Bomb the Music Industry! functions primarily as a ska/punk collective rather than a conventional band. Jeff Rosenstock serves as its central songwriter, having assembled the project in Nassau County, NY, toward the end of 2004 once his prior group, the Arrogant Sons of Bitches, entered hiatus. Nearly all recordings originated from a home computer, with Rosenstock routinely supported by a revolving group of friends and additional contributors during both studio sessions and live performances. Although the moniker derived from a graffiti expression denoting widespread tagging rather than any call to aggression, the collective maintained a distinctly anti-industry approach. Rosenstock viewed the expense of manufacturing physical records and merchandise as impractical given limited funds that would not be recouped, leading him to distribute BTMI’s music at no cost via the group’s website in exchange for optional contributions. His independent outlet, Quote Unquote Records, followed the identical donation-based model. The collective extended this ethos by carrying stencils and paint to concerts so attendees could create their own authorized shirts, provided they supplied the garment itself. Two albums appeared in 2005, with Album Minus Band surfacing in February and To Leave or Die in Long Island arriving that October. Goodbye Cool World followed in June 2006, after which a version of BTMI toured that autumn alongside Mustard Plug and Against All Authority. Participants at shows who knew the material and supplied their own instruments were routinely invited onstage. Vinyl editions of the albums were issued through Asbestos Records to accommodate collectors, while the material stayed available for free online. During spring 2007 the collective partnered with the California-based D.I.Y. imprint Asian Man Records, which handled the physical CD edition of Get Warmer in July, as Quote Unquote Records managed the complimentary digital release.
