New Members

ALKALINE TRIO

The making of the new album from Alkaline Trio, Crimson, was not without its share of bad luck: Two bone-shattering skateboarding accidents and one PunkVoter tour that failed to block the re-election of George W. Bush. Crimson (on Vagrant Records) stands as the most mature and ambitious of the band's albums, produced by Jerry Finn. Alkaline Trio was formed in 1997, when Matt Skiba, a bike messenger from Chicago, gave up the drums for the guitar and began his quest for the perfect balance of lyrical hell and pop heaven. He and fellow messenger/drummer Glenn Porter and bassist Rob Doran would debut as Alkaline Trio for the Sundials 7". Dan Andriano replaced Doran prior to the For Your Lungs Only EP, adding a second voice and songwriting style that complemented and contrasted with Skiba's. Thankfully, the collective misfortunes that may have hobbled lesser acts have only provided Alkaline Trio with increasingly accomplished material.