Patent Pending (band)

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Patent Pending

Patent Pending performing on April 26, 2012 at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC. Photo by: Jimmy Douglas
Background information
Also known as P-Unit
Origin Mount Sinai, New York, US
Genres Pop punk, Ska punk (early)
Years active 2001–present
Labels We Put Out Records, Crappy Records, Second Family Records (current)
Website patentpendingmusic.com
Members Joe Ragosta (Vocals)
Anthony Mingoia (Drums)
Marc Kantor (Guitar)
Rob Felicetti (Guitar)
Corey DeVincenzo(Bass)
Past members Michael Ragosta (Vocals)
Drew Buffardi (Bass)
Jay Beiner (Bass)
Travis McGee (Bass)

Patent Pending is an American pop punk band consisting of vocalist Joe Ragosta, drummer Anthony Mingoia, guitarist Marc Kantor, guitarist/vocalist Rob Felicetti, and bassist Corey DeVincenzo. The band is from Mount Sinai, New York.[1]

Patent Pending had self-released six albums before releasing their debut album Save Each Other, the Whales Are Doing Fine in 2006 with original vocalist Michael Ragosta and bassist Drew Buffardi (with Joe Ragosta on guitar at the time) on We Put Out Records. After being in a legal battle with We Put Out Records, Patent Pending released 2009's Attack of the Awesome!!! with Jay Beiner on bass guitar and Joe and Michael switching on lead vocals.

Joshua Dicker, long time collaborating songwriter with Ragosta, would only appear as a live guitarist consistently during Joe's switch to lead singer in July 2009. Guitarist Rob Felicetti (formerly of The Ataris) came in as Josh's touring replacement and joined the band full-time while on tour in July 2010.

The band has released nine music videos; "The June Spirit" off of ...Is Your Biological Father, "This Can't Happen Again" off of Save Each Other, the Whales Are Doing Fine., "She's a Ho Ho Ho", a holiday single, "Drop Dead" off of Attack of the Awesome!!!, "One Less Heart to Break" (which reached the No. 1 highest ranked, most viewed, and buzzworthy music video on mtv.com), and "Dance Til We Die" off of 2010's I'm Not Alone (Patent Pending Album), followed by "Douchebag", "I Already Know (She Don't Give A Shit About Me)" and "Spin Me Around" off of Second Family.

Most recently, the band received the "Dreamseaker Artist Of The Year" award at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band performed their song "Dance Til We Die" at the award show.

History

Formation (2001)

While attending Mt. Sinai High School, Ragosta and Buffardi hastily started a band in order to perform at a local show they had heard about. After approaching Mingoia (the only drummer they knew of in their school) and recruiting Joe's younger brother Michael on vocals, they began to play shows in the Long Island area, gaining a consistent following in Nassau County (the band being from Suffolk County). They began recording demo CDs with some songs that would go on to be re-recorded and re-released on the band's future albums.

Early releases (2001-2004)

The band's first EP Meet the Fat kids was self-released in 2001 and contained only 2 songs. They followed the EP with the full length the Pirate House (a reference to a house decorated like a pirate ship in their home town) the same year, with both songs from the EP on it. They continued on with two more EPs in 2002, Air Drew and Drive By, and second full length record Don't Quit Your Day Job. Later in 2004 they released ...Is Your Biological Father EP, filming a music video for the song "the June Spirit", despite the fact that "Cheer Up Emo Kid" had been their most popular song (and is still currently the band's number one selling single as the Save Each Other... version).

Signing and touring (2005-2007)

After signing a deal with We Put Out Records under the East/West Record Group in 2005,[2][3] the band began production for 2006's Save Each Other, the Whales Are Doing Fine with producer Joseph A. Pedulla. Due to legal issues pertaining to the original name of the record (Save The Children, The Whales Are Doing Fine) pursued by the Save the Children Foundation, the original release date of May 9 was changed to June 6, 2006. Upon completing the record, The band invited long-time friend Marc Kantor to join as an additional guitarist. The album achieved moderate success, selling over 10,000 copies due to the band's inclusion on the entire 2006 Vans Warped Tour, and supporting Gym Class Heroes and Cobra Starship on a tour immediately following.[4]

Attack of the Awesome!!!, switching singers, and Marc Across America (2007-2009)

After the band's departure with Buffardi in 2007, bassist Jay Beiner joined as a full-time replacement. They performed on the 2007 Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, NJ as well as select dates on that year's Vans Warped Tour in addition to touring smaller clubs and venues throughout the US. On April 16, 2007, Kantor began riding his bicycle from Levittown, New York to San Diego, California in an effort to help raise money and awareness for The American Heart Association. A portion of the proceeds were also donated to the Rhiannon Chloe Foundation and was successfully completed on June 7, 2007. In 2008, they went back into the studio with Pedulla to record Attack of the Awesome!!!, an 8-song EP featuring Joe and Michael switching lead vocal duties, released July 14, 2009. The band supported the EP on separate tours with Catch 22, Just Surrender, and Suburban Legends throughout the first half of the year.

"I'm Not Alone" (2009–2010)

After a show at the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale, NY on July 25, 2009, Michael announced his departure from the band via a YouTube video of he and Joe offering an explanation for his leaving the band, leaving Joe with lead vocalist duties. Long time songwriter and collaborator with the band, Joshua Dicker, took over Joe's guitar duties for live performances. Dicker and Ragosta begin writing for a new EP, asking long time friend and guitarist Rob Felicetti to come track guitar for the record. In March, the band went to record with producer Jordan Schmidt (Motion City Soundtrack, All Time Low) at Melmac Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The result was the I'm Not Alone EP/DVD (released August 17, 2010); a double disc set featuring a 6 song EP and a DVD featuring live footage, tour stories, and a band biography. Felicetti became Dicker's touring replacement and joined the band full-time during the band's 2010 summer tour. The band began writing for another record throughout the fall and winter following the departure of Beiner and the inclusion of fill-in bass player Travis McGee.

"Second Family" (2011)

In February 2011, the band joined back up with producer Jordan Schmidt to begin pre-production for a new full length record. They started recording at Stadium Red in Harlem, New York during March and finished up the recording process at Schmidt's Melmac Studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Simultaneously, while recording the full length, they began arranging and recording a cover EP titled "Spring Break '99". The end result was a full length record titled Second Family (released July 12, 2011). While in the studio, the band released two music videos: one for "One Less Heart to Break" (reaching No. 1 under every category on mtv.com and put into rotation on MTV2) and "Dance Til We Die" (reaching No. 12 highest rated and most viewed music video on mtv.com) from 2010's I'm Not Alone.

In May, the band was asked to support a US tour with Bowling For Soup and the Dollyrots and spent the summer on the Vans Warped Tour[5] following McGee's joining the band full-time. In October, the band filmed a music video for the single "Douchebag" (released December 6, 2011) with producer/director Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup's music video production company Built By Ninjas.

"The 2012 Billboard Music Awards and International Touring" (2012-present)

The band was originally scheduled to play on Sunday, May 20 at The 2012 Bamboozle Festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey following a spring touring schedule supporting Bowling For Soup. On May 18, the band was named Billboard's "Dreamseaker Artist Of The Year" after a performance at the Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, securing a live performance slot at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards on ABC (being replaced by This Good Robot for their Sunday, May 20 Bamboozle Festival slot) . The band played select dates on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour over the summer on the Ourstage.com Stage from 7/6-7/12 and 7/21 and supported a subsequent tour with the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. The band was also included on the Crappy Records compilation "Have a Crappy Summer" where the band released a new song entitled, "These Pools Were Made for Hopping".

In October 2012, Patent Pending embarked on a two-week tour of the UK supporting Bowling For Soup. These were the bands first shows outside of North America. In addition to the tour, Bowling For Soup released a split album with their supporting acts, Patent Pending and The Dollyrots, on their "One Big Happy Tour." The split was rightfully called "One Big Happy" and each band covered one of the other band's songs and each released a new original song. Patent Pending covered Bowling For Soup's "Shut Up and Smile" and The Dollyrot's "Hyperactive." The band's new original song on the split is "Psycho In Love." In December 2012, Patent Pending released a 5-track digital covers EP called "Spring Break '99" which included covers by Limp Bizkit, Smash Mouth, Lit, The Backstreet Boys and Sugar Ray. This was followed with a holiday tour in December 2012 and a first headlining tour of the UK in April, alongside a performance at the 2013 Download Festival in Leicestershire, England.

"Brighter" (2013)

In February 2013, the band began production on a new record at Fantasy Land Studio in Gallatin, Tennessee, choosing again producer Jordan Schmidt. The album was funded by a campaign on PledgeMusic. Brighter was officially released on the 7th of October 2013 in the UK.[6] The US release took place one day later.

Patent Pending opened for Bowling for Soup on their farewell UK Tour.

Musical style and influences

Patent Pending is most commonly referred to as a pop punk or punk rock band, while drawing influences from hip-hop and R&B music. The band has cited Green Day, Blink-182, NOFX, Goldfinger, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, New Found Glory, and even the Beastie Boys and MC Hammer as influences. They often target the subjects of relationships, growing up, and friendship, while touching on the subject of suicide awareness and prevention (in the single One Less Heart to Break).

Personnel

Current members
  • Joe Ragosta – vocals/guitar (2001–2009), vocals (2009–present)
  • Anthony Mingoia – drums (2001–present)
  • Rob Felicetti – guitar/vocals (2010–present)
  • Marc Kantor – guitar (2006–present)
  • Corey DeVincenzo – bass (2012–present)
Fill-in / Touring Members
  • Robert Ragosta - vocals/guitar/keyboards
Former members
  • Michael Ragosta – vocals (2001–2009)
  • Drew Buffardi – bass (2001–2007)
  • Jay Beiner – bass (2007–2010)
  • Travis McGee – bass (2011–2012)
Former touring members
  • Joshua Dicker - vocals/guitar (2009)

Discography

Studio albums

References

  1. ↑ (June 7, 2006). "Pop-punk humor is patently contagious", Newsday, p. B5.
  2. ↑ Apar, Corey. "Patent Pending", Allmusic. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
  3. ↑ (June 30, 2005). "With the band, Hard work gets patented", Newsday, p. B3.
  4. ↑ Gamboa, Glenn (March 20, 2011). "The Long Island sound: Patent Pending gets inventive", Newsday, p. C11.
  5. ↑ Massimo, Rick (July 15, 2011). "Warped grows from its punk roots: Music review", The Providence Journal, p. A2.
  6. ↑ Muscutt, Steve (October 11, 2013) "Patent Pending Released New Studio Album "Brighter" October 7th...." http://musicmuso.com/news/2013/10/11/patent-pending-released-new-studio-album-brighter-october-7th

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