Bumsy and The Moochers Bring Confessions, Conversations and Fun to the Forefront on New Album Diet Violence

4.5 out of 5.0 stars

I am always up for a good ska album, and the new album Diet Violence from Bumsy and The Moochers is definitely a good damn ska album.

The Chicago-based 6-piece band has been putting out music for about 10 years now, and this album is a crowning example of their growing popularity and developing craftsmanship in the genre.

The album is available on September 8th via Sell The Heart Records on CD and Ska Punk International on cassette.

Right from the beginning, the album comes in pretty hot. 

The song “Jump the Gun” starts the record off with a solid ska riff and rad bassline that “picks it up” into the chorus (see what I did there?). 

The second song is “The Rat” and that is a ripper right from the start. Clearly talking about someone who has betrayed lead singer and guitarist Caitlin Edwards. The song is also co-written and has vocals from Dan Engelman which brings an added duality to the mix.

And just to top it off, there is a shredding guitar solo in this one as well.

One of the most upbeat and true “ska” feeling songs on the album is definitely “Not Going to Have It” which is a lot of fun and has some great lines it. My favorite probably being this line:

The album is 10 songs long, and it is pretty damn peppy through out, but almost none of the songs are what I could call “happy.”

For example, “Living The Nightmare” is a song more about how most people are not ACTUALLY “living the dream” as the classic optimist saying goes. Of course, the idea of “living the dream” is almost always used sarcastically these days now anyway. So, I guess it is a moot point there. 

I really like the song “Rewind 99” as well. It feels more like a more robust song, and sure, it IS a nostalgic song (which I historically tend to avoid nostalgia), but it is a good one that I would happily listen to over and over again. 

The song “Time’s Up” is definitely a huge statement song as well. While the issue of women’s equality is not new, and the concept of “Time’s Up” isn’t new either, this song holds a lot of weight for the conversation with Edwards’ perspective on the issue.

And just in case you are wondering what other credentials Edwards is known for, well, no big deal, but she helped co-found the Chicago-area music festival Punk the Burbs which is one of the shows that I eventually want to get to, because the bands the festival attracts are awesome.

She also has her own solo music that she puts out as well. So, yeah, she’s pretty much a badass around the Chicago music scene.

“Cathy Ann” is a song about another strong woman in Edwards’ life - her mom. After detailing some of the quirky behavior in the verses, the chorus praises the woman for her strength and determination, and, by the end, Edwards realizes she isn’t so different from her mom after all.

The lead single from the album “Won’t Give Up On Love” is definitely the most polished song on the album in many ways, but it is also probably the most lyrically vulnerable. A great song to end the album on, for sure.

Overall, I would say this album is definitely a pleasant surprise, because I wasn’t really following the band before, and now I will be checking out what they are up to more often.

They are definitely repping Chicago well, and worked with some really good folks when recording this album as well as the albums was recorded at Third City Sounds in Joliet, IL by Bill Aldridge and mixed and mastered by Dan Precision at The Bombshelter.