San Francisco Bay Area noise pop band Swiftumz was founded and operated by musician Chris McVicker, who got his start in rock & roll after dropping out of a marching band in middle school because he thought the songs were too lame. He turned his attention to other forms of musical expression, forming and joining lots of bands, punk and otherwise, most notably Special Ed with Tina Lucchesi, ex of the Bobbyteens. Through this connection, one of his songs, "Don't Cha Want Me Back," was recorded for a 2009 Hunx & His Punx single. Tired of being in other people's bands, McVicker started working on his own music. His debut album, Don't Trip, was released in 2011 on Holy Mountain Records and featured McVicker and friends conjuring up tunes that brought to mind thoughts of everything from C-86-style indie pop to the weirdos of the early-'90s lo-fi scene. He formed a live band to take the music to the stage, playing the Bay Area and beyond. After releasing a couple singles in 2013, "Love Ya 4 Eva" and "Willy," Swiftumz returned in May of 2015 with an album titled Everybody Loves Chris on hometown label Melters. ~ Tim Sendra