Brand New Unit
Canadian hardcore punk band
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Brand New Unit, commonly known as BNU, was a Canadian Hardcore punk band from suburban Vancouver, British Columbia.
Brand New Unit | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
| Genres | Hardcore punk Melodic Hardcore |
| Years active | 1991-2000 |
| Labels | 3 Minute Mile Records, Excursion Records, Creative Man Disc, BYO Records, HeartFirst Records, Burning Heart Records, Modern Radio Record Label |
| Members | Gary Lavallee† Jinx Stringer Ben Hughes Garnet Kulhavy† Gabe Mantle |
Lineup
- Gary Lavallee, vocals
- Jinx Stringer, guitar
- Ben Hughes, bass
- Garnet Kulhavy, drums; llater replaced by Gabe Mantle of Gob)
History
The band formed in 1991 in Surrey, British Columbia,[1] and started out playing locally and in Vancouver.[2]
In 1992, they were winners of CITR-FM's 1982 SHiNDiG live performance contest, which awarded them some studio time.[3][4] They used it to record their first EP, Summertime.[5] Influences of 7 Seconds and Dag Nasty can be heard on Summertime with Kulhavy, while later recordings feature a more post-hardcore feel with hard-hitting live elements.
In 1993, they were included on Crank It Up - Volume 11, part of Thrasher Magazine's Skate Rock series.[6] In 1994, they released their first album, Under The Big Top.[7]
Brand New Unit toured constantly and expanded their following into the US market.[8] In 1995, they released three EPs[9] and, by 1997, had enough material to release a compilation album, Looking Back Again.[10][11]
In 1998, the band released the album Diddly Squat through the Creative Man label.[12][13] In 1999, they released a split EP with Kill Sadie, and were included in a VML Records compilation album with The Pist, Supernova and The Gain.[14] They released one more EP in 1999[15] and broke up in 2000.
In February 2010, Brand New Unit played a reunion show in Vancouver.[16] They continued to play occasionally, last appearing in Victoria in 2018.[17]
In October 2021, Gary Lavallee passed away; his cause of death was not released. In November 2021, Garnet Kulhavy died of COVID-19.[18]
Discography
Albums
- Under The Big Top (1994), Excursion Records
- Looking Back Again (1997), BYO Records
- Diddley Squat (1998), Creative Man Disc
EPs
- Summertime 7" (1992), 3 Minute Mile Records
- All For Nothing 7" (1995), HeartFirst Records
- Quickdraw Richy Rich (1995), HeartFirst Records
- No Heroes (1995), HeartFirst Records
- Kill Sadie + Brand New Unit Split 7" (1999), Modern Radio Record Label
- Empty Useless Air (1999), Burning Heart Records