"We're not like other typical 'punk' bands today," explains lead guitarist and vocalist Nate "B.W." Harris. "Our message is mainly based around the punk rock lifestyle. It's not about fashion or how cool your new green mohawk and lip ring is. It's about staying true to yourself and never backing down to anything no matter how hard they smack you down. Get back up and look 'em dead in the eye." His message is successfully translated on Minor Authority's 'Punk Side Up' with songs like "Cities Burn", "Liberty Bell", "Graffiti", "Survivalism", the title song "Punk Side Up", and "Armstrong Avenue", a tribute to Harris' hero, Tim Armstrong of Rancid. "His lyrics and ins piration saved my life when I was growing up. I felt it fair that I should write a song about him," says Harris.

Along with Nate Harris (whose father Bob Harris is a music artist in his own right and has performed with Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Axe and Warren Zevon), Minor Authority sports a new line-up featuring Daniel Oi (Bass/vocals), Brandon "Dinosaur" Stiles (guitar/vocals) and Nick McCallister (drums). The band cites a long list of influences which include Rancid, the Clash, Operation Ivy, Leftover Crack, the Casualties, Minor Threat, Horror Pops, Time Again, Social Distortion, Choking Victim, the Distillers, and the Exploited, as well as a few movies: Taxi Driver, Devil's Rejects, Nightmare Before Christmas, Suburbia, The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, Larry's Dead.

Minor Authority was first formed in late 2004 by Nate Harris with original guitarist Steve Kilcrease. After Kilcrease left the band for his own musical interests, Harris moved to the Denver, Colorado area in 2006 to push his musical ambitions forward. In late 2007 Harris was asked by sound engineer and longtime friend Ian P. Gilchrist and Denver music scene veteran Chris Barber to sing the lead vocal track on a recording of one of Barber's songs called "Liberty Bell", which would become the first Minor Authority song ever.

"The name Minor Authority came from my interpretation of anarchy," explains Harris, "Authority being the symbol of oppression, and Minor, as being free of oppression and fascism. So the name, Minor Aut hority is my short interpretation of 'a free world without war or oppression.' Also the fact that most of the people who follow our music are minors themselves."

After "Liberty Bell" was recorded, Barber suggested they record an album. Harris began writing with Gilchrist (also the album's recording engineer) in late 2007; recording began in 2007, with Jim Messina from Love 45 on drums and Gilchrist on bass, and 'Punk Side Up' was finished by late April, 2009. Between recording sessions, Harris began forming a full band for the sake of shows and future recording.

Minor Authority's 'Punk Side Up' is available on CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes, as well as the band's official websites. For more information: