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Mustard Plug started out in the punk clubs, basements and dive bars of the Midwest, playing punk-influenced ska music before most people in the U.S. had ever heard of ska. They clung to a DIY work ethic that had been ingrained in them growing up in the 1980s hardcore punk scene and applied it to everything they would ever do together as a band. Mustard Plug released their first cassette tape themselves (1992's Skapocalypse Now!), and played constantly to earn enough money to record their first album - 1994's Big Daddy Mulititude. Their debut full length was released on legendary NYC label Moon Records (home of Toasters, Hepcat, Dance Hall Crashers, and pretty much every other '90s ska band of note). With their new found national distribution and exposure, the band climbed into their van and performed their music to new fans across North America. Twenty-one years, 1500 shows and 200,000 album sales later, it cannot be denied that the band has surpassed all expectations and permanently staked their claim in contemporary music.
For their new album, Can't Contain It, Mustard Plug have returned to the DIY blueprint that the band was built upon, while at the same time embracing all the school of hard knocks craftsmanship and wisdom that the band has earned along the way. The band spent the last several years writing new material that was informed by 22 years of songwriting experience while retaining the youthful energy that has endeared them to their fans. They tracked the record at bassist Rick Johnson’s Cold War Studios, giving them the flexibility to experiment and add new layers and dimensions that were not possible given the time constraints on their previous recordings. Many of their musician friends(Dan Potthast, Sean Bonnett, Mark Petz, Corey Ruffin) were tapped to contribute, creating a denser, more intricate sound.
Ultimately, this release is about the community Mustard Plug has built during it's 22 year existence. Coming full circle back to the DIY scene and the community that the were born out of has helped them to put out their best record to date.
Now celebrating their 34th year, the Toasters are once again announcing a full calendar of dates to kick off the 2015 touring campaign. These NYC D.I.Y die-hards have already notched more than 5000 live shows and plan to heap more onto that tally this year with two North American tours, as well as dates in South America, Europe, South East Asia, Russia and points east.
Formed on the lower East Side in 1981 the band has become synonymous with American 2 Tone Ska music and forged their instantly recognizable "East Side Beat" sound in such famous Big Apple dancehalls as CBGB'S where they have been named as a top 20 core artist alongside myths like the Ramones, Blondie and the Talking Heads. Widely acclaimed as launching the Third Wave Ska revival the Toasters went on to form the famous Moon Records label and kick-started the careers of dozens of bands. Their early collaborations with the iconic Joe Jackson helped define their sound and establish them as the premier USA ska act of their generation. The Toasters have been hailed as "ska pioneers" (Billboard magazine) and the "sound of NYC" (New York Times).