Band: Polar Bear Club
Album title: Sometimes Things Just Disappear
Label: Red Leader Records – Bridge 9 Records
Distribitor: Hardlife Promotion - Suburban
Release date: February 2009
Release: CD

Polar Bear Club is a North New York state Hardcore Punk/ Indie Rock band from the Rochester/ Syracuse area, which was formed as a passtime in 2005, and consists of singer Jimmy Stadt, guitarists Chris Browne and Nate Morris, bassist Greg Odom, and drummer Emmett Menke. A demo released that same year brought the outfit a lot of attention, and instigated the release of the band’s debut EP The Redder, The Better in Summer 2006 on Tripple Attack and Luchador Records. Containing catchy Pop Punk songs with a lot of opportunnities for energetic sing-alongs, the EP was a fan and ‘zine favourite throughout the year.

The band had their Sometimes Things Just Disappear album released through the Red Leader Records imprint in March 2008, and soon after things started picking up in exponential ways. A first Syracuse show in support of A Wilhelm Scream led to another, and by the end of April the guys were even playing at the Culture Shock Fest. Possibilities to play gigs were increasing now to the point that the band members were asking leaves of absence from school and dropping their daytime jobs. More and more magazines were wanting to have an interview with the band, and PBC even got attention outside the US, when UK’s Rocksounddid a feature on the band. Along the way the boys struck a friendship with The Gaslight Anthem (which, like A Wilhelm Scream, is a Bridge 9 band), and they also did short tours up North into Canada, prior to leaving on a two-month stint around the US. All this live activity saw the band playing seconds to the previously mentioned, as well as Crime By Stereo, The Swellers, Broadway Calls, American Steel, and many more.

Along the way, music industry interest showed itself rising with several labels getting in touch with the boys…and the new year started with the happy news that PBC had been contracted by Bridge 9, whose first job will be to re-issue the album on gatefold vinyl, a release which has already been heralded by leading Punk Rock magazine Alternative Press as being Most Anticipated Releases Of 2009! At the moment, the boys are on a (short) European tour (only the UK, Scandinavia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Holland, and again the UK – on their way back home – will be serviced this time around…and one of the first shows on that tour saw the band play at NME magazine’s awards show at the Shepard’s Bush Empire club in London on Feb 8) in support of The Gaslight Anthem and British “troubadour” Frank Turner, which will bring them at Brussel’s Botanique Orangerie on Feb. 27 (for our Dutch readers: on the following days they’ll be at Vera in Groningen and Melkweg in Amsterdam - readers of other European nationalities, please consult the band’s MySpace page mentioned below). By the way, PBC will be adding a couple of headline shows in the UK…ya lucky bastards…and then it’s off to the States again where, after a short week’s rest, the boys will continue playing gigs (a tour with Have Heart & Trapped Under Ice plus separate shows) untill it’s time to hit the studio in April for recordings of a new album, the release of which is slated for the coming Fall!

Meanwhile, there’s still the current album, which is now getting better distribution thanks to Bridge 9, and also gets a vinyl release…let’s not forget thàt! All you lovers of Melodic Punk akà Pop Punk…with an Alternative Rock twist…are hereby recommended to check out the songs posted at myspace.com/polarbearclub.

84/100

Tony.