Agawam, Massachusetts ska-punks PWRUP are gearing up to release a new album, Just Devils, on October 24 via Ska Punk International (pre-order). It features recent singles “They Bartholomule” and “Castigation: The Simulation” (ft. The Best of the Worst), as well as the just-released “Corner / Office,” which features Efrem Schulz of Voodoo Glow Skulls and Death By Stereo and JP Gericke of Death By Stereo. It’s a fast-paced ska-punk / ska-core ripper that fans of Voodoo Glow Skulls and other heavier ska bands should not sleep on, and the band says it also takes influence from NOFX, Bigwig, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. We’re premiering the song’s “official karaoke video” in this post.
“‘Corner / Office’ is the story of two corners, the people who inhabit them, and the systems put in place to keep them there, despite the myths we perpetuate about ladders and bootstraps,” the band says. “We become so entrenched in believing that people are where they are in life solely because of personal responsibility or the lack thereof, and in the process we dehumanize the most vulnerable among us, sacrificing our humanity to justify avoiding any personal discomfort.”
Guitarist/vocalist Aaron Hibbert adds, “JP from Death by Stereo wrote such a sick guitar solo at the end, it completely changed how we thought of our own song. This song is unlike any other, because we wrote a paradiddle into the god damn guitar riff. Who does that?”
Other guests on the upcoming album include Dissidente, Knock Over City, TRAGWAG, Hell Beach, and Mega Infinity. Check out the new song/video and the two previous singles:
Tracklist
1. President Evil 2 (Feat. Dissidente)
2. Castigation: The Simulation (Feat. Best of the Worst)
3. They Bartholomule
4. Soldier On
5. King Kong
6. Pieces Over Time
7. ORBL
8. Self Made
9. Corner / Office (Feat. Death By Stereo)
10. Karate Chunk
11. Futures (Feat. Knock Over City and TRAGWAG)
12. Robber Baron (Feat. Hell Beach and Mega Infinity)
PWRUP — 2023 Tour Dates
10/6/23 – Windsor VT @ Windsor Exchange w/ Hell Beach, McAsh
10/7/23 – Pawtucket RI @ The News Cafe w/ Battle Yacht, Zombii, Greatest Failure
10/13/23 – Clinton CT @ Scottish Dave’s Pub w/ Cry Havoc, Sonic Libido, Cheap City, Sonorous Rising
10/27/23 – Westfield MA @ Hutghi’s At The Nook w/ Film & Gender, Hell Beach, Robbery
10/28/23 – Syracuse NY @ Sharkey’s Underground w/ The Action, Razbari Sumthing, Do It With Malice