Better Luck Next Time (band)
Encyclopedia
Better Luck Next Time is a 4 piece American pop punk
band from Los Angeles, California
. They have released 3 full-length albums and 1 split EP since forming in 2004.
.
Third Time's A Charm was self-released by the band in December 2005. It was sold at shows and through their website. Soon after the album was released, they decided to add a keyboard player to the band to give it a more dynamic sound. After only 1 audition, 5th member Joseph John was added to the line-up. Third Time's A Charm caught the attention of InYa Face Records in Tokyo
, Japan
, who signed the band and released it as a self-titled album in 2006. In October 2006, the band toured Japan for the first time, headlining @UNITED Vol. 2 – Tokyo's Melodic Attack in Shibuya
at Club Quattro. The album hit Japanese Billboard at #19 on the Top 50 Charts, and was later declared the best selling foreign punk/emo record of 2006 in Japan. In September 2006, Better Luck Next Time was chosen as 1 of 10 local bands out of 2,500 in Southern California given the chance to play KROQ-FM
's Inland Invasion, in which they placed 2nd. The winner was determined by the amount of votes submitted by the station listeners. The song submitted for the contest was "T.G.I. Goodbye," in which a music video was also made.
, in early 2007. Once again, the album would be recorded, engineered, and produced solely by themselves in their own studio. This time around, however, the album was taken to Scottsdale, AZ, where it was mixed by Ryan Greene (formerly of Motor Studios in San Francisco, CA). The title Start From Skratch, as well as the artwork, acts as a direct follow-up to Third Time's A Charm. The album was released in Japan in August 2007. Prior to its release, the band was invited to play one of Japan's largest festivals, Punkspring 2007. The festival consisted of 17 bands including NOFX
, New Found Glory
, and Jimmy Eat World
. In October 2007, just months after the release of Start From Skratch, they headed back to Japan for another tour in support of the album with the Mad Caddies
. The tour covered such areas of Japan as Tokyo
, Osaka
, and Nagoya.
The International success of both albums sparked attention from the American market. Start From Skratch was released nationwide in April 2008 through World Records. Just 2 months later in July 2008, World Records released a re-issue
of Third Time's A Charm. The re-issue featured additional keyboard parts that were recorded by Joseph John and then added in. The re-issue was also re-mixed and re-mastered. Both albums featured bonus tracks as well.
with the Italian pop punk band Melody Fall
. The EP consisted of 8 songs; 4 from Better Luck Next Time, and 4 from Melody Fall. Each band covered 3 songs, as well as performed an original of their own. The EP was released in Japan in May 2008 and proved to be very popular amongst Japanese fans. In November 2008, World Records released Hybrid nationwide in a very limited run of only 600 copies.
. Instead of doing it entirely by themselves as they've done in the past, the band hired Steve Kravac (Blink-182
, Less Than Jake
, MxPx
) to record, engineer, produce, and mix. The album was tracked and mixed at Gourmet Sound in Encino, CA (which is owned by both Steve Kravac and guitarist Greg Hetson
of Bad Religion
). A summer tour with The Vandals
and the Voodoo Glow Skulls
was scheduled in Japan supporting the release of the album, however Brian fell ill to a rare occurrence known as Meckel's diverticulum
and Better Luck Next Time was forced to cancel. A Lifetime of Learning was released in Japan in December 2009 with a re-scheduled tour in January 2010.
The nationwide release of A Lifetime of Learning was delayed several times, mainly due to uncertainty with the label/distributor. In April 2010, Better Luck Next Time announced they had signed with Kid Tested Records for the distribution of the album. The U.S. release contains several songs as they were in pre-production form, as well as demo versions of songs off the band's previous albums Third Time's A Charm and Start From Skratch. A Lifetime of Learning released in the United States on May 3, 2011.
Former
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band from Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. They have released 3 full-length albums and 1 split EP since forming in 2004.
Formation (2004-2005)
Better Luck Next Time was formed in the spring of 2004 by original members Brian Bortoli, Matt Fuzzo, Chris Lucas, and Leston Derrick. The band came to be when Brian was added to the line-up of Snapout (the current project of Matt, Chris, Leston, and John). The addition of Brian brought forth a change in musical style, thus the name Snapout was dropped and changed to Better Luck Next Time. The name Better Luck Next Time originated from Brian's ongoing attempts to further his musical career. The band decided to keep Better Luck Next Time a 4 piece and continued on without John. Both Leston and Brian were original lead singers, with both members switching off lead roles and often singing duets. Months after their formation, the band recorded their first demo CD in their practice studio after turning it into a fully functional recording studio. The demo featured 4 songs, all of which would later be re-recorded on the album Third Time's A CharmThird Time's A Charm
Third Time's a Charm is the debut full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. Released only in California on December 10, 2005, the band recorded, engineered, and produced the album entirely on their own. Copies were sold by the band through their website and at shows...
.
Third Time's A Charm (2005-2006)
The band decided to put together an album of all their material to that point, which ultimately became their debut album Third Time's A Charm. The title was intended to go hand-in-hand with the name of the band, Better Luck Next Time. Before recording started, they parted ways with Leston. Brian took over the role as sole lead vocalist going forward. The band held auditions to find a replacement lead guitarist, which led them to Danny Cassese. Just like their demo CD, Third Time's A Charm was recorded, engineered, and produced entirely by themselves. Following the recording, Danny decided to leave the band. In an attempt to fill the lead guitarist position, the band reached out to former Snapout guitarist, John.Third Time's A Charm was self-released by the band in December 2005. It was sold at shows and through their website. Soon after the album was released, they decided to add a keyboard player to the band to give it a more dynamic sound. After only 1 audition, 5th member Joseph John was added to the line-up. Third Time's A Charm caught the attention of InYa Face Records in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, who signed the band and released it as a self-titled album in 2006. In October 2006, the band toured Japan for the first time, headlining @UNITED Vol. 2 – Tokyo's Melodic Attack in Shibuya
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
at Club Quattro. The album hit Japanese Billboard at #19 on the Top 50 Charts, and was later declared the best selling foreign punk/emo record of 2006 in Japan. In September 2006, Better Luck Next Time was chosen as 1 of 10 local bands out of 2,500 in Southern California given the chance to play KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
's Inland Invasion, in which they placed 2nd. The winner was determined by the amount of votes submitted by the station listeners. The song submitted for the contest was "T.G.I. Goodbye," in which a music video was also made.
Start from Skratch (2007-2008)
Following the International success of Third Time's A Charm, Better Luck Next Time headed back into the studio to record their second full-length album, Start From SkratchStart From Skratch
Start From Skratch is the second full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. It was available in Japan on August 25, 2007, before its release in the United States on April 15, 2008. Fans who pre-ordered the album in Japan received a promotional disc of the song "Welcome to Better Luck Next Time."...
, in early 2007. Once again, the album would be recorded, engineered, and produced solely by themselves in their own studio. This time around, however, the album was taken to Scottsdale, AZ, where it was mixed by Ryan Greene (formerly of Motor Studios in San Francisco, CA). The title Start From Skratch, as well as the artwork, acts as a direct follow-up to Third Time's A Charm. The album was released in Japan in August 2007. Prior to its release, the band was invited to play one of Japan's largest festivals, Punkspring 2007. The festival consisted of 17 bands including NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
, and Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
. In October 2007, just months after the release of Start From Skratch, they headed back to Japan for another tour in support of the album with the Mad Caddies
Mad Caddies
The Mad Caddies are a third wave ska band from Solvang, California. The band formed in 1995 and has released five full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs...
. The tour covered such areas of Japan as Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, and Nagoya.
The International success of both albums sparked attention from the American market. Start From Skratch was released nationwide in April 2008 through World Records. Just 2 months later in July 2008, World Records released a re-issue
Third Time's A Charm
Third Time's a Charm is the debut full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. Released only in California on December 10, 2005, the band recorded, engineered, and produced the album entirely on their own. Copies were sold by the band through their website and at shows...
of Third Time's A Charm. The re-issue featured additional keyboard parts that were recorded by Joseph John and then added in. The re-issue was also re-mixed and re-mastered. Both albums featured bonus tracks as well.
Hybrid (2008)
After their return to the United States in support of Start From Skratch, the band was approached to do a split EP called HybridHybrid (split album)
Hybrid is a split EP by the Italian and American pop punk bands Melody Fall and Better Luck Next Time. It was released on May 17, 2008, in Japan only by InYa Face Records...
with the Italian pop punk band Melody Fall
Melody Fall
Melody Fall is an Italian pop punk band, that formed in 2003 in Turin.-History:In January 2003, Fabrizio Panebarco , PierAndrea Palumbo and Marco Ferro were in their first year of high school in Turin. They wanted to play music like American pop punk bands Blink-182, Sum 41 and New Found Glory...
. The EP consisted of 8 songs; 4 from Better Luck Next Time, and 4 from Melody Fall. Each band covered 3 songs, as well as performed an original of their own. The EP was released in Japan in May 2008 and proved to be very popular amongst Japanese fans. In November 2008, World Records released Hybrid nationwide in a very limited run of only 600 copies.
A Lifetime of Learning (2009-2011)
Upon the release of Hybrid in the United States, the decision was made to continue Better Luck Next Time as a 4 piece again without the keyboards being present in the line-up. At the beginning of 2009, the band started writing their third album A Lifetime of LearningA Lifetime Of Learning
A Lifetime of Learning is the third full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. It was released in Japan on December 26, 2009, and on May 3, 2011, in the United States. The Japanese edition includes the studio version of "Truth for Two" as a bonus track, whereas the American version features it...
. Instead of doing it entirely by themselves as they've done in the past, the band hired Steve Kravac (Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
, Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
, MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
) to record, engineer, produce, and mix. The album was tracked and mixed at Gourmet Sound in Encino, CA (which is owned by both Steve Kravac and guitarist Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 2 years old...
of Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
). A summer tour with The Vandals
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American rock band established in 1980 in Huntington Beach, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured the world extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
and the Voodoo Glow Skulls
Voodoo Glow Skulls
Voodoo Glow Skulls are an American ska punk band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California by brothers Frank, Eddie and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill...
was scheduled in Japan supporting the release of the album, however Brian fell ill to a rare occurrence known as Meckel's diverticulum
Meckel's diverticulum
A Meckel's diverticulum, a true congenital diverticulum, is a small bulge in the small intestine present at birth. It is a vestigial remnant of the omphalomesenteric duct , and is the most frequent malformation of the gastrointestinal tract...
and Better Luck Next Time was forced to cancel. A Lifetime of Learning was released in Japan in December 2009 with a re-scheduled tour in January 2010.
The nationwide release of A Lifetime of Learning was delayed several times, mainly due to uncertainty with the label/distributor. In April 2010, Better Luck Next Time announced they had signed with Kid Tested Records for the distribution of the album. The U.S. release contains several songs as they were in pre-production form, as well as demo versions of songs off the band's previous albums Third Time's A Charm and Start From Skratch. A Lifetime of Learning released in the United States on May 3, 2011.
New album (2011-Present)
The band recently announced the replacement of lead guitarist John Holzer with Travis Garrecht. They are currently writing their 4th full-length album due out in 2012.Members
Current- Brian Bortoli - Vocals, Guitar (2004–present)
- Matt Fuzzo - Bass (2004–present)
- Travis Garrecht - Lead Guitar (2010–present)
- Chris Lucas - Drums (2004–present)
Former
- Leston Derrick - Vocals, Guitar (2004–2005)
- Danny Cassese - Lead Guitar (2005)
- Joseph John - Keyboards (2006–2008)
- John Holzer - Lead Guitar (2005–2010)
Albums
- Third Time's a CharmThird Time's A CharmThird Time's a Charm is the debut full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. Released only in California on December 10, 2005, the band recorded, engineered, and produced the album entirely on their own. Copies were sold by the band through their website and at shows...
(2005) - Better Luck Next Time (2006)
- Start from SkratchStart From SkratchStart From Skratch is the second full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. It was available in Japan on August 25, 2007, before its release in the United States on April 15, 2008. Fans who pre-ordered the album in Japan received a promotional disc of the song "Welcome to Better Luck Next Time."...
(2007) - A Lifetime of LearningA Lifetime Of LearningA Lifetime of Learning is the third full-length album by Better Luck Next Time. It was released in Japan on December 26, 2009, and on May 3, 2011, in the United States. The Japanese edition includes the studio version of "Truth for Two" as a bonus track, whereas the American version features it...
(2009)
DVDs
- Twisted TV DVD released April 24, 2007 on Go-Kart Films. — contains the music video for the song "T.G.I. Goodbye."
Compilations
- Pop Punk Loves You 3 — released March 27, 2007 on Wynona RecordsWynona RecordsWynona Records is an Italian record company which only produces pop punk albums.-Notable artists:* Digger* Duff* Manges* Melody Fall* The Travoltas* Vanilla Sky* The McRackins* New Hope* If I Die Today...
in Italy