Refugee Records

Refugee Records, LLC is an independent, developmental record label headquartered in Northern New Jersey. Refugee Records works in close affiliation with Strong Arm Studios in Harrison, New Jersey and graphic artist Stu Horvath of Borderland Design. Our music is available on iTunes and most other digital download sites, and our compact discs are available through CDBaby.com, Interpunk.com and at many local record stores internationally (just ask if they don't have it, they know how to order it!).

Sunday, October 5, 2008

R E V E N I R

Refugee Records is pleased to announce the early-winter 2009 release of Revenir's self-titled, studio EP debut. Revenir is the project conceived by Matthew Pelissier, the former drummer of the band My Chemical Romance. Pelissier recorded two albums while a member of My Chemical Romance, the independent debut I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, and the commercial breakout album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. For Revenir, Pelissier composed all the music and performed every instrument for each song of this 6-track EP, which will feature special guest vocalists. All of us at Refugee and Strong Arm Studios, where the project was recorded, are very excited for this release and look forward to sharing further details and updates, including song samples on Revenir's MySpace page, as the release date approaches.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Amp Magazine Review

Amp review

BRINE & BASTARDS
"Set Sail for Sodomy"

If a crew of pirates had electricity...

Living on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, just a few nautical miles from where Blackbeard's head was nailed to a stake after his capture, I feel the heritage of the buccaneers and privateers that plundered these shores unmercifully in the height of the pirating era. Brine & Bastards are a four-piece out of Port Newark, New Jersey, who blend punk rock with pirate themes, infusing traditional and folk elements in the grog to create a really hook-snapping, stylistic sound. If Flogging Molly was less Celtic and more swashbuckling, this is the bastard stepson that would result. It's just a good, rum-swigging, stranded-on-an-island sound that keeps the pillaging fun. Their live shows see them garbed in costume and I'm sure it would be a incredible time at the local pub where one might find themselves shipwrecked. This is a unique one to check out, so just do that.


(Jason Walsh)

Pick up the latest issue of Amp Magazine!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

The Nedry Bird Review!

Brine and Bad Word

Shiver me timbers! Avast ye landlubbers! Prepare the futtock shrouds and batten down the mizzen! Get the powder monkey to holystone the poop deck!


In case you're wondering, no, I did not just watch all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies back to back. Actually I just got finished listening to "Set Sail for Sodomy," the debut CD from Brine & Bastards.


In the age-old debate of Pirate versus Ninja, I always choose Ninja. That's not to say I don't love Pirates too, but I don't know anyone in a cool Ninja band. So here we are. Brine & Bastards formed their punk rock pirate band back in 2004. Original members "Skipper" Shawn "Short Dong" Dillon (The Rodneys) does vocals, "Handsome" John "Miserable" McGuire (Pencey Prep) on bass and George "The Fisherman" Collazo (Nancy Drew, Dead Go West) on guitar, are joined today by Dan "The Navigator" Peacock on drums. "The Mad Alchemist" Matt Dallow and "Dead Eye" Dave Trainer aid the crew on accordion and guitar.

If ever there was a CD to drink to, it's this one. Not in the get-drunk-and-talk-to-strangers-about-how-depressing-your-life-is sort of way but in the get-drunk-and-sing-along-with-strangers-about-that-wench-you-met-last-night kind of way. It's just a really fun CD and very catchy. I wouldn't be surprised if B&B became the new pirate shantey standard.

"Set Sail for Sodomy" was released earlier this year by Refugee Records and has already garnered a lot of attention." 'Songs of the Siren' might be - hands down - the best punk song of 2008," says Life in a Bungalo author George Koroneos. He may be right. "Songs of the Siren" has now be played several times on GRock Radio's The Punkyard.

It's no surprise B&B are doing so well. Besides their raw talent, the CD was expertly and seamlessly produced by Strong Arm Studio and holds it's own with most, if not all, major label releases. The artwork by Stu Horvath at Borderland Design does the same. The cover shot here is just a tantalizing view of what awaits you on the rest of this 6-panel digipak. It would have been easy to dress a girl up in a slutty Pirate costume and be done with it, but Horvath doesn't do easy, he does glorious Pirate phantasmagoria.

Brine & Bastards put out a debut CD any Pirate would be proud of. You can order it directly from their Myspace and from Interpunk and Itunes as well. You can join their mailing list and street team over at Reverb Nation to keep up with their latest happenings and live shows, which, if you're in the NJ area, I highly recommend. Obviously they dress their parts and act like scallywags but the best part is, if they're drunk at a show you'd probably never know it because, duh, they're Pirates!

http://www.thenerdybird.com/2008/05/brine-and-bad-word.html

Friday, April 25, 2008

Sailing Anarchy Review

“Set Sail For Sodomy”

No with a record title like that, you know we have to share. The band is called Brine + Bastards and is a strange mix of punk/rock and pirate swagger. We don't know much about them, but thought you might like to give it a listen. Go to their MySpace page and check 'em out - we like Song of the Siren and The Pilot - noisy, semi melodic and annoying - perfect!



04/22/08


http://www.sailinganarchy.com/index_page1.php

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Radio Play

New Jersey's G Rock 106.3 (Monmouth) and 106.5 (Ocean) will be playing some Brine & Bastards tracks tonight on it's 10:00 P.M. show The Punkyard! Request a song by calling 1-866-76-G-ROCK or Text your request to 45911.

Thanks!

We Have a No. 1 Record!

Brine & Bastards' Set Sail for Sodomy is the number 1 New York Punk record on PayPlay.FM today! Or at least it looks like that for now. Check it out on the top 20 here:

http://payplay.fm/genre/new+york+punk/popular.

It is also number 58 on Reverb Nation's Folk chart.


http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/404016

Yes friends, Folk-Punk. This record is indeed sailing new waters!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

A Good Review Landlubber!

Brine & Bastards
“Set Sail For Sodomy”
Refugee Records

New Jersey punk veterans Brine + Bastards are set to plunder the world of rock with the release of their much anticipated debut record “Set Sail For Sodomy,” featuring 13-tracks teeming with blarney, swagger, and a heaping spoonful of awesome.

Yeah, B+B dress like pirates, and they’re best known for their drunken sea chanteys, but this record manages to eschew the corniness completely. Instead we are treated to track after track of meticulously produced rock classics. “Songs of the Siren” might be—hands down—the best punk song of 2008. Screaming, singalongs, and one catchy as all hell chorus—what more could you ask for? “Down, down, down,down/Into the water,” beckons singer Shawn Dillon.

The real meat of “The Pilot” clocks in at just over one and a half minutes, but it’s epic in heart. Every riff is on point, punctuated by the stunning bass and drum work, and the listener is left begging for more. “Beneath the Waves,” an ancient Brine number, has been reconditioned sans banjo, but guitarist Pirate George does a fantastic job cranking up the metal licks and transforming this spunky number into a massive rock anthem. “Prayer (for a Homesick Sailor)” is a drunken ballad that draws on the Pogues until the place blows apart with an uptempo punk jig to close the record off.

The world has waited for years and the day has finally come—Brine + Bastards have released a proper album and it’s everything we’ve been waiting for. Catch them live if you can and don’t forget to buy them a drink.

Really Rocks

George Koroneos
http://lifeinabungalo. com