YEAR OF THE DRAGON

In the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is a symbol of strength and harmony. Not surprisingly the two leaders of Year of the Dragon, Roderick Byron "Rodcore" Palmer, and Walter Adam Kibby, II AKA Dirty Walt, were born within days of each other under that sign.

Rodcore, has had various starts and stops with different incarnations of YOTD in the past between stints with other LA based bands, but it was not until Dirty Walt left the band that he co-founded and co-led for over twenty-five years, Ska-Punk-Funk legends Fishbone, along with fellow former Fishbone solider guitarist Spacey T, that the seeds of the current YOTD were planted.

In 2006, the three recorded and self-released an EP, A Time To Love Is A Time To Bleed which received critical acclaim and sold well through the internet and at shows. Wanting to take things to the next level, Dirty Walt and Rodcore, put together a regular band and started gigging weekly around Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, capitalizing on Fishbone's loyal fan base and attracting new fans of their own with YOTD's own brand of hardcore with a funk groove and soulful tag team vocals. Around this time, the band began a partnership with a start-up indie label, The International Brotherhood of Consequential Truth that would result in the brand new YOTD release, Blunt Force Karma, the band's first full-length album.

The band has since moved on from the IBCT and is now with Stylus Recs, a new indie label formed and run by Greg Hetson, lead guitarist of Bad Religion!  Mr. Hetson also produced the band's upcoming e.p. that will be released in 2012, entitled FIVE FINGERS OF DEF.  The live band--composed of Rodcore and Dirty Walt along with continual drummer Kerim Imes, guitarist Marc Rey and bassist T-Bone--are getting ready to hit the road to deliver the YOTD experience live all over America!  Get ready!!