Applied Ignorance

Alternative Tentacles, the label that has been redefining what ""punk"" is for over 20 years has struck once again with THE PHANTOM LIMBS. Prodded with pitchforks by DEAD & GONE to see THE PHANTOM LIMBS Jello Biafra thought they were the strangest band he had EVER seen at Gilman St. The crowd went stark raving nuts for them. The mere mention of an upcoming album has people at Alternative Tentacles lighting up like Christmas trees. So how the hell does Alternative Tentacles describe them? They prefer not comparing them to other bands but can't resist comparing them to a cross between THE SCREAMERS and GILBERT & SULLIVAN gone terribly wrong. Eerie, grinding keyboards mixed with driving bass, thundering drums, wall-of-sound guitar and frantic, desperate vocals.

THE PHANTOM LIMBS have subjected West Coast punk, goth, metal, and indie audiences alike to their psychosis with equal appreciation since the late '90s. Like a carnival sideshow, THE PHANTOM LIMBS thrive equally on the awe and anxiety of the crowd. Their music is a swirling amalgamation of old school punk, deathrock, and no wave mixed with the theater songs of Kurt Weil. Like so many of the great Alternative Tentacles' bands in the past they are a must-see live. Their live shows have become stuff of legend with singer Hopeless invariably naked or covered in grease paint, duct tape, wrapping paper or substances of unknown origin. Crowd interaction is mandatory, with Hopeless sometimes going so far as to handcuff himself to unsuspecting fans. Ex-patriots of Los Angeles, the members of THE PHANTOM LIMBS have previously lent their talents to such cult faves as THE BOYSCOUTS OF ANNIHILATION, ANAL KITTIES, SCURVY DOGS and BLACK ICE. They now find themselves quite at home among the run-down, piss soaked streets of Oakland.