BUNK

     It sat in my room collecting dust. The tape was given to me and I didn't touch it for three weeks. Who the hell was BUNK anyway? I didn't know, and I didn't try to find out. The tape was a loan and the loaner wanted it back. I decided I might as well pop it into my walkman and give it a listen BUNK's tape FROM BEHIND hits you right in the face. Only five songs on the tape, but each one screams greatness in the making.

     Each song contains great beats and BUNK's lead singer; Greg Botty has a great voice, which can go a long way in the alternative scene. Good lyrics also help and BUNK has that going for them as well. Como El Diablo has a line about being a vampire with a tan. The song is really cool. All you have to do is mention the word, vampire in a song, and you're in there in my book. They also know how to make you laugh with lines like my thoughts are pure, but oh so underage. They even offer advice to their listeners, proclaiming in one song that we should do what the voices tell you to, because they know what's best for you. But who was this voice in my head? What is BUNK? What is it all about?

     BUNK is a four-member band and the four play very well together, seeming like they have been together for years. That is not the case. Greg Botty, a.k.a. Barney, has been on the rock scene since he was 16. H is now in his mid-twenties. Botty played in several bands in the New York area and even received two years of formal vocal training with Murray Singer of the Julliard School of Music. Botty played in a band called Concrete Lifeboat. One of his band mates was Brian Kalinowski.

     When Concrete Lifeboat was no more, Botty had a bunch of songs he wanted to record. Kalinowski's talents were needed and he stayed with Botty to record new music. Together they looked for a low budget producer to help them record a new album. J.P. Bunonavita was to be that man, but he ended up joining the group as a guitar player. He has been quoted as saying "The band is a release to me for all the stress and pain, and helps me get my frustration and aggression out from work". Batewell, who took time out from his busy schedule to answer questions, rounds out the group as another guitarist.

     Their first performance took place at a local church gymnasium in March of 1998. They were received well, and as Batewell said, "The rest is BUNK."

     BUNK is a little hard rock, a little metal. The sounds, the voice, the lyrics, are reminiscent of the songs you can hear on New York's 92.3 KRock. Yet, as of now, you can't. They are a band you may have never heard of, but should listen to. They are rising stars that are right now, trying to make it big time in the New York City/Long Island scene. If you can't get your hands on a tape, you can still listen to their music . Just download their music by going through BUNK's own website at BUNKnet. Songs like Como El Diablo, Dirty Old Man, Bleating, and Piece of Ass rival any of the songs we hear on mainstream radio. The music they play has some great beats, phat ass guitar riffs and a classic rock voice, but rock is not all that has influenced this band.

     "Really", Batewell said, "We're influenced by everything we hear. I was raised on the Beatles, Greg on country music (metal came later), Brian and J.P. are both from the metal school of white high tops and rock out hairdos. I listen to everything from Mozart to Django Reinhart to Weird Al to Wu tang."

     These inspirations lead to the songs they create and a tape was made. According to Batewell, the tape was the easy part. To get from place to place to perform, the band must stuff in two cars, four people, five or six guitars a drum set and P.A. Still, despite the obstacle that presents, this band overcomes it and makes it to their shows. It's a long road to success and anytime a band can get their music heard is a step in the right direction. BUNK has a pretty good idea on how to reach these goals.

     "Mostly, we'd be happy to not have day jobs", Batewell said. "We're pretty open minded about which path happens to take us there, but ultimately, no one wants to punch a clock, and we want to spend our lives making music on our terms."

     And the road they are taking seems to be leading them right to success. They have played more than 75 gigs as BUNK. They are preparing for their second full-length album and are also planning to create a box set of LP's. The band was even commissioned for a 90-second jingle for the US Postal Service. Still, this road to success does contain a few potholes here and there.

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