Fire And Smoke Views
Due to the strength of the Worker's Union EP, Smoke or Fire were approached by esteemed California punk rock label Fat Wreck Chords[1] in late 2004. Their debut album, Above the City, was co-produced by Fat Mike of NOFX and was released in March 2005. Since then the band has toured the US and abroad many times over. The band released their second album This Sinking Ship on February 20, 2007.
This explains why you see no smoke from a charcoal fire (or a fire that has burned down to embers). Charcoal is created by heating wood to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. That is, you take wood and put it in a sealed box of steel or clay and you heat it to about 1,000 degrees F (538 C). This process drives off all of the volatile organic compounds and leaves behind the carbon and the minerals (ash). When you light the charcoal, what is burning is the pure carbon. It combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, and what is left at the end of the fire is the ash -- the minerals.
Much like The Hold Steady, Against Me or The Gaslight Anthem, Richmond's Smoke or Fire revel in the hard-rockin' melodicism of Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Americana that isn't readily apparent in punk . Its a tough line to walk but they do it well, while sawing out driving punk that wouldn't feel that out of place in their bassist Gwomper's former project, Avail.
Smoke or Fire will welcome their new LP The Speakeasy on November 9th, via Fat Wreck Chords. The Speakeasy marks new territory for the crew; new drummer Ryan Parrish of Darkest Hour was recently welcomed into the fold (a seat that was once held by Dave of From Ashes Rise) and the LP marks Gwomper's writing/recording debut with Joe McMahon b crew. Check out the new track Neon Light available above.
Fire And Smoke Images
