The Fallout – Videos

… a few hastily assembled videos for various songs from The Fallout …

THE FALLOUT – WAR WITHOUT END

footage: “Pig Power (Newsreel #23)” / students take to the streets in New York and Berkeley to protest the Vietnam War

from: “What Is Past Is (Still) Prologue” / 202 / Rebel Time Records / Red Menace Records

Headline in the paper today
About fighting for democracy
Bombs tear human flesh apart
Watch the world turn away
What can I do? What can I say?
I don’t know
What you gonna do? What you gonna say?
You don’t know
Another imperialist action
War without end
Nationalist destruction
War without end
No international reaction
War without end
When it’s all for one
And none for all
Headache in the paper today
About fighting for liberty
Guns shoot civilians to death
Watch the world turn away
Protest seem to fall on dear ears
No one cares?
Apathy fulfilling my fears
No one cares?
Are they going to have the final word?
Am I ever going to be heard?

THE FALLOUT – ACTION TODAY

footage: “We Shall March Again” / A dynamic film of the October 1965 Berkeley Peace march, which builds to a showdown as the marchers meet a solid wall of Oakland police / 1965

from: “(Still) Turning Revolution Into Money” / 2020 / Rebel Time Records / Red Menace Records

When tomorrow comes
I’ll see the sun
Rise up for me
A brand new day

I’ll be ten feet tall
Nothing at all
Gets the best of me
Or my insecurities

Today
Action today
Like the sun, freedom comes, everyday

I’ll never lose
Temptations are refused
Won’t get pushed around
I’ll stand my ground

Today starts rapidly
Feel and force my way
Blind insanity
Tries and retards me

Chorus

Nothing holds a grip
Rigging starts to slip
Scores my brain
Stressed and strained

Never give up the chase
I’m not failing safe
The fight inside of me
Focuses my energy

THE FALLOUT – ANOTHER WAY

footage: “Oil Strike” / Newsreel / 1969: “In January, 1969 oil workers in Northern California struck. The local police and the Standard Oil goon squads attacked the strikers and their families, killing one and injuring others. The striking students from San Francisco State were asked to join the struggle. For the first time workers and students fight together against their common enemy.

from: “(Still) Turning Revolution Into Money” / 2020 / Rebel Time Records / Red Menace Records

Day by day
They try to break your body and take your mind
There’s another way
Stand in union, we’ll be just fine

They’ll try to take your life, try to take your cash
But history teaches every systems must crash
You work so hard to try and make a cent
But everything you try just doesn’t make a dent

You get just enough to keep your mind closed
To prevent the truth from being exposed
No one should vanish without a trace
So get off your ass and get out of this place

The time has come to claim our space
To make our mark and there won’t be no disgrace
Workers of the world there’ll be no mistake
When brothers and sisters are united today

The Fallout – “Casualty” EP

Hot on the heels of their “The Times Have Never Changed” album, The Fallout are back with “Casualty,” a four-song, digital-only release.

As always, a free / pwyc release on Bandcamp. Of course, you can stream it on Spotify, Youtube, etc., etc., as well.

Released by Discos Machete (Mexico) and Rebel Time Records (Canada).

Dig it!

Here’s a review of the EP from A.J. and The Punk Site:

“It’s only been six months since Canada’s The Fallout released the impressive “The Times Have Never Changed” album but now they’re back with the “Casualty” EP, that, as with their previous releases, is available as a ‘name your price’ download via Canada’s Rebel Time Records and Mexico’s Discos Machete imprint. If you’re not familiar with The Fallout then try and imagine something that’s manning the barricades on the edge of the same territory occupied by Anti-Flag and D.O.A., this is political punk rock with it’s roots deep in the scene, but this is not a band looking back, this is the sound of a band facing the future and tackling it head on.

What you get on the “Casualty” EP is four tracks that are delivered in around eight minutes, the EP’s title track launches you straight into a manic and timely blast of energy, the second wave of “Miracles For Sale” takes on religion and challenges blind faith with a blast of straight up old school punk rock. The throttle is twisted and we get back up to speed with a hit of melodic punk rock that raises a middle finger at religion and politics, that is appropriately titled ‘Same Old Shit‘. The “Casualty” EP bows out with ‘Warpath‘ another barbed slice of stripped down straight up political punk rock.

The Fallout are a band that keep the flag burning in the tradition of the best political punk bands, the energy on display backs up the political conviction, and make no mistake, both are equally important elements of The Fallout. “Casualty” combines a die hard D.I.Y. attitude & a genuine conviction, this is all delivered with a generous punk heart, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by checking this out. If you love your punk with a direct, coherent and energetic message then this is for you. The Fallout are a band who do what they do purely because it’s what they love and to say what needs to be said.”

You can stream and download the “Casualty” EP via Rebel Time Records and Discos Machete”

Here’s videos for a couple of the songs:

footage: G20 demo /police kettling protesters at Queen St. & Spadina Ave. / Toronto / June 26, 2010

They burst in
Stop and stare
Feel the burn
The flame flares
Kicked in the head
Bloody gash
Floor turns red
You’re fading fast
Casualty
Freedom’s a casualty
Tried to recall
A better time
The downfall
The highest climb
The sun dawns
Day breaks
Your freedom
What they take

footage: women’s marches against gender violence and femicide and for legal abortion / Mexico City / 2020

From a thousand towns
Their heading down
On the warpath
As if you needed proof
Manifested youth
Are on the warpath
A system self reverent
Unable to remain silent
Will get torn apart

As we march along the warpath

Students make plans
Workers take stands
On the warpath
Fathers and sons
Have just begun
Down the warpath

Daughters and their mothers too
Will decide and they shall choose
Lead from the heart
As we march down the warpath

The Fallout – Same Old Shit And Some New Shit

The Fallout will be releasing a digital EP very shortly!

Here’s something to hold you over until the EP drops.  The song “Same Old Shit”was written by bass player Patty O’Lantern many years ago whilst he was a member of The Embarrassments. It was inspired, says Patty, “by Basquiat artwork. I wrote it just after Bush won his 2nd term.”

THE FALLOUT – SAME OLD SHIT
… footage: anti-bush demo / halifax, nova scotia, canada / 2004 …

Politics and a crucifix the same fight we always had
Blood runs as thick as oil but these days it’s twice as fast
Hatred spills in off the streets and it’s filtered in through glass
And all that remains is this price tag on our backs

It’s the same old shit

Everybody’s got a price and it’s quickly going down
We’re all just dollar signs so we’d better cash out now
In this razor wire playpen we can have fun within bounds
Don’t pick us up we’re in love with falling down

It’s the same old shit

Politics and a crucifix the same fight we always had
Blood runs as thick as oil but these days it’s twice as fast
In this razor wire playpen we can have fun within bounds
Don’t pick us up we’re in love with falling down

It’s the same old shit

“The Times Have Never Changed” – Review

Thanks to Lord Routledge at the Faster and Louder blog for the very kind, very nuanced review of “The Times Have Never Changed” … here it is, in both english and spanish:

“The Fallout’s new album could not be any more of a soundtrack to this moment. It’s packed full of fist-pumping punk rock anthems railing against injustice, inequality, and the systemic oppression of the people. It’s music in the grand tradition of late ’70s/early ’80s political punk rock and the protest folk that inspired it. This Toronto-based band has been active since 2004 and strives to write “songs of unity, inclusion, solidarity and struggle”. It’s inspiring now to see so many people finally waking up to injustice in the world and getting angry about it. The Fallout have been angry from the start, and they’re ready as always to take up the fight.

Out on Rebel Time Records and Discos Machete, The Times Have Never Changed opens with the premise that the protest music of the past promised change that has yet to be delivered. That’s not a cynical statement so much as it is a message that the struggle has yet to be won. Over the course of 15 tracks, it’s clear that The Fallout reserves all of its cynicism for institutions of power, which must be resisted and confronted if real change is to ever occur. So don’t let the album title fool you. These guys are true believers in the idea that songs can change the world – or at least that songs have the power to inspire the people who will change the world. If you can watch authority clash with dissent at this moment and honestly side with authority, this is clearly not the band or album for you. The Times Have Never Changed rages against everything from endless wars to partisan politics to institutionalized homophobia to organized religion to police brutality to the marginalization of sex workers. It’s full of urgency, passion, and absolute conviction. Sometimes the whole idea of “political punk” can turn people off because the music tends to be generic at best or an afterthought at worst. But The Fallout is a throwback to a time when protest punk was just as much about the tunes as it was about the message. These guys write catchy songs that are tailor made for you to shout along with. The music is powerful and aggressive but also fun to listen to. And that’s the way it ought to be. If a song is going to inspire people, it has to be inspiring. Songs like “Red Light Union” and “Raise Your Flag” will have you fired up to run through a brick wall for the cause! This is “street” punk in the truest sense of the term – music for the people that is relevant to what’s actually happening on our streets.

Certainly when this album was being prepared for release, the band and labels had no idea it would arrive on the eve of a mass protest movement of historic proportions. But the injustices and inequality that ignited this movement have persisted for generations. I used to assume that most people had the sense to know that racism is wrong and fascism is bad. But in this modern-day Bizarro World where anti-fascists are suddenly “terrorists”  and not wanting cops to murder people of color is a “divisive” position, it’s clear that nothing is obvious. We can’t take for granted that sanity will prevail or that progress is inevitable. We must resist and keep resisting. And we will listen to awesome music while we do it.”

El nuevo álbum de Fallout es la banda sonora de los momentos que estamos viviendo. Está repleto de himnos punk rock que critican la injusticia, la desigualdad y la opresión sistémica en contra de la gente. Es música que se sitúa en la gran tradición del punk rock político de finales de los 70 / principios de los 80 y en la canción de protesta que lo inspiró. Esta banda originaria de Toronto ha estado activa desde 2004 y se esfuerza por escribir “canciones de unidad, inclusión, solidaridad y lucha”. Es inspirador ver a tanta gente que por fin está despertando frente a la injusticia en el mundo y que está enojada por eso. The Fallout han estado enojados desde el principio, y están listos como siempre para comenzar la pelea.

Producido por Rebel Time Records y Discos Machete, The Times Have Never Changed parte de la premisa que la música de protesta del pasado prometió un cambio que aún no se ha entregado. Esa no es una declaración cínica, sino un mensaje de que la lucha debe continuar. Al escuchar las 15 rolas, está claro que The Fallout reserva todo su cinismo para las instituciones de poder, a las que hay que resistir y confrontar para conocer un cambio real. Así que no dejes que el título del álbum te engañe. Estos tipos son verdaderos creyentes en la idea de que las canciones pueden cambiar el mundo, o al menos que esas canciones tienen el poder de inspirar a las personas que cambiarán el mundo. Si en estos momentos de tensión entre la autoridad y la disidencia estás del lado de la autoridad, esta banda no es para ti.

The Times Have Never Changed explota contra todo, desde guerras interminables hasta políticas partidistas, desde la homofobia institucionalizada hasta la religión organizada, desde la brutalidad policial hasta la marginación de las trabajadoras sexuales. Es un disco lleno de urgencia, de pasión y de absoluta convicción. A veces, la idea de un “punk político” puede enfriar a la gente. Pero The Fallout es un regreso a una época en la que el punk de protesta tenía que ver tanto con las melodías como con el mensaje. Estos chicos escriben canciones pegadizas hechas a medida para que grites junto con ellas. La música es poderosa y agresiva, pero también divertida de escuchar. Y así es como debe ser. Si una canción va a inspirar a la gente, tiene que ser inspiradora. ¡Canciones como “Red Light Union” y “Raise Your Flag” te harán enloquecer para atravesar una pared de ladrillos por la causa! Este es el punk “callejero” en el verdadero sentido del término: música para las personas que es relevante para lo que realmente está sucediendo en nuestras calles.

Seguramente, cuando se estaba preparando este álbum, la banda y los sellos no tenían idea de que estallaría un movimiento de protesta masiva de proporciones históricas. Pero las injusticias y la desigualdad que encendieron este movimiento han persistido por generaciones. Solía suponer que la mayoría de la gente sabía que el racismo y el fascismo está mal. Pero en este bizarro mundo moderno donde los antifascistas de repente son “terroristas” y donde puedes no odiar policías por asesinar a personas de color está claro que nada es obvio. No podemos dar por sentado que la cordura prevalecerá o que el progreso es inevitable. Debemos resistir y seguir resistiendo. Y escucharemos música increíble mientras lo hacemos.

The Fallout – The Times Have Never Changed

… “the people are on the march and must have songs to sing” (Pete Seeger) …

… “just like us you want to figure out / the pain and injustice all about / we picked up our guitars / and we wrote some songs / about protecting rights / and correcting all the wrongs” (The Fallout) …

Don’t care about the Bob Dylan you quote / Books you’ve read or poems you wrote / I see suffering I see no hope / The times have never changed / That’s what drove Phil Ochs insane / The times have never changed / Protest songs of ’67 / Against a war you never ended / All that posing and pretending / The times have never changed / That’s what drove Phil Ochs insane / The times have never changed / The more things change / The more they stay the same / Happens time and time and time again / All I know for sure is we have endless, endless war / The times have never changed

… here it is … proudly presented to you by Discos Machete and Rebel Time Records … “The Times Have Never Changed” … 15 tracks of partisan and unapologetically political agitp(r)op punk rock … songs of unity, inclusion, solidarity and struggle … it’s movement music, it’s people’s songs … and it’s currently a free / pay what you can download on bandcamp … on all other digital platforms shortly, followed by CDs … dig it …

… 15 balazos de punk melódico y político … canciones de amor, rabia y resistencia, de unión, de inclusión, de solidaridad y de lucha …

… ¡Estos son los sonidos de la revolución! …

It’s happening again / Our bleeding hearts are overflowing / Spilling out into the streets / You tell me one more time / No one can change the world / That’s exactly what they say / Every time we come close to overthrowing / All our despair they hope to shatter our dream of global unity / No one is free until everyone is free / To liberate a world oppressed all we really need is / One more movement by the people / One last struggle for the world / Let this be a movement without borders – without nationality / A revolution without gender / – without sexuality / A struggle for all people all races all ethnicities / No segregation – liberation without triumph in defeat

The Fallout – The Times Have Never Changed

Coming soon, and hot on the heels of the recently released and well -received 4-song EP “Raise Your Flag,” is The Fallout’s 14-song full-length “The Times Have Never Changed.”

It’ll be out on Rebel Time Records and Discos Machete.

Discos Machete is a new record label based in Mexico City.

The label’s raison d’etre? “Machete Records is an independent label based in Mexico City. From our barricade we seek to support, promote and disseminate anti-authoritarian, anti-fascist and politically committed musical projects. Long live the sounds of the revolution!”

This will be The Fallout’s first long-player since their 2007 release”Dismantlement” which came out on Insurgence Records.

As always, you can expect 14 tracks of hard-hitting, catchy-as-hell, sing-along, three-chord punk rock coupled with well-crafted, well-articulated, socially-conscious lyrics. Songs of union, inclusion, solidarity and struggle.

From their bio: Taking their cue from Pete Seeger’s quote “the people are on the march and must have songs to sing,” The Fallout mete out partisan and unapologetically political agitp(r)op punk rock.

And, as one astute reviewer noted about the band: “The Fallout make you wanna get up, dance and then go and do nasty but well-deserved things to animal abusers / fascists / cops while happily humming one of their delightful ditties.”

Here’s one of the new tracks:

Dead eyes with a cold blank stare Black heart doesn’t feel or care Driven only by market share and a need to survive Figure heads full of shit and lies When are we gonna realize We don’t have any rights if we don’t organize Set us up, set us up just to knock us down Gotta run, gotta run run you out of town Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you There’s only one thing left to do Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you Profits first and people last Take advantage of the working class Hysteria created en masse to conquer and divide Lapdog with authority A governing minority Save money through austerity so viscous and bile Some day we’ll finally see Damage and depravity We’ll drag you through the streets as you beg for mercy In the rubble and the decay As your system fades away We’ll rebuild the ash and clay in solidarity

And, what the heck, here’s another new track that will be on the platter:

It’s happening again Our bleeding hearts are overflowing Spilling out into the streets You tell me one more time No one can change the world That’s exactly what they say Every time we come close to overthrowing All our despair they hope to shatter our dream of global unity No one is free until everyone is free To liberate a world oppressed all we really need is One more movement by the people One last struggle for the world Let this be a movement without borders – without nationality A revolution without gender – without sexuality A struggle for all people all races all ethnicities No segregation – liberation without triumph in defeat

And, hey, while you’re waiting for the new album, please feel free to listen to / download (for free) the band’s previous albums which have just been completely re-mixed, re-mastered and re-released:

Dismantlement (2007 / 2019)

What Is Past Is Prologue (2004 / 2018)

Turning Revolution Into Money (2004 / 2018)

The Fallout – Set Us Up

The Fallout have been hard at it recording new tracks for release in 2019.  Expect an album and an ep!

Here’s a track from the upcoming album. The track is “Set Us Up” and the album will be titled “The Times Have Never Changed.”

Dead eyes with a cold blank stare
Black heart doesn’t feel or care
Driven only by market share and a need to survive
Figure heads full of shit and lies
When are we gonna realize
We don’t have any rights if we don’t organize

Set us up, set us up just to knock us down
Gotta run, gotta run run you out of town

Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you
There’s only one thing left to do
Gotta gotta gotta gotta get rid of you

Profits first and people last
Take advantage of the working class
Hysteria created en masse to conquer and divide
Lapdog with authority
A governing minority
Save money through austerity so viscous and bile

Some day we’ll finally see
Damage and depravity
We’ll drag you through the streets as you beg for mercy
In the rubble and the decay
As your system fades away
We’ll rebuild the ash and clay in solidarity

And, here’s a bit of a video!

The Fallout – “Dismantlement (Still)” – Out Now

In 2007, The Fallout released “Dismantlement” on Insurgence Records. In 2019 the band has re-mixed, re-mastered and re-released the album as “Dismantlement (Still)”. It’s coming to you via The Fallout, Red Menace Records and Rebel Time Records.

The album is available at the band’s Bandcamp page as a free/pay-what-you-want download. Bonus track this time around is a cover of Operation Ivy’s “The Crowd.”

And, don’t forget to check out The Fallout’s new 4-song 7-inch “Raise Your Flag And Other Anthems” out now on Rebel Time Records!

Dig in!

A few reviews of the original release:

The Fallout – Dismantlement
Another gem of a release from Insurgence, this time from Canada’s The Fallout who provide you with upbeat, punk-as-fuck, politically charged music. The Fallout’s sound reminds me a lot of early bands such as The Clash and Stiff Little Fingers, but without copying ‘em, as they do have their own distinctive sound…and it’s catchy rebel-rousing stuff! They’re socially aware and the lyrics go straight to the point of the matter. This is a great listen and I would advise one and all to check it out…pronto! (Oi! Warning, Number 6)

The Fallout – Dismantlement
These politically-aware Canadians have a mind for intelligent insight and an ear for a wickedly catchy tune. There’s much about this band that reminds me of the early efforts of Stiff Little Fingers, but brought right up-to-date. It’s familiar, like my favourite underwear, but it’s fresh (insert punchline here). The Fallout make you wanna get up, dance and then go and do nasty but well-deserved things to animal abusers / fascists / cops while happily humming one of their delightful ditties. (Old Punks Never Die)

The Fallout – Dismantlement
This is the first time I’ve sat down and really listened to this band and what I hear I really like. ‘Dismantlement’ contains 13 politically charged songs that will have you pogoing around your room as soon as your hear the first number ‘Compassion Over Killing’. From then on this album just comes at you like a smack in the face with a baseall bat. Yep this band takes no prisoners and with terrific songs like ‘Riot Boys’, ‘Meat Market’, ‘Change The World Today’ and ‘The End Of The War Years’ I promise you’ll be won over. If only more politically aware bands were this good then maybe this world wouldn’t be in such a mess. This is Punk Rock at it’s best and not only do you get a superb album you get a a top production too. The Fallout Rock – It’s as simple as that! 9.5/10 (Street Voice)

Catching Up With The Fallout

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… a bit of a catch-up with The Fallout … you can catch the band as part of Spring Offensive 2019, happening Friday, March 22nd in Toronto at See-Scape,  Saturday, March 23rd in Kitchener at The Boathouse and Sunday March 24th in Hamilton at This Ain’t Hollywood …  they’ll be playing along-side such fellow travellers as Lee Reed, Union Thugs, Bring The War Home, Reckless Upstarts, Rough Cuts and more … see entries below for for info … and keep an eye on the band’s website …

For those who might not be familiar with the band, what is The Fallout all about?

The fallout is a 3 piece punk rock band. We are influenced by old school bands like The Clash, The Jam and Stiff Little Fingers. We typically play songs that have something to say, very quickly. We are probably a cross between Anti-Flag and The Queers.falloutgroup2

What’s the band been up to … I know there are new members, new release(s) … give us an update.

After some time off, we have returned with a new bass player. We are lord Byron – guitar, Patty O’Lantern – bass, Dr Bob – drums. Patty also plays in Brutal Youth and Dragged In. We just released a 4-song 7-inch and look forward to releasing a full length some time this year.

You’ve been slowly remixing some of the previous releases, how and why did that all come about.

We are getting our older CD’s ready for the streaming platforms. Dusting them off and FALLOUT POSTER 2 - WEB-01 (1)giving them a fresh polish. Hopefully there are fans who will enjoy them.

[ … as of October 2018, 2004’s ‘Turning Revolution Into Money’ has been remixed / remastered / released as “Still Turning Revolution Into Money.” And 2005’s ‘What Is Past Is Prologue’ has just been remixed / remastered / released as “What Is Past Is (Still) Prologue.” Both are now up on The Fallout’s bandcamp page  and are free  / pay-what-you-can downloads … give ’em a spin … ! ]

The band focuses somewhat on Canadian issues … songs like ‘Leaving Ontario’ which is about migrant workers, for example, and, you’ve said: “ as much as we can, we deal with issues that we can actually act on in our communities. International issues are important, but it’s just too easy to point out someone else’s mistakes while ignoring our own.” Any particular Canadian issues getting your dander up these days?

Our new songs will cover familiar topics. We have songs about respect for women – ‘Holding up Half  The Sky,’ and rants about the government such as ‘Failure of Character.’ Don’t worry, we’re still behind the times, ‘Failure Of Character’ was written about Stephen Harper.

 You’ve got a new 4-song 7-inch out now “Raise Your Flag And Other Anthems” … how about a bit of a run-through of what the tunes are about?


‘Red Light Union’ and ‘Wage Slave’ were written by Patty. A song about the rights of sex trade workers and a rant about working and living in Toronto.

‘Walk in the Sun’ is an old song written by Paul.

‘Raise Your Flag is a song I wrote about gay rights as a conversation with my daughter.

From previous conversations, I know you read a lot and work what you’ve read into your lyrics. Any good books on the go? Any recommended reads?

I recently finished ‘The Case Against The Case For Christ’ by Bob price. A rebuttal of Lee Strobel’s book ‘The Case For Christ’. I think the time has come for honest conversations regarding books of faith. I don’t have much patience for evangelical apologists.

The Fallout – No. 2 On EXD’s Top Ten For 2018

We’ve been big fans of Equalizing X Distort radio show for a long, long time … “broadcasting on CIUT 89.5FM since May 1999, ExD is dedicated to playing underground punk, hardcore, and garage from around the world” … consistently one of the best punk rock radio shows around and the hosts make a point of putting a spotlight on local music … they’ve been very good to Rebel Time Record’s bands, that’s for sure!

So, we were stoked to see that The Fallout’s new 4-song 7-inch “Raise Your Flag And Other Anthems” came in at the No. 2 spot on Stephen Perry’s “Top Ten Canadian Releases” for 2018 list!

Thanks so much Stephe and Equalizing X Distort!

Here’s the song “Wage Slave”  that was played on the show.

And, in case you are interested, The Fallout appeared live on Equalizing X Distort way back in 2004 ! You can listen to, and download if you like, that session right here!