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December 17, 2003
With the Christmas holiday fast approaching, the cold, wintry weather and the spirit of giving have gripped the hearts of . For a short while this week, at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, New Jersey, there will be a limited quantity of the newly-reissued Cold CD available for FREE as 's holiday gift to their friends and fans. These discs will go fast, so be sure to visit Vintage Vinyl right away! You'll be able to find the discs in the walkway entrance to the store, where all of the magazine and CD swag is usually kept for the customers. Cold is 's debut album, first released in 1989, that was reissued on CD this year through API Records.

As a quick note, while we're on the topic of FREE CD's, some of the last pieces of the Music Is Freedom compilation CD are again available at Surf Taco, in Point Pleasant, NJ. Music Is Freedom is a compilation disc, featuring contributions from and other artists from API Records. It was first released in 2002, and has been available as a FREE disc both online and at select outlets, as a gift of music. In 2002, the disc was included in the New Jersey Historical Society's Changed Lives Archive and Exhibit of artist and resident's responses to the terror attacks of 9/11. More information on Music Is Freedom is available at the API Records website. - Newsdesk

December 11, 2003
As the weather turns cold, let's do a fan Q&A about the recent CD re-issue of 's debut album Cold:

Q: It's amazing that for an independent band, you still have all of the recordings that you've done years ago so that you can release them on CD. How do you keep track of all of that stuff?
Patrick: Joe and I each have pretty comprehensive archives of all of the projects we've done over the years. We have the artwork, the master tapes, copies of the original cassette albums, photos... all of it. Any of the albums that were re-issued on CD were remixed and remastered directly from the original 4-track master tapes, and then cleaned up in ProTools, so the sonic quality of the old stuff is as good as it's possible to get it. We're pretty meticulous when it comes to archiving our recordings.
Joe:

Q: Where did you get the Max Headroom t-shirt you are wearing in the picture in the Cold lyric book? I want one too!
Patrick: I think that t-shirt is probably a dustrag in someone's house by now or it's at the bottom of a landfill. The pictures in the Cold CD are from the original artwork. I think the picture of me is from 1988. I'm not sure if Max Headroom was still on TV by then... I was a fashion misfit back then and I had serious problems with color and patterns. Now I wear either all black or gray all of the time, so I totally avoid having to match things.

Q: How did you pull off all of the starts and stops in The Ugly Song? Was it studio trickery?
Joe: When we wrote the song, Patrick and I were jamming so much that we did all of the breaks without any trickery or cues from one another. However, recording is a different animal, because we had to layer multiple tracks. Because of this, we recorded an initial "throw away" live track, where we counted off during the breaks - very Beatle-like. The live track was dumped when it came time for the final mix.

November 20 , 2003
recently gathered in their Virginia studio to work on music both new and old. Running through a set-list that took them from their debut album Cold, through their classic September release, and onto the latest music from the Coming Attractions and Music Is Freedom discs, the band performed a solid set of songs that covered the many musical styles of their long history. Some brand new material was also performed, including the song I Have Nothing,which Patrick has been writing and tracking most recently in his New Jersey recording studio in anticipation of 's next release.

One piece of news that has come out of this most recent session is that the band is discussing the possibilities of performing a series of live dates in 2004. These shows would be 's first live dates in ten years.

We'll post information on developments surrounding 's return to the stage here at baitoven.com as soon as the details are confirmed. - Newsdesk

October 20 , 2003
As promised, below is a little blurb from the August 20, 2003 edition of the Courier News, from New Jersey. The article, by correspondent Bill Nutt, is on musician Tim Keyes, and mentions his new solo album Sketchbook which was co-produced by Patrick Bamburak, and features Patrick performing all of the guitars and bass on the release.

"...Keyes is also dealing with the release of 'Sketchbook,' his first CD in eight years. He credits the new album to musician Patrick Bamburak, whose band , was produced by Keyes.'

" 'I told Patrick that I wasn't interested in doing a record. Then I found out that he booked the recording studio for me. I had about a week to write all the songs on the album. It turned out to be a good experience, very cathartic. It cleared out alot of the cobwebs.'

"Bamburak played on the album and served as co-producer with Keyes."

For those of you interested in Patrick's work with Tim Keyes, you can visit Tim's official website for more information on Sketchbook and his many other rock and classical releases. - Newsdesk

October 2 , 2003
Every so often, we'll receive notice from friends and fans when they've run across in the press or in print. We're in the process of hunting down a Courier News article from late August in New Jersey that mentions . The article is on the new Tim Keyes solo album, Sketchbook, and it mentions Patrick as producer and as API Records recording artists. Once we have a copy of the article, we'll include some excepts here at baitoven.com.

We've also received notice about popping up in an excellent publication known as the SongWriter's Market, (Writer's Digest Books.) The SongWriter's Market is an annual publication that lists music publishers, record labels, organizations, and contests, and is an excellent resource for songwriters, bands, or recording artists, looking to market their songs or demos. It was in the 1995 edition of the same publication that first resulted in submitting their newly released album September to a series of independent record labels, which ultimately began 's long relationship with API Records. In the 2003 and newly released 2004 versions of the SongWriter's Market, is mentioned in the label detail information for the API Records entry in the Record Companies section. It's just an interesting little appearance in print for the band that we'd like to mention.

In other news, for our friends and fans who are visiting the product pages for the CD catalog over at Amazon.com, there are new reviews for each album posted that shed some light on the histories of those releases. The band continues to receive positive responses to the reissue of their debut album Cold, and is looking forward to working on new music.

In an interesting development due to the reissue of Cold, we've received a few great emails at baitoven.com from friends and fans who have the original cassette version of Cold and are happy to see the CD reissue. The largest concentration of Cold cassettes were distributed down at Virginia Tech where Joe Gutsick was well-known for his drumming in a hardcore band he played in down there for a number of years, in addition to his work in . Thanks to everyone for writing in!

Patrick has been hard at work recording basic tracks for three new songs in his studio. He and Joe will be working together on the new songs in the near future. He's also been working on a project guitar that he recently completed painting and assembling that he used on the new songs. Patrick will be putting together an In The Studio post to share info on this guitar that we'll publish here at baitoven.com. His project guitar is inspired by a very famous instrument used by one of his guitar heroes, so he's quite excited about it!

We'll end this News post with a reminder that Music Is Freedom still available, while supplies last, for FREE direct from API Records. If you are visiting us for the first time and would like the opportunity to hear on CD, this is the perfect opportunity! Get your FREE copy today! - Newsdesk

August 2 , 2003
The newly reissued Cold CD is now available at all of the major music vendors serviced by our online distributor The Orchard. Be sure to check back often at baitoven.com as we announce details regarding the various promotional events that will be doing to support the Cold reissue. API Records is organizing a STREET TEAM for friends and fans of . Just e-mail API Records and provide your contact information which will be added to our mailing list. You will receive a FREE copy of the Music Is Freedom sampler when you join the STREET TEAM. - Newsdesk

July 16, 2003
For friends and fans of at the Jersey Shore, the FREE Music Is Freedom disc is now available at Surf Taco, 1300 Richmond Ave, in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. Be sure to stop by and ask for your FREE copy of Music Is Freedom, featuring the tracks Free and My Only Friend. Music Is Freedom is also available online direct from API Records. - Newsdesk

July 14, 2003
Hey, it's Patrick stopping by the Newsdesk. Just so you know, Cold is now available online at both API Records and at Vintage Vinyl. The Orchard has also added both Cold and Coming Attractions to its distribution, so over the course of the next few weeks, the CD's will start popping up on sites like Amazon, CDNow, etc...

While we in have the new reissue of our debut album Cold to promote, I often like to mention other bands that I'm listening to and albums that you should check out. I got the Used CD last week, and it is really a great album. I normally don't like most of the new music out there since everyone sounds the same and the songs are all clones of each other, but the Used disc has strong songwriting, great playing, and great vocals. From what I understand, being the rock dinosaur that I am, the Used are part of a group of artists that are being called "screamo". People have been screaming in rock music since the beginning, but I did smile to myself thinking about how a track like Twenty-Fifth from the Cold CD predated screamo by about 15 years. Everything comes full-circle. So while you are getting your copy of Cold, take a moment to check out the Used disc, or vice versa. - Patrick

June 25, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Summer is COLD!

have reissued their classic debut album Cold. The album features 24-bit remastered versions of the original tracks, including a new stereo edit of the famous "lost master" 74 Words. The Cold reissue also features newly designed artwork from Joe and Teresa Gutsick. Information on availability can be found here at baitoven.com over the coming weeks. Cold will be distributed worldwide by API Records and by Can't Afford 'Em Records in the New York market. Cold will also be available at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ both instore and online.

In order to maximize the availability of the new release, will also add both Cold and the Coming Attractions EP to online distribution through The Orchard. The Orchard currently carries the albums September and Ugly Songs. Those albums are available through all of the major online music vendors, including Amazon and CDNow. For friends and fans outside the United States, all of the albums are available as imports through your local Amazon vendor.

Details on special promotions for the new Cold reissue will also be posted here at baitoven.com in the near future.

Don't forget that limited quantities of the FREE CD Music Is Freedom are still available through API Records. Music Is Freedom features the new tracks Free and My Only Friend.

In other news, Patrick's guitar and bass work can be found on the new Tim Keyes solo album, Sketchbook, available through API Records. The reviews are starting to come in, and Missing You, which features Patrick playing a beautiful Garcia classical guitar, has been named as one of the standout tracks.

As for Patrick's work with the group Funhaus, Leave My Tears Alone,available both on the self-titled Funhaus CD and Music Is Freedom, continues to gain attention in the New York market.

Also, it is worth mentioning that an illustration by founding member Robert Medvedz can be found in the book Dreaming In Print:A Decade of Visionaire, published by Edition 7L. The book is available online through Amazon. - Newsdesk

June 3, 2003
The reissue of 's classic debut album Cold is scheduled for release on June 22nd through API Records worldwide and Can't Afford 'Em Records in the New York market. Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ will carry the album both instore and online. The album will also be available for purchase at www.apirecords.com.

Be sure to check back here at baitoven.com for upcoming details on events and appearances that will be scheduling to promote the reissue of Cold.

In addition to the release of Cold, Patrick Bamburak appears on the newly released Tim Keyes solo album Sketchbook. Patrick co-produced the album and plays all guitars and basses on the record. Sketchbook is now available for purchase online at www.apirecords.com.

Limited quantites of the FREE cd Music Is Freedom are still available here. In addition to contributions by other artists, Music Is Freedom features the tracks Free and My Only Friend. Be sure to get this FREE cd while supplies last. - Newsdesk

May 15, 2003
's Patrick Bamburak and Joe Gutsick recently fielded questions about their classic debut album Cold, soon to be reissued by API Records/Can't Afford 'Em Records:

Q: Let's do some self-hypnosis. What is the first memory that comes to mind about the recording of Cold?
Patrick: I remember Joe and I sitting in the kitchen drinking tea while far away in the garage, Bob was recording the vocal track for Twenty-Fifth. The only thing we could hear were some muffled screams. After Bob was finished and we listened to the playback, I was simply amazed. It's a great performance.
Joe: That it was really, really cold! The songs were recorded in the garage in the middle of winter. We had no heat, so there wasn't much difference between being inside the garage and sitting outside. After playing through Twenty-Fifth a few times, my hands became so numb that I could hardly feel the sticks. And when I could feel them, it was because the tape I wrapped around the sticks was either cutting into my fingers or breaking open blisters. Did I mention it was really cold?

Q: For each of you as musicians, what do you remember about the recording process?
Patrick: Cold was done on an analog 4-track and is a very sparse recording. Aside from the keyboard bass on Bloodbath and the almost inaudible bass on Ugly Song, I didn't actually use a bass guitar at all on the album. I love how the guitar fits in against the drum part in the song Cold. For me, that drum part is the lead instrument on the track, and we could have just put the vocal against it and left it at that.
Joe: It was a very spontaneous process. The songs were written very quickly; we found melodies that we liked and set them to tape. We didn't tinker with the sound or the song structure - sometimes your first instinct is the best one. Oh, and it was really, really cold.

Q: What is your favorite track on the album?
Patrick: I like how all of the songs fit together as a whole, but if I was to pick my favorite, it would probably be Twenty-Fifth. We could walk into a state of the art studio today, play our hearts out, and not come close to matching the energy of the original recording. For me, it's one of those once-in-a-lifetime events.
Joe: If I had to pick a favorite, it would probably be Bloodbath. I like how the upbeat melody juxtaposes with the rather dark nature of the lyrics. The chorus is a pretty catchy melody, and it has you singing "Bloodbath… more relaxing than blood showers…" Brilliant.

Q: Why do you think Cold is still relevant to the band today?
Patrick: We've always done all kinds of music in , never conforming to a particular style for long. Because of that, I think alot of our recordings stand the test of time a little better than they would have had we followed the "style of the day" too closely. I also think that the songs are strong. The lyrics are rich and dense, while the performance is straightfoward and simple. Everything just fell into place.
Joe: I'm a bit biased, of course, but they're just great songs. They're the foundation from which the band was built, and they show our "style", which is to say that we don't have one. We each bring our different musical influences to the mix and create something uniquely.... - Newsdesk

April 17 , 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : to reissue debut album Cold
15 years on, the classic tracks on 's debut album Cold, sound better than ever through the magic of digital remixing and remastering. That's not to say that the songs themselves haven't also aged well through the years. The standout tracks Twenty-Fifth and Cold remain as vital and relevant today as they were in the late 1980's. Those songs were written during a time in music when the message took precedence over the image. Unlike the benign lyrics and formulaic production of the corporate "nu-punk" of today, the songs on 's debut album Cold challenge and engage the listener. Cold still stands as a reaction against complacency and conformity, created by a band that has defied easy classification or definition over its long career.

With a release date to be announced soon, Cold will be distributed by API Records worldwide and Can't Afford 'Em Records in the New York market. - Newsdesk

March 26, 2003
Be sure to check out the MP3 for the track My Only Friend, now available in the Multimedia section of baitoven.com. My Only Friend is one of the contributions by to the Music Is Freedom CD, which is available to you FREE from API Records.

Release date information for the reissue of 's first album Cold will be posted at baitoven.com in the near future. Cold is part of the spring schedule of releases from API Records and through a special agreement, will be distributed in the New York market by the punk label, Can't Afford Em Records. When released, Cold will be available online through both API Records and Vintage Vinyl. - Newsdesk

March 3, 2003
Hey, it's Patrick checking in at the Newsdesk. I am holding in my hand an artwork mockup of the upcoming Cold reissue, and as usual, Teresa and Joe have done an awesome job designing the packaging. When Joe first emailed me the files to check out, I immediately wrote back saying how much I loved it. We've made alot of music over the years, covering alot of ground, and it is always exciting to see a fresh take on our back catalog when we do these special reissues.

For those of you who are aware of the sound through September, the Coming Attractions EP or our new songs on the Music Is Freedom CD, the Cold album may come as quite a shock! But I have always loved Cold because it is so different from everything else we've done. Cold is the product of the times it was created in, fed by the energy and ego of our youth. I'm looking forward to new audiences discovering this record for the first time through this reissue.

We'll post release info here at baitoven.com in the near future, as well as details on the promotion that we'll be doing to support the Cold reissue. See you soon! - Patrick

February 3, 2003
API Records recently conducted an interview with Patrick Bamburak to start off the new year.

API: What are some of your current projects?
Patrick: I've been in the studio for the past few months producing and performing on the new Tim Keyes solo album Sketchbook. We've finished all of the recording and are now reviewing the final mixes before going in for the mastering session, which is scheduled for later this month. Tim and I have also remastered the album Cold, which will be reissued by API Records in the first quarter of this year. Cold is being re-released to mark the 15th anniversary of . We're moving into our 16th year in 2003, and in addition to the reissue, we'll have more new music out before year's end. I'm pretty excited about that.

API: You recently performed with Funhaus singer Michelle Aversano for a benefit. Are there any plans for Funhaus in the near future?
Patrick: The Funhaus album, which we released in spring of 2002, has been pretty well-received by the fans. I think that the Music Is Freedom CD helped to raise awareness for the Funhaus project. For fans, they were able to discover some of my other work on the Music Is Freedom CD, getting alot of different things on one disc, and I know that we had people turned on to Funhaus because of it. So, anything is possible for the future- more live dates, and I'm sure we'll do another album at some point. There's also the possibility of performing some of the Funhaus material either live or on CD. Leave My Tears Alone is a personal favorite of mine among the lyrics I've written, and I intend to include it in the setlist of songs that I perform with .

API: WIll you be involved in the promotional work for the new Tim Keyes album Sketchbook?
Patrick: Definitely. I think I've landed the job as the guitar player in the Tim Keyes band, (wink!) so I'll be involved in all of the work that we have planned to support the album. It is a rock solid album, and I'm looking forward to performing it live. I'm lucky in that I am involved in so many different kinds of projects and get to play many different kinds of music. It keeps things interesting and it keeps me challenged as a musician.

API: How has performing and producing so many different kinds of music impacted you as a musician?
Patrick: I think that the variety in the work I do is probably the best exercise I could get as a musician. I've matured as a player, producer and arranger. One of the things I discovered very early on in my music career was that the pure musicians out there never limited themselves to a particular style of music. It might not seem obvious to the fans who see their hard-rock guitar god only releasing heavy metal albums, but behind the scenes, I've found that the best players I've worked with are the ones who are capable of adapting to all kinds of musical styles. I've been surprised by what some of the people I've worked with are into musically. I've learned to leave my preconceptions behind- that the rock players can only do certain things, or that the jazz guys are this or that. And the same holds true for me. People who only know my work from are always surprised to hear the work I've done with Funhaus, or Tim Keyes, and vice versa. I'm in it for the music, irregardless of style. I don't want to sound pompous, but started from a punk rock point of view, and I think I'm still as punk as I've ever been. Whether I'm playing punk, hard-rock, pop, or classical music, I don't care about conforming to anyone's expectations of me. I simply want to write good songs and make good music. All of the rest is spin. - Newsdesk

January 2, 2003
As in past years, reflects on the year gone by...

Patrick: 2002 ranks as the most whirlwind year I have ever experienced in my life. To say I was busy both creatively and professionally would be an understatement.

Joe: 2002 was a pretty good year overall. I broke 100 playing golf for the first time, so for that reason alone it was monumental!

Favorite album of the year?

Patrick: I always break the rules and have ties, so my two favorite albums of the year are When I Was Cruel by Elvis Costello, and Brainwashed by George Harrison. Elvis' album is a great return to rock, and for me, Brainwashed nudges slightly ahead of the masterpiece All Things Must Pass by George Harrison.

Joe: I never have a single favorite album. The one I listened to most was Rush's Chronicles because it's in the stereo by the drum set. 2002 was a Weezer year, so two of my favorite albums were the Blue album (Surf Wax America being my favorite track) and the Green album (Don't Let Go being my favorite track). I also liked the Like Omigod! The 80s Pop Culture box set quite a bit. Brought back many memories…

Favorite movie of the year?

Patrick: My controversial answer to this question is Star Trek Nemesis! I found the Picard/clone storyline to be absolutely fascinating, so while everyone else in the theater were sleeping through the first hour of the movie, I was riveted in my seat following the story.

Joe: This isn't really a fair question, since anyone who knows me would correctly guess that I'd say Attack of the Clones. So instead, I'll pick my favorite non-Star Wars movie of the year. Although it wasn't released in 2002, my favorite that I saw this year would probably be a tie between Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Oceans 11.

Absolute worst movie of the year, and of all eternity: Austin Powers in Goldmember. If ever a franchise should die, this is it. An incredibly bad movie that was almost completely devoid of humor. Mike Meyers should have stopped after the first film.

Favorite book of the year?

Patrick: I've read another billion books this year, so this is always a hard one for me... as far as serious books go, I'd have to say Holy War Inc., by Peter Bergen. It soberly reinforces the adage that "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

Joe: Douglas Adams' The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide collection.

Your personal high point of 2002?

Patrick: Music Is Freedom. From the team effort required to make the disc a reality, to it's inclusion in the Changed Lives exhibit here in New Jersey, the project was positive and rewarding on every level... so much so that I'm now laying the groundwork for Music Is Freedom II for 2003!

Joe: Finally shooting under 100 in a round of golf. Of course, the next week I was sucking again, but at least I broke 100 once!

Your personal low point of 2002?

Patrick: Simply my sadness over the amount of violence and cruelty in the world.

Joe: Worrying that either my wife or one of our friends would be the sniper's next victim.

2003, What is your New Year's resolution?

Patrick: I just want to keep making music. "It's the thrill of the chase!"

Joe: Finally get the new version of baitoven.com finished and made available to our fans. And break 100 again. Multiple times.