Indiana has a history of producing great punk bands. Pop punk bands like the Ataris and classic punk bands like the Zero Boys all have their beginnings in the Hoosier state. Yet the title of “most prolific punk band to emerge from Indiana” goes to the Fishers-based power trio Up! Scumbag.

They’ve recorded a vast body of work and released their first four CDs in barely three years’ time. They have close to 70 original songs in their catalog and are about to release their fifth full-length disc titled Reality TV Casualty.

Alex, Ivin and Kevin Scumbag play three-chord garage punk that’s as fast and dirty as a truck stop waitress and as edgy as a rusty switchblade. Their songs are extremely catchy and inevitably burrow their way into your subconscious with hook-laden lyrics layered over tight drumming and bluesy guitar squalls.

Punk was born from the days of DIY ’zines and Xeroxed flyers, and Up! Scumbag has been dedicated to keeping the DIY spirit alive. They create almost all their flyers, packaging and merchandise in the “scum shed” (a shack, studio and secret lair they maintain in Ivin Scumbag’s backyard).

They played a recent gig with comedian Doug Stanhope at Locals Only. When describing what he thought of the new Up! Scumbag CD, Stanhope said, “When you put it in your CD player, you’ll have chicks jumping in your car wanting to blow you. This CD is so good it will clear up your kidney cancer and make your prolapsed rectum suck itself back into your body like a meat volcano.”

Up! Scumbag CD release shows:

WHO: w/ The Guts, The Coke Dares, Highway Magic
WHERE: Emerson Theater, 4634 E. 10th St.
WHEN: Friday, May 2, 7:30 p.m., $7, all ages

WHO: Punk Rock Night w/ The Coke Dares, Flamingo Nosebleed, The Guts
WHERE: Melody Inn, 3826 N. Illinois St.
WHEN: Saturday, May 3, 10 p.m., $7, 21+