In Black and White (Mustard Plug album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| In Black and White | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 11, 2007 | |||
| Genre | Ska punk | |||
| Length | 32:34 | |||
| Label | Hopeless | |||
| Producer | Bill Stevenson | |||
| Mustard Plug chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   link |
| Absolutepunk.net | 85% link |
| Punknews | link |
| Allmusic |  link |
| The Hub | link |
In Black and White is the sixth album by Mustard Plug.
On June 29, 2006, a music video was released for "Over the Edge".[1] In October 2006, the band toured the US with labelmates Against All Authority, leading up to an appearance at Riot Fest.[2][3] On November 8, 2006, "Puddle of Blood" was posted on Mustard Plug's Myspace account.[4] In November and December 2006, they went on the UK leg of the Ska Is Dead tour alongside the Planet Smashers and Bomb the Music Industry!.[5] They closed out the year with four holiday shows in the US Midwest.[6] Following this, the band recorded their next album with producer Bill Stevenson in early 2007.[7]
The title is a play on the Cheap Trick record In Color.[8] The album is somewhat darker than Mustard Plug's previous work. Bassist Rick Johnson attributes this to the sorry state of affairs in the US: "Not just the war but, the whole way government has turned in the past twenty years. Things seem pretty bleak and I think that feeling had a lot to do with the writing of the record."[9]
Release
Mustard Plug played a handful of shows in March and April 2007, prior to a short tour in May 2007 with Buck-O-Nine.[10][11] On July 9, 2007, In Black and White was announced for release in two months' time; alongside this, the track listing and artwork was posted online.[12] "Hit Me! Hit Me!" was made available for streaming via the group's Myspace on August 8, 2007.[13] It was followed by "Time to Wake Up" on August 14, 2007, which was made available for streaming via the website Punknews.org.[14] Three days later, a music video was released for "Hit Me! Hit Me!".[15] On August 21, 2007, "Who Benefits?" was also shared via Punknews.org.[16] They performed at the Ska Weekend festival in Tennessee and the International Ska Circus in Las Vegas, Nevada.[17][18] In Black and White was released through Hopeless Records on September 11, 2007; it was promotedwith four releases shows in the Midwestern US with Mu330, Whole Wheat Bread, Westbound Train, and the Flaming Tsunamis.[19] In October 2007, the band on an East Coast US tour with Voodoo Glow Skulls and Left Alone.[20] In April and May 2008, the band went on a West Coast tour with Voodoo Glow Skulls, Knock-Out, and Random Hand, which was followed by a series of East Coast shows with Less Than Jake and Suburban Legends.[21][22] They then appeared at the Riot Fest and Skanksgiving festivals in October and November 2008, respectively, in addition to touring with Bomb the Music Industry!.[23][24][25] The band appeared on a handful of dates of the Ska Is Dead tour in January 2009.[26]