Music
Press
November 19th, 2008
Great Christian punk is hard to come by, especially bands that have a great sound that pulls from classic punk, ska, and Oi! When I listen to uniSEF, I hear 3 bands that I loved before I gave up all the secular hardcore and punk….The Bouncing Souls, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Suicide Machines (their old stuff). I bought both of uniSEF’s albums “Can These Bones Live.” and their split with Thee Imposters called “Death and Revolution,” and I have been listening to them non-stop. The guys in the band were nice enough to give me an interview, and by far, they have given one of the most entertaining interviews yet. So, if you live in the Boise area, or are traveling to the area, look these guys up and go see them live, or buy their CDs!
Read the interview here:
http://hxcchristian.com/39/unisef-boises-only-christian-hxc-band - Josh
I'm no Miss Cleo, but I would venture to guess that any band whose main inspiration is not love, heartbreak or disestablishmentarianism, but rather "He" with a capital H, will not likely find a huge mainstream following. Sure, there have been some crossover bands like Jars of Clay and Creed, but even those self-proclaimed Christian-rock bands' lyrics were are up for interpretation. If so inclined, a listener really could believe their songs are about mere mortals.
Not so with Boise band uniSEF. Never mind that the band's logo--a take-off of the UNICEF design--includes a silhouette profile of a figure wearing a mohawk and brandishing a crucifix. A cursory listen to Can These Bones Live?, and the band's muse immediately becomes clear. If you're the type, who upon hearing lyrics such as "Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners," would leap over puppies and small children to turn the stereo off before another word could be heard, know this: Yes, this is a Christian band, but they play Christian punk. The lyrics are yelled, screamed and sung all over a classic punk musical foundation, that's as tight as any punk music ought to be. Can These Bones Live? is nine tracks of pretty damn, sorry, darn good music. Lightning fast guitar, chugga-chugga bass lines, and spot-on drums make this a very listenable CD even if you're not usually a fan of family-friendly songs. For more information, visit uniSEF's myspace site at www.myspace.com/unisef.
--Amy Atkins - Boise Weekly
It’s not all that often that punk rock bands pop up in Boise. Pop-punk and hardcore bands have taken over, but only a handful of punk bands are still playing. uniSEF is one of the strong few.
Their fast-paced, drum-heavy rock is accompanied by an impassioned shout reminiscent of Anti-flag’s Justin Sane, but only a few steps lower. The song “Bones” is almost street punk, with a dash of skate punk. Lyrically, it sets itself apart in its ambiguous writing. With a first spin, it would be hard to recognize that the tune is actually drawing from the Bible (see band quote below).
uniSEF’s origins lay in its namesake Sef Stephan, who started the band in 2003 with his computer. Throughout the years, it has transformed into a three-man band. They’ve undergone several line-up changes, but ultimately found permanence with Stephan on guitar and vocals, Tyler Lewis on bass and Matt Lagusis on drums.
The band recorded their debut album Can These Bones Live? in Stephan’s personal studio and released it on April 1st of this year. The disc includes songs with a ska overtone, and nearly every degree of punk. uniSEF can satisfy anyone with a taste for rock, and a love of punk.
If you’re into: The Unseen, The Casualties, Anti-flag
Straight from the band: “[‘Bones’ is] based on the Bible story in Ezekiel 37. The song was written because that was how I felt about the music we were making, and our reason for being a band…to bring the valley back to life from its state of dry bones.”
-- Stephanie May
- boisebeat.com
Discography
Change the World Demo -- Released mid 2005
Can these Bones Live? -- uniSEF's first full length CD released in April of 2007
Death and Revolution split -- Split with good pals Thee Imposters, released summer 2008
Photos
Bio
uniSEF is an energetic three piece punk rock band from Boise Idaho... yes, Idaho. uniSEF exploded onto the local ‘208-punx’ scene in early 2007 when they opened up for the bands Our Corpse Destroyed and Flatfoot 56 at a local Boise show. Since that time they have all but perfected the energetic stage presence they are becoming known for.
uniSEF has begun writing songs for their second full length CD, and they plan to have it ready by the time they go out on the road this summer. Playing the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell Illinois is one of the bigger goals that the band has set in its sites for 2009. It is something they have wanted to do for a long time and they feel as though they are now ready to take it to that next level.
uniSEF's main purpose is to share the hope that they as a group, and as individuals, have found in Jesus Christ as their savior. With a strong focus on the local scene they strive to live their own lives according to their beliefs as an example for all to see.
Some of uniSEF's influences have been bands such as Lugnut, Squad Five-O (the old stuff), Five Iron Frenzy, and the Unseen. uniSEF's sound and style has been compared to bands such as Anti-Flag, The Bouncing Souls, The Casualties, and Stiff Little Fingers. Their '208 - JCHC' label is a creation derived from a song of one of the bands' biggest influences, Officer Negative. The song JCHC, combined with the local punk scenes label ‘208-punx’, claims that they belong, and at the same time sets them apart from the rest.
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