Miss Black America

Named after an Alec Empire album, "Miss Black America" was formed in October 1999 when vocalist Seymour, bassist Mike and drummer Neil met up at a drum 'n' bass gig in Cambridge. Gish joined the band part-time in October 2000 as lead guitarist, after one of Seymour's fingers got ripped off his hand by heavy machinery. (Ouch.)

Inspired by, among others, The Clash, The Manic Street Preachers, Marilyn Manson, Bis, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Tori Amos, Atari Teenage Riot and "anything that's brilliant" from the last 30 years, MBA are eyeliner punk at its best, and a nice antidote to having one's head beaten in by Blink-182, Sum 41 et al.

Discography:

DEMO RECORDINGS

4-Track Demo EP
Sold at gigs/via website
Released: March 2000
Tracks: Miss Black America (edit), Strobe, Don't Speak My Mind, Miss Black America
DELETED APRIL 2000

4-Track Demo EP (Re-release)
Sold at gigs/via website
Released: April 2000
Tracks: Miss Black America (edit), Strobe, Don't Speak My Mind, Miss Black America, Leopardprint Lives
DELETED MAY 2001

SINGLES

Adrenaline Junkie Class-A Mentalist EP
R*E*P*E*A*T Records, Cat. No. MBRR 108, Distributed by Backs/Shellshock/Pinnacle
Format: CD only
Released: May 2001
Tracks: Human Punk, Scream For Me, The White Noise Inc

Don't Speak My Mind
Dental Records, Mail-order only via www.dentalsounds.com
Format: 7" only
Release Date: 8th October 2001
Double A-side - Side a features 'Who's Looking Out For Number One' by Antihero
Infinite Chinese Box
Due Late January 2002 on Integrity Records

ALBUMS

God Bless Miss Black America
Due Spring 2002 on Integrity Records

Discography, quote and some band history taken from http://missblackamerica.net.

Miss Black America (song):

Title: Miss Black America
Artist: Miss Black America
Album: Track 10, God Bless Miss Black America (Integrity Records, September 2002)
Length: 4:43
Date: October 1999
Music: Miss Black America
Lyrics: Seymour Glass

Miss Black America frontman and vocalist Seymour Glass has this to say on Miss Black America:

"This is the song that ate the world, and convinced us that we had to get a drummer. Mike said, let's jam out something in B and see what happens, so we did. Neil's face when he first heard it was of joy. It was beautiful. Lyrics came while I was jogging on my day off, and the original title ('Obscene Thing') was replaced after I bought a copy of a solo album by one Alec Empire. The lyrics are based on a song by The Hip Down called 'Stay on Fire', about a friend of frontman Greg MacDonald who went to university and lost everything about him which had made him exciting, fun and special. This was an extension of that: you should never be ashamed of or lose what it is that makes you different or special, because that's what makes you powerful. When you walk down the street and people call you a freak or threaten you, it's because they're scared. People fear the unconventional, hence racism, homophobia, freak-bashing - but their fear makes them weak. Ignorance can not and will not prevail in the long-term, and what people laugh at today they'll celebrate tomorrow."

Starting off with distant, dull bassy tones and a quiet and dainty guitar melody, this song seamlessly coalesces into an incredibly potent, fiery rock tune. After a gentle beginning and some desperate moanings, frezied riffing and heavy drum beats crash in and are soon accompanied by Seymour's emotional vocals.

"You used to be the life and soul / Now you practise and preach self control" - thus commences this passionate song, and the red-blooded denunciation of ignorance-fuelled prejudice continues for the entire duration with mesmeric lyricism supplemented by squealing guitars and violent percussion. However, far from being cynical, bitter or pessimistic, it is an uproarious and invigorating number calling for a social revolution and full of praise for the empowered minority who are able to overcome bigotry every day and stand up in loud, clear defiance screaming into the face of anyone listening "I am Miss Black America". Seymour's incisively powerful tirade ruthlessly attacks today's soulsapping society that gradually depletes your individuality - "Six billion empty heads / Death to the living dead".

This is a truly excellent song, displaying a fervent desire for change to make the world better through deracinating the scourges of ignorance, greed and aggression. Seymour really feels that no-one should ever make personal sacrifices in order to live up to others' ideals or feel pressurised to change to be perceived as "normal". Miss Black America sounds like a high-powered blender mixing together everything you've ever thought and deserves to be adulated in adjectives usually reserved for the Sistine Chapel's ceiling.

Unsurprisingly, Miss Black America is a live favourite and even works particularly well in an acoustic set. When Seymour plays this song, he leans hypnotically into the microphone and it's impossible not to passionately scream along to every word. This is the anthem for discontent youths around the world. Be an obscene thing. Shout it out.

Miss Black America was highly acclaimed and was voted into eleventh by John Peel's listener for his renowned Festive Fifty best singles of 2002.

You used to be the life and soul
Now you practise and preach self-control
Yeah, you are obsessed with privacy, but there's none
Six billion mobile phones
There's no escape -
Trust no-one, no no

Shout it out
Until your blood runs cold
Shout it out
Until your lungs explode
Shout it out:
"I am Miss Black America"
Shout it out:
"I am Miss Black America"

What happened to your urge to destroy
And your mission to bring the noise?
Two young boys, wanking over atlases
Six billion empty heads
Death to the living dead, yeah yeah

Shout it out
Until your blood runs cold
Shout it out
Until your lungs explode
Shout it out:
"I am Miss Black America"
Shout it out:
"I am Miss Black America", oh

Shout it out:
"They won't take us alive
We are beyond embarrassment
We want real lives
And we'll get them, yes, you'll see"
So, shout it out
Shout a hard thing and a mean thing
Let the hatred flow free
Be an obscene thing
Be obscene

"I am Miss Black America"
Yeah
"I am Miss Black America"
Yeah
"I am Miss Black America"
Yeah
"I am Miss. Black. America"
Yeah
America
Oh
America
America
Shout it out

Seymour's introduction from http://missblackamerica.net/

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CST Approved