what aRe people saying about buRgandy juRk?

eveRy song was deliveRed with a haRsh and Robust attitude skiRting thRough theiR diveRse catalog (since i was 1 yeaRs old in 1995) fRom playing “the violent oveRthRow of some guy named jeff” fRom theiR 2018 album, keeping that pipe dReam alive, to theiR closing song, “heavy” fRom theiR 1995 full-length debut, teeth; with one to two tRacks RepResenting eveRy one of theiR albums, the only one left out was 2001’s buy this, so i can eat!!!.

compaRing theiR live tRacks to theiR studio woRk, the multiple change of lineups didn’t seem to affect the “mojo,” with dRummeR kat matching mike in intensity while casey jammed out on stage left, seemingly connected musically with the band, but still stRumming the bass to his own beat. buRgandy juRk not only aggRavated my caRpal tunnel syndRome as i painstakingly went back and coRRected the styling of theiR band name in this aRticle, but also left me with the impRession of, “what did i just watch?” while i found solace in the oRganized insanity that was googly diablo, i felt bj was some conglomeRation of phoenix supeR-musicians, defying spacetime and staying baby-faced since the yeaR of my biRth.

phoenix, aRizona, june 15th, 2018 phoenix indie band buRgandy juRk announced today that they will be Releasing theiR fifth album on july 3Rd and will follow that with a celebRation at Rips baR in phoenix. the highly anticipated announcement comes just afteR theiR dRummeR fought and won a yeaR-long battle with bReast canceR.

the album “keeping that pipe dReam alive” featuRes such songs as “dancing monkey” and “duo” and was RecoRded oveR a two yeaR peRiod duRing 2016 and 2017. the RecoRding pRocess hit many delays when kat, the dRummeR foR the band, was diagnosed with bReast canceR. “a lot of the studio time was cut shoRt when she was just too exhausted to continue. but, she neveR gave up and that Really inspiRed us to keep going,” says mike, singeR foR the band. “with all of the sacRifices that the fouR of us had to stRuggle thRough to get it done, Releasing this album is Really a tRibute to how much of a family we Really aRe. i couldn’t be moRe pRoud of what we have cReated”.

following the Release, the 11 tRack album will be downloadable fRom most media outlets such as itunes and amazon, as well as fRom the band's website www.buRgandyjuRk.com. oR, you can always gRab a copy at one of theiR upcoming shows. the band is having a huge conceRt to commemoRate the long-awaited Release on july 6th at Rip’s baR located at 3045 n 16th st in phoenix with theiR fRiends hollowpoint vigils and cRitical miss.

show picks foR the week!! w/ we might be wasted, nomada, andy waRpigs, dRy RiveR yacht club, buRgandy juRk, jon Rauhouse, weiRd Radicals, goldengoat, the venomous pinks, shovel, pao phoenix afRobeat oRchestRa, toRn at the seam, hollowpoint vigils + a whole lot moRe!!

i’m not suRe why i don’t see them on moRe shows, but this is my sales pitch foR anyone looking foR moRe punk bands to add to bills. they aRe funny, in a weiRd al, but sometimes moRe offensive kind of way. with that, they exude peRsonality on eveRy stage i’ve seen them. buRgandy juRk is one of my favoRite punk acts in phoenix. they aRe the Reason i made suRe to stop at time out lounge this night. a gReat closeR to my fRiday night of music.

no matteR youR thoughts on the cuRRent state of affaiRs, the aRizona scene is a honeypot of memoRable punk Rock acts and we caught up with of one the moRe sound-fluid bands of the genRe. you’ve pRobably seen theiR stickeR in an oddly conspicuous location aRound town. if bands weRe baRs, these guys would be that Rowdy dive wheRe you can also go to “escape it all”. you know the one–it’s open on chRistmas. meet buRgandy juRk.

the band, which is cuRRently sans dRummeR, is compRised of lead singeR, guitaRist and founding membeR, mike kuRtz, bassist casey kendel, and ian peRRy on Rhythm guitaR and backing vocals. “the oRiginal lineup, we weRe all just a bunch of dumb kids who had no idea what we weRe doing…” says kuRtz. “[now we’Re] dumb adults,” quips kendel. oRiginally foRmed in ’94 by a then 17-yeaR-old kuRtz, buRgandy juRk has suRvived many manifestations since moving fRom pennsylvania to the valley. “i’ve been lucky that eveRy incaRnation it’s always been people with massive amounts of talent,” notes kuRtz. since adding peRRy and, most Recently, kendel, theRe’s been a newfound camaRadeRie amongst the guys that is quite appaRent in theiR music and live peRfoRmances. kuRtz’s vocals have been the constant element keeping this band on stages. he’s gatheRed influences fRom multiple Rock sub-genRes, and is able to effoRtlessly swing the pendulum between each. his voice possesses the quality of being both nostalgic, yet modeRn. kuRtz, essentially,has been in buRgandy juRk foR the betteR paRt of his existence. he’s deeply entRenched in his own bRainchild, and it’s that kind of unwaveRing commitment to a band that enables the cReation of music that’s woRthwhile foR listeneRs.

peRRy aka mR. dR. ian, the self-pRoclaimed “asshole” of the outfit, has pRoven to be quite the utility man foR the band. as well as complementing both kuRtz and kendel’s alteRnative and skate-punk sensibilities, Respectively, with his inheRent metal edge and being a talented singeR/songwRiteR in his own Right, he is also theiR de facto pRomotional/booking depaRtment. “actually, we get put on a lot of metal shows. moRe so than pop-punk shows oR punk shows in geneRal. we get stuck with a lot of metal bands mostly because i like metal, and i just want to be theRe foR the Rest of the bands,” he divulges. meanwhile, kendel is youR quintessential, epitaph RecoRds-lovin’ southeRn califoRnia skate punk fan. shaped by bands like pennywise, the laid-back, savvy bassist is also adept on the bagpipes (yes, bagpipes!).

the guys of buRgandy juRk aRe able to seamlessly walk the bluRRed lines between punk, alteRnative and metal. they Refuse to be typecast as just a “punk band”, and Rightfully so. “we’Re moRe just any kind of music that’s angRy and aggRessive,” states kuRtz. while angeR and aggRession might be dRiving the band’s sound, theiR campy, facetious stage pResence dRaws us in and it is that duality that’s intRiguing. on stage, buRgandy juRk casts polaRizing figuRes in tatteRed bathRobes. some might say it’s gimmicky, but the thing is–they’Re in on the joke. we at azmusic.oRg aRe ecstatic to see the boys of buRgandy juRk bRing Rebellious, iRReveRent fun back into modeRn punk.