Back in the day of the early Cowtown PhxAm Skateboard contests, a rouge U-Haul van precariously rolled up during the proceedings. The cargo door rolled open to reveal a shitty ass band giving an impromptu concert right in the middle of the contest, plugged in and ready to wreak havoc. Hundreds of Gatorade bottles (most of them full) were pelted at the renegade skate band in the van……
In 2004 – or ’05, on a seeming uneventful Wednesday night I ventured to a dive bar (can’t remember the name) off 16th St & Indian School to see a touring Thrasher SkateRock band called Hightower. Little did I know I was walking into a beer soaked, bar stool throwing scene of out of control skateboarders going nuts for their buddies’ local acts. At first it almost looked like a bar brawl but I quickly realized these guys were all bros beating the shit out of each other while a band called The Mongoloids cranked out its’ version of Phoenix West Side SkateRock, which included the band members themselves throwing beer and kicking ass on their friends in an effort to keep their equipment plugged in during their performance. Cymbals and drums were knocked over. I had never seen so much beer in the air before that night. Inbetween bands, this (what I perceived to be) totally wasted homeless out of shape looking dude stumbles up to my table and says “The next band Dephinger is going to be your all-time favorite band.” I asked him what made him so sure and he replied, “Because I’m in it”. Josh then went on annihilate his guitar with crazy licks and drunk Jimi Hendrix moves while the rest of Dephinger followed along in their alcohol fueled onslaught of songs about drinking and driving, fat girls, whisky and skating pools. During this time people in the bar started to notice I had an uncanny resemblance to Dephinger’s bass player, Andy Lane. So much so they started saying I was in for some trouble….that is an entire other article.
My business with AZPX was at a crossroads with me being newly on my own as a business owner. Shortly after that eventful evening, Nick the drummer called me up and asked me if Dephinger can be on my record label. Producing music was the last thing on my mind since that was my ex-partners deal in the business and I wanted to concentrate on making skateboards. It didn’t take long for Nick to convince me that releasing new music with their DIY Cooperative approach not only made it way less risky, but also feasible on my shoestring budget of ZERO, it would benefit everyone involved. They already had songs recorded and mastered and wanted to team up with someone to help them put it all together. AZPX Records “AZPX02 Dephinger ‘Eat a Dick’ 4 song EP-CD” was released in 2005 and quickly sold out of it’s limited release. The title track would become an anthem and a sing-a-long at their gigs.
Since then, for over 10 years Dephinger have organized and played countless shows and events, many of their own doing along in collaboration with AZPX, who has put out several Dephinger skateboards and printed hundreds of Dephinger shirts and stickers. One such example is Big Nasty’s Junk Jam…check out the video below. Andy had been replaced with Chris but they are still pretty much the same lunatics (with marriages and new kids under their belts). The past year and a half Dephinger has been tireless writing and recording what I think is their ultimate masterpiece, a concept album of sorts “40% Bad Ass”. Producer Bobby Lerma (from The Father Figures) really pushed the boys to truly craft a group of songs so meticulously recorded by Mike Bolenbach at Full Well Recording Studio it’s hard to believe these are the same assholes from that night they opened for Hightower.
“40% Bad Ass” has it all: the songs, production and the art/packaging is off the charts. Darren Hoops of ThingBad fame graced his skills for the cover and highlight markers rule. It’s a real honor having the opportunity for AZPX Records to publish AZPX13V & AZPX13C (Vinyl & Compact Disc respectively). The entire package is awesome, the art and design were considered as carefully as the music. The insane colored vinyl comes with a download card, insert with extra art & props, along with the entire Eat a Dick EP and other AZPX Records bonus songs available for free *.mp3 download. This is the first time we published two formats of the same recording at the same time. We are going huge!
In the usual DIY fashion, without our bros from Roger’s Aire, Cowtown and The Record Room, this project would not have been possible.
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Dephinger’s new album “40% Bad Ass” record release show with F-harsh, The Phoenix Hooker Cops, The Early Grabs, Quantum Colossus, D.J. Brewdinni, and Sunnyslope’s infamous Dirty Hairy.
$10.00 cover and you get a copy of the record (included free with admission!) 12″ vinyl record copies will be available for a one time only special price of $10.00 bucks also.
There will be a raffle and prizes plus a special guest or two.
8pm 21 amd over
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Save me a slice of that vinyl!!!!