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Tim Armstrong

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For other people named Tim Armstrong, see Tim Armstrong (disambiguation).
Tim Armstrong

Timothy Lockwood Armstrong (born November 25, 1966) is an American musician and songwriter best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Dance Hall Crashers, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.

History

Personal life

Tim Armstrong was born November 25 in 1966. At the age of five, Armstrong met Matt Freeman while playing Little League Baseball in California. Freeman became one of his best friends and the bass player for Rancid. Armstrong and Freeman grew up together in Albany, California. Embracing punk culture during high school, Armstrong's favorite bands were the Clash and the Ramones. Armstrong was quoted in 'Maximum Rancid - The Unauthorized Biography Of Rancid', that "If it wasn't for the Ramones, Rancid would have never become a group." After the demise of his first locally (and later internationally) successful group, Operation Ivy, Armstrong suffered from alcoholism, and eventually became homeless.[1] During this time, Freeman suggested the two start a group together, partially in hopes of curbing Armstrong's alcohol addiction. Armstrong began writing songs that would appear on their first album, Rancid.

Marriage to Brody Dalle

Armstrong met Brody Dalle of The Distillers and Spinnerette while Rancid was playing Australia's Summersault Festival (Dalle was performing with her group Sourpuss). Although Armstrong is 12 years older than Dalle (she confesses that she had lied about her age when they met, claiming to be 19 when she was only 17), the two began dating and corresponding.[2] Shortly after her 18th birthday, Dalle moved from her home in Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles, California and married Armstrong. She filed for divorce in 2003. During their divorce, photographs of Dalle kissing Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme were published in Rolling Stone Magazine. Armstrong, who claims he knew nothing of Dalle's relationship with Homme, said in a Guitar One interview, that he cried when he saw the photos. Armstrong has accused Dalle and Homme of adultery.[3] Homme has received a series of death threats from loyal Armstrong fans.[4] She has said that their marriage was in decline for some time before its dissolution, and that the couple had considered marriage counseling. It is reported that Dalle ended the relationship over a long distance phone call. Dalle has since married Homme. It has been rumored that Armstrong ghost-wrote some of The Distillers's songs - due in part to the similar chord progressions heard on some Distillers songs ("LA Girl", "The Young Crazed Peeling") to Rancid songs as well as similar "group sing, solo sing" chorus structure heard on some Distillers songs ("Oh Serena") that is classic of Rancid songs. Neither Armstrong nor Dalle have substantiated these rumors as fact, and Armstrong is not listed as a writer in the cd jacket to any of The Distillers albums.

Tim Armstrong while in Operation Ivy
File:Tim Armstrong.jpg
Tim Armstrong KROQ Weenie Roast Y Fiesta 2007

Hellcat Records

Armstrong started Hellcat Records in 1997 as a sub-label of Epitaph, owned by Armstrong's friend and Bad Religion member Brett Gurewitz. Armstrong acts as a talent scout for Hellcat, and has final say concerning what bands are signed to the label. Contrary to popular belief, Hellcat Records is not a lucrative venture for Armstrong, and is just a vanity label. Armstrong also owns the merchandise manufacturer Machete Mfg,[1]which provides merchandise for bands on Hellcat Records.

Musical history

One of the first bands that Armstrong played in was Basic Radio. After Basic Radio disbanded, he performed in the ska punk group Operation Ivy under the nickname "Lint" from their beginning in 1987 until they disbanded in 1989. Soon thereafter, Armstrong helped found the Dance Hall Crashers, but left them after a brief period of time. He was also in Downfall with Matt Freeman. In 1991 Armstrong went on to greater fame with Rancid with bassist Matt Freeman (who had previously played with Armstrong in Operation Ivy, Downfall, and Dance Hall Crashers). Brett Reed was a local skate punk who had only been playing drums for six months when Armstrong and Freeman asked him to join their group. Reed was later replaced by Branden Steineckert (formerly of The Used) in 2006. Steineckert has said that Rancid is one of his favorite bands and one of his biggest musical influences. Tim Armstrong is a left-handed guitarist.

In 1999, Armstrong invited Rob Aston ("Skinhead Rob") to work on some solo material that Armstrong had been creating in his basement, and the two worked together writing and recording music. They formed the band Transplants with Travis Barker (of blink-182 fame) and released their self-titled debut album on October 22, 2002. Also in 2002, Armstrong contributed vocals to Tom Delonge's (also of blink-182 fame) side project Box Car Racer, on the track "Cat Like Thief". A second Transplants album, Haunted Cities, was released on June 21, 2005. The Transplants break-up was confirmed by Rob Aston on January 16, 2006, when he told a reporter that the group had split.

Tim in Nashville, TN on 6/27/08.

Tim co-wrote 8 songs with Pink for her 2003 album Try This, he has also collaborated with Gwen Stefani on her debut album Love. Angel. Music. Baby.

Tim in 2006

In addition to his projects, Armstrong has also been known to pop up on others' albums in various roles. He's contributed vocals/guitar to tracks by bands including The Lordz, Box Car Racer, Bad Religion, Cypress Hill, Stubborn All-Stars, Head Automatica, Fefe Dobson, The Matches, NOFX, Time Again, Left Alone, and Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards, which is a side-project of his Rancid bandmate Lars Frederiksen. He's collaborated with Pink, the Aggrolites, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Osbourne. He has also produced several albums, including the first album by AFI, Answer That and Stay Fashionable (1995), Viking by Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and two tracks for the Matches, "You (don't) know me" on Decomposer and "Yankee in a Chip Shop" on A Band in Hope.

Armstrong has become a very iconic figure in punk rock

Recent history

Armstrong is still very active in the Berkeley scene that grew up around 924 Gilman Street. He has showcased his other artistic talents and created artwork for the INSAINTS logo. He has also done a solo album entitled A Poet's Life, giving fans the option to download the tracks for free on the internet. He has so far released 10 music videos. After much airplay of the song "Into Action" (featuring Skye Sweetnam on guest vocals), A Poet's Life was released with on May 22, 2007 with bonus DVD containing video clips for each song.

Despite Armstrong's solo tour, drummer Branden Steineckert mentioned in June that Rancid would go back to the studio to resume work on their new album in January 2008.[5]

The LA Times reported in February 2008 that Rancid had booked 3 weeks at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch studio for recording their seventh studio album[6] Brett Gurewitz, who produced the band's new album, recently reported that Rancid was finished mixing it.[7] The album is now known as, Let the Dominoes Fall, which was released on June 2, 2009.[8]

Discography

Operation Ivy

  • Hectic EP (1988) – (credited as Lint) guitar and backing vocals on entire album
  • Energy (1989, 1991) – (credited as Lint) guitar and backing vocals on entire album
  • Seedy (1996) – (credited as Lint) guitar and backing vocals on entire album

Downfall

  • Although no records by Downfall exist, the band did release a demo and a couple songs. It should be noted that essentially Downfall is Operation Ivy minus Jesse Michaels but adding Pat Mello (Dave Mello's brother) on guitar. They were featured on the compilation Can Of Pork with a song called "North Berkeley".[2]

Rancid

Transplants

Solo albums

Produced albums

Other

The following is a list of songs that Armstrong has appeared on where he was not a member of that group.

Filmography

Guitars and Amplification

Armstrong uses Mesa/Boogie Amplification, mostly the Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier and most of the gain is from the rhythm channel.
Here is a partial list of guitars he has been known to use:
1. Gibson SG, black finish with a black pickguard, rosewood fretboard.
2. Hagström Viking, pink finish, rosewood fretboard.
3. Epiphone ES 335, sunburst finish, rosewood fretboard.
4. Hagström Viking, red finish, rosewood fretboard.
5. Hagström Viking, black finish, rosewood fretboard.
6. Gretsch 1974 Country Club, originally natural, spray-painted black, rosewood fretboard.
7. Gibson Les Paul, black finish, rosewood fretboard.
8. Schecter S-1, originally black finish, sanded off and spray-painted black, rosewood fretboard.
9. Gibson SG, originally red finish, spraypainted black, rosewood fretboard.
10. Fender Acoustic, natural with a brownish "pickguard, rosewood fretboard.
11. Gretsch White Falcon, white finish, rosewood fretboard.


During "Rancid": guitar 1.
During "Let's Go": guitar 1, 2 and 3.
During "And Out Come The Wolves": guitar 2, 3, 4 and 5.
During "Life Won't Wait": guitar 2, 6, 7 and 8.
During "Rancid 2000": guitar 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
During "Transplants": guitar 6, 8, and 9.
During "Indestructible": guitar 6, 8, 9 and 10.
During "Haunted Cities": guitar 6, 8, 9 and 10.
Solo, "A Poet's Life": guitar 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11.
According to the Rancid Webisodes on youtube from their most recent cd, he uses the Country Club for most of the recording even though he uses other guitars live

References

  1. ^ http://www.eastbayexpress.com/news/white_punks_on_warner_bros_/Content?oid=286084
  2. ^ LA Weekly - Music - Killing the Angel in the House - Judith Lewis - The Essential Online Resource for Los Angeles
  3. ^ Rancid - Tim Armstrong'S Rancid Feelings For Josh Homme
  4. ^ HOMME BLASTS RANCID SINGER OVER DALLE TREATMENT (03-21-2005) | qotsa-news.com
  5. ^ Rancid posts update, plans to record in January 2008
  6. ^ Inside George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch - Los Angeles Times
  7. ^ Twitter / Brett Gurewitz: mad diggin' final Rancid mi
  8. ^ "Rancid announce "Let The Dominoes Fall" for June". Punknews.org. 2009-03-30. Retrieved 2009-03-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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