Radioactivity

Radioactivity came together in 2013 around the fast, streamlined punk rock style of ringing guitars, straightforward melodic hooks, and relentless drive. Jeff Burke and Mark Ryan, already linked through their time in the respected garage punk outfit the Marked Men, started the group as an offshoot of the Novice, the project Burke had played in from 2010 to 2012 during his stay in Japan. Once Burke moved back to the United States and made his home in Denton, Texas, he refused to abandon the songs he had written for the Novice. Instead he reshaped the material and pulled together a fresh lineup to present it. Burke handled guitar and vocals, Ryan took bass and vocals, and Gregory Rutherford sat behind the drums; together they called the band Radioactivity and recorded a self-titled debut for Dirtnap Records that appeared in October 2013. The trio backed the release with concerts, stressing that they hoped to be recognized simply as a strong band rather than merely a strong local one and preferring to book fewer dates in order to maintain high standards. Burke and Ryan also launched their own facility, Cool Devices, giving Radioactivity an immediate place to develop new songs while easing recording for their other endeavors, including Ryan’s leadership of the Mind Spiders and Burke’s solo work. Before the band tracked its second album, guitarist Daniel Fried, who also plays with Bad Sports and Video, came aboard. Dirtnap issued that follow-up, Silent Kill, on June 30, 2015.