dalley from:01/06/2006 till:01/09/2009 color:drums
bar:Clark from:01/01/2009 till:01/08/2011 color:bass
bar:Cambra from:14/01/2010 till:end color:drums
bar:JP from:01/06/2009 till:end color:guitar
bar:Alexander from:10/07/2009 till:01/01/2010 color:drums 
bar:Paul from:01/08/2011 till:end color:bass

The music of Death by Stereo[link]

Genre[link]

Death By Stereo's music blurs the lines between traditional, punk rock, hardcore, and metal. Their music mixes metal riffs, solos, melodies and hooks, and results in a sound that is noted for its originality, among a punk rock scene that some say has become stagnant in recent years. The music has evolved over time, mainly due to the unstable lineup, which has included 5 guitarists, 2 bassists, and 4 drummers. Their first album, If Looks Could Kill, I'd Watch You Die, was punk rock with a heavy influence of hardcore. Their later albums, especially Death for Life, are more heavy metal, with less punk rock and hardcore elements.

Influences[link]

Bands that have influenced Death By Stereo are: At the Gates, Bad Brains, Bad Religion, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Descendents, In Flames, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Madball, Minor Threat, AFI, Pennywise, Sick of It All, Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies.

The original bassist Paul Miner, said that his top 10 albums of all time are: Bad Brains - ROIR tape, Minor Threat - Out of Step, Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast, Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind, Van Halen II, The Police - Outlandos d'Amour, Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, Sick of It All - Scratch the Surface, Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come, Annihilator - Never, Neverland.

On one occasion, Efrem said that his top five albums were Dead Kennedys - Bedtime for Democracy, Bad Religion - How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, Bad Brains - The Youth Are Getting Restless: Live in Amsterdam, Slayer - Reign in Blood, Iron Maiden - Rock in Rio.

On another occasion, Efrem said that his top five bands were: Bad Brains, Fishbone, Slayer, Bad Religion, and Mickey Avalon.

In popular culture[link]

• The song "Let Down and Alone" from their album Into the Valley of Death was featured on the soundtrack to the game Downhill Domination.
• A Christian R&B artist made a CD called "Life By Stereo" a reversal of the band's name.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Live albums[link]

EPs[link]

Demos[link]

• Five-Song Demo Tape. The band's first recording. 4/5 songs went on to be re-recorded and included in their first album. (1998)

Compilations[link]

(Name Of Compilation - Song)

• Devils Night (Live Compilation 7 inch including other bands Ensign, Adamantium, Missing 23rd, Eyelid) (1999)
• Punk O Rama 5 - Lookin' Out For #1 (2000)
• Punk Goes Metal - Little Fighter (White Lion Cover) (2000)
• Punk O Rama 6 - Holding $60 On A Burning Bridge (2001)
• Indecision Records Split Series - 3 Songs from Ensign split (2001)
• Punk O Rama 7 - Wasted Words (Demo Version) (2002)
• Punk O Rama 8 - Unstoppable (2003)
• Bring You To Your Knees (G&R Tribute) - Anything Goes (Cover) (2003)
• Punk O Rama 9 - The Plague (Live Oct 03) (2004)
• Warped Tour 10 2004 Tour Compilation - Beyond the Blinders (2004)
• Masters Of Horror Soundtrack - Bottled Up (From DFL Sessions) (2005)

Compilation DVDs[link]

• Punk O Rama The Videos - Desperation Train (2002)
• Indecision Video Vault - Various performances and interviews (2003)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Label website
• Death By Stereo interview on Rockmidgets