Lawrence.com

Chicago punk-popsters Allister were so named in 1997 as tribute to the character on the kids show You Can't Do That on Television. Now ask 'why?' This is their story ...In the fall of '97, four unsuspecting boys were abducted from their homes by a secret government agency. As part of a twisted psychological experiment, the boys were locked in a basement for months on end and forced to watch only MTV and reruns of the Canadian kids sketch comedy show "You Can't Do That On Television." As a result, the innocence of their youth was warped and maligned to the point of relationship dementia, a condition which forces the afflicted to write catchy, upbeat, pop songs about the awkward social escapades apparent in modern day suburbia. Upon their escape, these four vowed to bring their message of punk redemption to the relationship corrupt youth of Chicago and beyond. Allister was formed.Driven by the sick condition acquired during their captivity, Allister began to play small shows in the Central Illinois area. These high energy performances quickly spread their message and gained many converts among the relationship stricken youth of Chicago and its outlining areas. However, this notoriety also brought the watching eye of evil that first imprisoned them. In an effort to escape, Allister hit the road and found refuge with such bands as Goldfinger, The Bloodhound Gang, the Hippos, Fenix Tx, Rx Bandits, the Aquabats, the Teen Idols, the Killingtons, the Smoking Popes, and A New Found Glory. The boys finally found a permanent shelter at Drive-Thru records, a benefactor that would both protect against the wickedness that pursued them and who would help spread their message of social awkwardness. These purveyors of truth quickly spread the word by placing the Allister song "X-Girlfriend" on a compilation that was circulated to 30,000 love-jaded kids at the Warped Tour. The strength of the message was growing.With no shortage of inspiration, the four members of Allister easily combine their individual influences and perspectives in the debut CD Dead Ends and Girlfriends. Featuring punchy tempos, crunchy, but melodic guitars, a slew of vocal harmonies, and light hearted, yet honest lyrics, Dead Ends and Girlfriends reflects the many crossroads in personal relationships. The band also shows a comic edge to their hysteria with a nod to Jim Henson's "Fraggle Rock" and a punk cover of the Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way," engineered by Chris Sheppard (Smashing Pumpkins, KMFDM, Dave Matthews Band). With this album, Allister is now equipped with the tools to combat the evils of relationship miscues and mistakes.A long way from the basement where all the madness began, Allister is dedicated to their mission: to perform for the love of music, for the love of their fans, and the destruction of all that is wrong in love.More from Allister's press kit at drivethrurecords.comThe five-piece ska-punk outfit -- Kaustubh Pandav (vocals), Adam Krier (co-vocalist, guitar), Ryan Fergus (drums), Jason Shultejann (bass), and Joe Sell (guitar) -- Lucky Boys Confusion formed in 1997 when Pandav and Krier began writing songs together. The pair drew from punk, rap, and reggae to create an infectious ska-punk sound that combines Pandav's Latin melodies with Krier's Beastie Boys-influenced rap. Recruiting members from their previous bands, Pandav and Krier formed Lucky Boys Confusion and began to perform at house parties and YMCAs in Chicago's Western suburbs. The band's first recorded effort was a four-song EP, What Gets Me High, released on their own Townstyle label in 1997. The Lucky Boys' tales of suburban teen life proved popular and the band followed in 1998 with the full-length Growing Out of It, again released on Townstyle. The 17-track Growing Out of It included the four songs from What Gets Me High, along with new material written almost exclusively by the team of Pandav and Krier. As the Lucky Boys' following grew in Chicago, "Dumb Pop Song," a single from Growing Out of It, found its way into regular rotation on Q101, Chicago's influential alternative rock station. With regular radio play, the band's fan base exploded and suburban house parties gave way to headlining gigs at the House of Blues and the legendary Metro. Fueled by the popularity of "Dumb Pop Song," Growing Out of It went on to sell over 6,000 copies. An EP, The Soapbox Spectacle, was released on Townstyle in March 2000 and the band eventually signed with Elektra Records. Lucky Boys Confusion's major label debut, Throwing the Game, was released in May 2001.www.luckyboys.comCount the Stars was formed by singer-guitarist Chris Kasarjian and drummer David Shapiro in Albany, NY in 1995 when both were 12 years old, though they didn't put out their first CD on a label until 2003's Never Be Taken Alive. Prior to that, the pop-punk band had put out some music on CD on their own.www.countthestars.com