It's only been six years since the collection of tattooed freaks known as The Johnstones gravitated together in high school. Since then though, they've become unmistakable for both their raucous music and provocative shenanigans.
From assaulting Disneyland to spending the night in a Halifax drunk tank for breaking into an office building and having a party to pouring blood out of instruments after particularly disorderly gigs, The Johnstones have been there, done that and made the t-shirt for you to buy.
An ingenious melee of styles and attitudes, The Johnstones manipulate the strongest elements of their personal preferences, consolidating them into a most anomalous, extraordinary and fucking catchy original genre: a collection of ska and hip hop-infused punk music taking the catchiness of '90s bands such as Rancid and No Doubt yet adding a hip hop/dance vibe that produces a fast, energetic and virulent style.
When honed-in, that devotion and eagerness (peppered by a sense of Attention Deficit Disorder) becomes an enviable work ethic that permeates the entire band. They become nothing less than a multi-media blitzkrieg. Topping YouTube's regular play lists via their 50 self-produced and half-dozen professional videos and with hundreds of daily spins on their MySpage page and countless albums sold, The Johnstones have become a phenomenon based not only on their powerful music but also their divine prowess at infiltrating all senses.
That lifestyle culminates in latest offering Can't Be Trusted, their sophomore full-length, third release with Montreal-based Stomp Records/Union Label Group. Utilizing the expertise of producer/re-mixer Fil Bucchino (Tricky, Flashlight Brown, Saint Alvia), Can't Be Trusted captures The Johnstones at their most sophisticated; is poised to be their break-through effort. A cohesive advancement, its songs display a band allowing their natural tendencies to develop as well as actively progressing by dint of constant self-evaluation/introspection.
As expected, this feverish energy translates easily to The Johnstones' live show, bolstered by Long's stepping out from behind the drum kit in order to assault audiences front and centre. And as noted, all of the insane antics that ensue from such spectacles are the end result of these young men determined to live out the true punk rock ethic: be yourself by yourself.
Press Downloads
• Pres Photo High-rez Photo by Erin O'Connell (Download)
• Animated Web Banner (Download)
• The Johnstones Bio (Download)
Videos
No videos are currently available to watch for The Johnstones.
