Seminal Southern California punk rock band CH3 are debuting a new “lyric” video today on The Hard Times magazine. Watch below.
Last month, in tandem with an appearance at Punk Rock Bowling, the band announced an August 18th release for ‘Put ‘Em Up’, their first complete album of news songs in over 15 years.
CH3 will be playing a series of shows this summer and fall, including a stint at It’s Not Dead Festival 2 on August 26, alongside Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Buzzcocks and many more.
Contemporaries of fellow So Cal punks Social Distortion, Bad Religion, T.S.O.L., Circle Jerks, etc., CH3 has been steadily touring the world since first forming in Cerritos, CA in 1980.
In detailing the clip for the band’s politically-charged track, video producer Jay Lansford explains,
“The idea was to create a promo clip to enhance the lyrics to the song without using written text. Proper signed language uses a combination of hands, arms, and body movements, as well as facial expressions. This is more of a choreographed performance using elements of signing, mime and commonplace hand gestures set to music, as opposed to a word for word translation. One camera, one shot – no cuts.”
Lansford adds,
“The song begins with the two pairs of hands showing their obvious similarities before their differences become noticeable and struggle ensues. As the story develops, both pairs discover that they have much in common and by the end they undress and copulate. Love your neighbor as yourself.”
“The God That You Deserve,” and a second track (“Not That It Matters”) are currently available for purchase on all DSPs, while the full album is now available for pre-order below:
With ‘Put ‘Em Up’, CH3 has delivered a career-defining album. Written and recorded in the wary post-election days of 2017, the collection of 10 songs are connected as a tightly focused novella, a ‘concept album’ by nature of the timeframe and frame of mind that it was recorded in.
A timely and urgent commentary on current events, with lyrics inspired by the clean, visceral, and cinematic writings of Jim Harrison (“Legends Of The Fall”), some of the songs reference back to the band’s earlier political works such as “Manzanar”, as those concerns seem more relevant than ever.
Other songs deal with the politics of the heart and themes that have become a trademark of the bittersweet CH3 songbook.
The music remains refined punk with traces of classic ’77 Brit to 80’s hardcore, power pop rock, which combined, make up the CH3 sound.
‘Put ‘Em Up’ was produced by Jay Lansford (Agent Orange) and features artwork by esteemed artist Lucky Nakazawa.
The album will be released via all digital retailers and on vinyl through TKO Records.
Upcoming shows:
Aug 26 Glen Helen Amphitheater formerly San Manuel Amphitheater San Bernardino, CA (It’s Not Dead)
Oct 21 Remember The Punks 2 Festival San Antonio, TX
More dates to be announced.
