Chinese Happy
Chinese Happy was a pop-punk / alternative rock group from Detroit, MI which consisted of Michael Fiedler (vocals, guitar), Vance Puchalski (guitar, vocals), Aaron Zdroik (bass) and Jason Fiedler (drums). Throughout its career, the band chose to embrace the DIY punk ethic of independently recording, promoting and touring.
They released two EPs, a full-length record, and completed four national tours in support of those releases. Most recently, the band toured the East Coast and Midwest in support of their Bear Hands EP.
History
Previous incarnations of Chinese Happy dated back to 1998 but the band didn't truly find its footing until The Release of 2003's Apathy Is Worse Than Hatred which moved away from the traditional punk rock of their earlier releases, and more toward alternative and indie rock. This six-song EP also showcased more diverse elements ranging from folk rock to post-hardcore.
Apathy… received praise fromPunk Planet, who proclaimed that "Chinese Happy is an incredibly energetic and surprisingly original band that won me over instantly". The track "Plush Iron Bonds" received moderate rotation on XM Satellite Radio. After playing upwards of 150 shows in support of Apathy…, the band started work on their full-length album "Rampage" which saw an early-2006 release. In 2007, the band released a follow up EP called "Bear Hands".
Break-Up
Shortly after the mid-2007 release of "Bear Hands" the band announced via myspace bulletin that they were breaking up. They stated the split was due to general dissatisfaction with the state of the band. Their final performance took place on October 6th, 2007 with Rick Johnson of Mustard Plug and The Rick Johnson Rock And Roll Machine filling in on bass.
Lyrical themes
While the band as a whole did not identify with one religion, political party, social movement or subculture, their lyrics at times dealt with social issues such as substance abuse, feminism, freedom of speech, racial tolerance, and gay/lesbian rights. One of the more obvious examples being a track from Rampage called "Stick It to 'Em" which criticized the implementation of the USA Patriot Act.
Street art
The band expressed a fondness for street art and encouraged fans to use such tactics to help spread their message. One such campaign involved the hanging of bed sheets emblazoned with the bands name and esoteric messages in various public spaces.
Discography
- Bear Hands EP (2007, self-release)
- Rampage (2006, self-release)
- Apathy Is Worse Than Hatred EP (2003, self-release)
Trivia
- The band escaped serious injury in 2004 when their tour van caught fire and was destroyed.
- "Apathy Is Worse Than Hatred" contains hidden bonus tracks, including a cover of the song "Everchanging" by the band Rise Against and seven minutes of the band hitting each other with wiffleball bats.
- The album artwork for "Rampage" appears to have been inspired by the 1986 video game of the same name.
References
- Chinese Happy brings punk rock sound to Temple tonight Benita Mehta, The State News, September 4, 2007
- review, Thomas, Punk Rock Theory, June 2006.
- Music reviews of Unsigned Bands, Demos, Promos, J-Sin, Smother.net