Bumble Buzz On

From the musical oasis of Napa, the city that brought us alternative rock giants Nuclear Rabbit, and, uh…well, now comes a ska band named Bumble.

The skankalicious band, who consider themselves part of the thriving Sonoma and Napa County “emo-punk” (softcore melodic punk like Blink 182) scene rocked SF State's Depot lounge for a couple of hours last week.

There were no hair flips, jumps in the air, exotic lighting, or stage props -- nor could there be on the tiny stage. Instead, the group lined up and played an upbeat bouncy set that was more flaccid than bombastic.

The band was selected to be part of this month’s “funk orientated” Depot theme, as envisioned by Depot Manager Darnelle Melvin. Melvin recently saw Bumble play at the Napa Fair and quickly decided to book them.

Melvin, who sorts many show requests, picks what he likes and doesn’t limit himself to booking SFSU or even San Francisco acts. In fact, most of the bands he books are not SFSU students or alumni.

“Diversity, that’s my thing,” says Melvin.

Bumble’s lead singer and guitar player Jake Blevins, 26, squints his eyes with passion, looking like a young Frank Black; as he belts out songs expressing the boredom, nihilism and semi-oppression that only the masochistic gentleman that bang their crotches at the Napa City skateboarding park truly know.

This angst is best expressed through cover songs by the bands closest to Blevin’s heart: Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, NOFX and Goldfinger. Bumble do have a body of original work but these contemporary covers are the crutch that holds it all together. Blevin says he has always come from more of a punk background, listening to bands like Minor Threat and Bad Religion, and didn’t pay attention to most of the 80’s ska bands. What really turned him onto ska was the punk/ska hybrid Operation Ivy. And that’s why six months after he started his punk band in 1998, he added two horn players and made the transition from pure emo-punk to punk mixed with up-tempo reggae.

Blevins is a responsible man with a wife and young daughter, but although family life has grounded him he is still taking Bumble as far as it will go. They play shows regularly around the Bay Area, have already put out two self-produced EPs, and intend to put out a full length album in October. They have no record contracts on the horizon but Blevin says John Feldmann from Goldfinger is considering mixing the new album.

“We have our own record label, which means no, we’re not on a label,” says Blevin.

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