After two years of preparation and having some fun in the meantime, Bert Susanka and The Astronaut Love Triangle are set to release their monster of an album Space Junk to the masses. The eighteen-track album will be the first with The Astronaut Love Triangle. Space Junk is inspired by a variety of obscure, but delightfully-contingent matters such as The Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, author Todd Zalkins, the Balloon-boy hoax, and celebrity overdoses. From their brainwaves and motivations, it is clear-as-day Space Junk is meant to be a good time.
Formerly of The Ziggens, whom motivated Sublime’s “Greatest Hits” and others in 1992, Bert Susanka has a long history with California-style rock. He put out a solo album, Onward Christian Slater in 2007, but they desired to embellish a live presence. A few musical astronauts were then added to the lineup, including Rob Perez on lead guitar/vocals, Adam Hankinson on bass/vocals and Jason O’Donnell in charge of rhythm.
After four years of performing together, Bert Susanka ended up getting together with long-time friend Bud Gaugh, whom inevitably became one of the executive producers of Space Junk with Rob Perez (producer for the Ziggens) and a few others. The album will be distributed by Half of Nothing Records which is also owned by the former Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh and Zippy formerly of Bargain Music and of Sexrat.
The group initially blueprinted a 9 to 10 track release, but their creativity and first-class decision-making decided to load eighteen tracks, with both fun and distressing songs of aging, relationships, spirituality, and addiction onto one album. The CD stylistically reverts back and forth from driving rock to folk shuffles with a hint of Bert’s signature surf vibe. With the inner perfectionism and synergies built amongst carefully selected bandmates, Susanka’s songs once meant for a solo career now have bloomed into a full-scale, long-beach-style adornment. Space Junk is available for purchase on their official Bandcamp page on June 5th and is also available for streaming.
Bert Susanka & The Alt – “Space Junk”
1.) Toxicology
2.) I Only Look Stupid
3.) I Am Aware Of My Tongue
4.) Miami
5.) Do The Wombat
6.) Dionne Warwick’s Music
7.) Light at the End of the Carpal Tunnel
8.) She’s All Over The Map
9.) Dying For Triplicate (God Talks to Todd)
10.) Rockabilly Robot
11.) I’m Not Saying
12.) D’Nile is a River So Deep
13.) U.F.O (Ugly, Fat, & Old)
14.) I Can See My House From Here
15.) Girl From My Hometown
16.) When Summer Is Gone
17.) We’re Gonna Get Drunk Tonight
18.) It Always Comes Back To You
Bert Susanka Links
Bert Susanka Website
Bert Susanka Bandcamp
Bert SusankaFacebook
Bert SusankaTwitter
Article By: Matt Emodi
Video: here’s a classic video, courtesy of 442 Media, of Bert Susanka performing “Big Salty Tears” at DiPiazaa’s in Long Beach.