His two decades as a restaurateur now a distant memory, Greg Norton may be officially out of the kitchen these days. But his reputation as a published oenophile continues with his ongoing work in the wine industry. In between pours, however, Hüsker Dü’s founding bassist is still drinking from post-punk’s bittersweet cistern with Ultrabomb, a seasoned power trio that also includes drummer Derek O’Brien (Social Distortion) and guitarist Ryan Smith (Soul Asylum, Melismatics).
After a pair of LPs over the past four years, Utrabomb is back with “Artificial Stars,” a swift blow to the sternum that harnesses both the speedy energy of Norton’s early Minneapolis days and the ragged hard-rock sensibility of Twin Tone-era Soul Asylum. It’s the first single from the group’s upcoming album, The Bridges That We Burn (DC-Jam/Virgin).
“Sitting in our bunkers, we only have artificial stars to look at,” says Norton of the track. “We’re all scarred, but we keep reaching for those stars.”
We’re proud to premiere Ultrabomb’s “Artificial Stars.” Look for The Bridges That We Burn in the spring.
—Hobart Rowland
