Seventeen years is a long time to spend playing music with the same person, yet Ray Gurz and Jaime Heim are just as motivated as ever to keep going. The pair have winded their way through several Lehigh Valley bands over the years including Carpenter Ant, a staple of the Lehigh Valley punk community in the 2000's.

Bad American is Ray and Jaime's latest band, although it is not exactly new itself, dating back to around 2010. What is new is Bad American's line-up which sees Jaime moving to guitar, Eric Gillmeyer taking up bass duties, and Michael Dumoff filling in the drum slot. The band's latest album is Feel the Slime, a blistering 9-track journey through 80's-style hardcore that sees the band exploring different tempos, tones, and approaches than you might expect from your average hardcore band. Recorded by Tape Swap's Matt Molchany at Shards (it's also a full-time recording studio!) and released on Record Store Day 2017, the band was certainly at home returning to Shards to record this session for us, although there was a small studio audience to make it feel more like a live show. All the songs they performed for us come from Slime, and we can't help but pick a favorite when they name a song ("Shards") after our space.

Allentown, PA hardcore punk band Bad American recorded at Shards in May 2017. This session aired on WDIY 88.1 FM (Lehigh Valley's Community NPR Station) on August 25, 2017. Bad American: https://badamerican.bandcamp.com/ Tape Swap Radio: https://www.tapeswapradio.com/

Allentown, PA hardcore punk band Bad American recorded at Shards in May 2017. This session aired on WDIY 88.1 FM (Lehigh Valley's Community NPR Station) on August 25, 2017. Bad American: https://badamerican.bandcamp.com/ Tape Swap Radio: https://www.tapeswapradio.com/

Allentown, PA hardcore punk band Bad American recorded at Shards in May 2017. This session aired on WDIY 88.1 FM (Lehigh Valley's Community NPR Station) on August 25, 2017. Bad American: https://badamerican.bandcamp.com/ Tape Swap Radio: https://www.tapeswapradio.com/

Allentown, PA hardcore punk band Bad American performing a song named after our studio, "Shards." Recorded at Shards in May 2017. This session aired on WDIY 88.1 FM (Lehigh Valley's Community NPR Station) on August 25, 2017. Bad American: https://badamerican.bandcamp.com/ Tape Swap Radio: https://www.tapeswapradio.com/

Allentown, PA hardcore punk band Bad American recorded at Shards in Bethlehem, PA in May 2017. This session aired on WDIY 88.1 FM (Lehigh Valley's Community NPR Station) on August 25, 2017. 1. Pick Your Poison (0:19) 2. Black Cloud Ron (1:06) 3. Feel the Slime (3:48) 4. Absentee Debate (7:44) 5. I'm Still Waiting (11:04) 6. Shards (12:12) 7. Interview (15:32) 8. BAND PICK: The Cloth - Kinghit (27:01) The Cloth (Band Pick): https://thecloth.bandcamp.com/ Bad American: https://badamerican.bandcamp.com/ Tape Swap Radio: https://www.tapeswapradio.com/

1. Pick Your Poison (0:19)
2. Black Cloud Ron (1:06)
3. Feel the Slime (3:48)
4. Absentee Debate (7:44)
5. I'm Still Waiting (11:04)
6. Shards (12:12)
7. Interview (15:32)
8. BAND PICK: The Cloth - Kinghit (27:01)

The Cloth (Band Pick):
thecloth.bandcamp.com/

Bad American:
badamerican.bandcamp.com/

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