Combining equal parts of deep funk, high-energy punk, and frantic ska, the Los Angeles-based Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary, the group gained a sizable cult following during the late... [+] Read More

Combining equal parts of deep funk, high-energy punk, and frantic ska, the Los Angeles-based Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary, the group gained a sizable cult following during the late '80s, yet they were never able to earn a mainstream audience.

Led by vocalist/saxophonist Angelo Moore, the group formed in 1979 while the band was still in junior high; the original lineup comprised Moore, Chris Dowd, Kendall Jones, Walter Kibby II, and John Norwood Fisher. After performing in local clubs during the early '80s, the group signed with Columbia Records in the mid-'80s, releasing a self-titled EP in 1985. The following year, Fishbone released their first full-length album, In Your Face. While it was marred by a somewhat slick production, the sheer energy of their performances burned through the slightly polished surface. In 1987, the band released the Christmas EP It's a Wonderful Life (Gonna Have a Good Time).

Truth and Soul (1988), Fishbone's second album, captured the band at their most ambitious, as they slammed back and forth between heavy metal and funk, throwing in an acoustic number and a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" for balance. The album expanded their audience and charted at number 153. However, the band didn't record a new album for another three years. In the meantime, they made two EPs -- Ma and Pa (1989) and Bonin' in the Boneyard (1990) -- which basically comprised several B-sides. Before 1991's The Reality of My Surroundings Fishbone added second guitarist John Bigham. The Reality of My Surroundings didn't depart from the band's reckless eclecticism, it refined it. The album was a hit, peaking at number 49 and receiving positive reviews. However, the record didn't establish the band as a mainstream success, nor did 1993's Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe, despite their appearance at the third Lollapalooza. Even when the third wave ska revival began to rise to popularity in 1996, Fishbone was left behind, as their 1996 record Chim Chim's Bad Ass Revenge -- their first album for Arista -- was ignored, as was the double-disc compilation Fishbone 101: Nuttasaurusmeg Fossil Fuelin. Despite their poor sales, the group remained a popular concert attraction, issuing the all-star Psychotic Friends Nuttwerk in the spring of 2000. Unfortunately, Hollywood Records had little support for the album and it disappeared after a few disappointing months. They were dropped from the label the following summer, with side-projects and various other things keeping them busy during this rough period. An EP featuring a twenty minute jam with Primus entitled Friendliest Psychosis Of All was released on their own label in the spring of 2002, followed by a live album full of new songs (Live at the Temple Bar and More) in the summer. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

One of the cornerstone bands of the '90s punk revival, Rancid's unabashedly classicist sound drew heavily from the Clash's early records, echoing their left-leaning politics and fascination with ska, while adding a bit of post-hardcore crunch. While some critics dismissed Rancid as derivative, others praised their political commitment, surging... [+] Read More

One of the cornerstone bands of the '90s punk revival, Rancid's unabashedly classicist sound drew heavily from the Clash's early records, echoing their left-leaning politics and fascination with ska, while adding a bit of post-hardcore crunch. While some critics dismissed Rancid as derivative, others praised their political commitment, surging energy, and undeniable way with a hook. And, regardless of critical debate over their significance, the band's strengths made them perhaps the most popular neo-punk band after Green Day and the Offspring. Their third album, 1995's ...And Out Come the Wolves, made them a platinum-selling sensation and an inescapable presence on MTV and modern rock radio. While they never translated that success into an enormous blockbuster record (like the aforementioned bands who hit the mainstream first), that wasn't necessarily their ambition, choosing to stay with the independent punk label Epitaph and the creative freedom it allowed them. That decision helped them retain a large, devoted core audience as revivalist punk-pop began to slip off the mainstream's musical radar.

Rancid were formed in 1991 by San Francisco Bay Area punk scenesters Tim Armstrong (guitar/vocals) and Matt Freeman (bass). Lifelong friends and longtime punk fans, the two had grown up together in the small, working-class town of Albany, near Berkeley; they'd also played together in the legendary ska-punk band Operation Ivy, Armstrong as "Lint" and Freeman as Matt McCall. After Op Ivy disbanded in 1989, Armstrong and Freeman spent a few weeks in the ska-punk outfit Dance Hall Crashers, as well as Downfall; Freeman later briefly joined the hardcore band MDC. Meanwhile, Armstrong was waging a battle with alcoholism (but, fortunately, winning), and to help keep his friend occupied, Freeman suggested they escape their day jobs by forming a new band, which became Rancid. The duo added drummer Brett Reed, Armstrong's roommate and a familiar presence on the Gilman Street scene where Operation Ivy had cut their teeth. Just a couple of months later, Rancid were performing live around the area, and in 1992 they released a five-song debut EP on Lookout! Records.

The EP caught the attention of Brett Gurewitz and his well-respected Epitaph label, which signed Rancid to a highly favorable contract guaranteeing them a generous amount of creative control. The band's eponymously titled, first full-length album arrived in 1993, pursuing an up-tempo, hardcore/skatepunk style with few hints of early British punk. Rancid had been seeking a second guitarist, and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong even played live with the group at one show. They pursued Lars Frederiksen, a Bay Area resident who'd joined a later incarnation of U.K. Subs and was performing with the band Slip; Frederiksen initially declined Rancid's invitation to join, but when Slip disbanded, he quickly changed his mind and came along on Rancid's first tour. Frederiksen made his recording debut on the early-1994 EP Radio Radio Radio, a side dalliance on Fat Wreck Chords. Released later that year, Let's Go was the album that made Rancid's name in the punk underground. It marked the beginnings of their fascination with the 1977-era London punk scene, particularly the Clash, and it also provided their first widespread exposure when MTV picked up on the video for the single "Salvation." Let's Go quickly went gold, and with the breakout mainstream success of Green Day and the Offspring that year, major-label interest in Rancid quickly escalated into a full-fledged bidding war (even Madonna's Maverick imprint got in on the action). Ultimately, Rancid decided that no major could offer them the level of decision-making power that Epitaph had given them, and stayed right where they were.

Rancid scored a major success with their next album, 1995's ...And Out Come the Wolves, whose title was a reference to the near-predatory interest in signing the band. The Clash fetish was even more pronounced, augmented with a greater interest in the original Two-Tone ska revival the Clash had helped influence (bands like the Specials). "Ruby Soho" was a major MTV and radio hit, and "Time Bomb" and "Roots Radicals" were hits in their own right. The album went platinum and made Rancid one of the most visible punk bands around. They played the 1996 Lollapalooza Tour, and afterward took a short break, their first since becoming a quartet. During that time, Freeman played with former X singer Exene Cervenka in Auntie Christ, while Armstrong set up the Epitaph subsidiary Hellcat; he and Frederiksen both began doing production work for other bands they hoped to spotlight.

Rancid returned in 1998 with the even more ska-heavy Life Won't Wait, a guest-star-loaded affair that featured members of ska bands the Specials and Hepcat, Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, dancehall reggae star Buju Banton, and Agnostic Front vocalist Roger Miret. While it didn't cross over on the level of ...And Out Come the Wolves, it demonstrated that Rancid retained a substantial fan base. For the 2000 follow-up, their second self-titled release, the group largely scrapped its ska-punk side, recording a visceral, hardcore-influenced album that blasted through 22 songs in under 40 minutes (in contrast to its two lengthy predecessors). Perhaps for that reason, Rancid received a highly positive response from the punk community. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

A great deal of the groundwork for the mid- to late-'90s explosion of ska and ska-metal was laid by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who were one of the first bands to cross high-energy ska with hardcore punk and heavy metal and also helped shift its tone toward testosterone-filled party music. The Bosstones built up a devoted cult following... [+] Read More

A great deal of the groundwork for the mid- to late-'90s explosion of ska and ska-metal was laid by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who were one of the first bands to cross high-energy ska with hardcore punk and heavy metal and also helped shift its tone toward testosterone-filled party music. The Bosstones built up a devoted cult following throughout their career, but their level of commercial success never quite matched that of more pop-oriented third-wave ska bands, like No Doubt and Sublime, who followed in their wake; however, the band did achieve a long-overdue breakthrough in 1997 with the modern-rock radio smash "The Impression That I Get."

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones formed in 1985 in Boston, featuring Tim Bridewell, Dicky Barrett (vocals), Nate Albert (guitar), Joe Gittleman (bass), Josh Dalsimer (drums), and Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton (saxophone), plus dancer Ben Carr. While all the members shared a love of ska, their tastes also ran elsewhere; Barrett, in particular, was involved in the local straight-edge hardcore scene and played with a band called Impact Unit. Originally calling themselves simply the Bosstones, the group appended "Mighty Mighty" to their name after discovering a Boston-area a cappella group with an identical moniker. The group appeared on a ska compilation, but then disbanded temporarily to allow Albert to finish high school. In 1989, the Bosstones re-formed and recorded their debut album, Devils Night Out, which was released in 1990 on Taang! Records. The follow-up, 1992's More Noise and Other Disturbances, saw several personnel shifts; Bridewell and Dalsimer departed, the latter to attend college, and the two were replaced by drummer Joe Sirois, saxophonist Kevin Lenear, and trombonist Dennis Brockenborough, a lineup that lasted through much of the band's career. 1992 also saw the release of the Where'd You Go EP, which contained several hard rock covers.

In 1993, the Bosstones signed a major-label deal with Mercury and released Don't Know How to Party; in spite of their fondness for plaid, a holdover from their early pajama-clad gigs, the group also landed a television commercial for a jean company. 1994 saw the band paying homage to their hardcore roots with a mini-album of mostly covers, Ska-Core, the Devil and More, as well as the full-length Question the Answers, one of their finest efforts. A year later, the Bosstones appeared in the film Clueless, performing "Where'd You Go" and "Someday I Suppose," two of their most popular numbers; they also landed a main-stage slot on that summer's Lollapalooza tour.

Even if their music often strays far afield from classic Two-Tone ska revival (especially their earlier material), the Bosstones, unlike many of their contemporaries, have retained some of that movement's political consciousness. In 1996, the band helped organize the Safe and Sound benefit album in response to Boston-area family planning clinic slayings, and also perform frequently at benefit shows for battered women's groups; most of their concerts also feature information booths from the Anti-Racist Action Group. In 1997, the breakthrough of ska-pop bands like No Doubt and Sublime paved the way for the accessible, Two-Tone-inspired Let's Face It to become the band's biggest-selling album yet; it was eventually certified platinum, buoyed by the success of the anthemic "The Impression That I Get," which fell just short of topping the modern rock charts that summer. Live From the Middle East followed in 1998 as a stopgap release, and the band experienced its first personnel shifts in some time: saxophonist Lenear was the first to leave, replaced by Roman "The Showman" Fleysher, and guitarist Albert departed again, partly to care for an ailing family member and partly to finish his education at Brown University (Kevin Stevenson of the Shods had already served as his temporary touring substitute in 1997). Albert's replacement, Lawrence Katz, signed on after the band completed the follow-up to Let's Face It; titled Pay Attention, the record was released in the spring of 2000, and produced another modern rock radio hit in "So Sad to Say." A Jackknife to a Swan appeared two years later. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

One of the first bands to fuse revivalist ska with the energy and aggression of post-hardcore punk rock (after the Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Operation Ivy were also one of the few ska-punk bands to earn critical acclaim. Part of the reason was that they were one of the genre's innovators, possessed of a freshness that many of their imitators... [+] Read More

One of the first bands to fuse revivalist ska with the energy and aggression of post-hardcore punk rock (after the Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Operation Ivy were also one of the few ska-punk bands to earn critical acclaim. Part of the reason was that they were one of the genre's innovators, possessed of a freshness that many of their imitators lacked, but their lyrics were often more intelligent and substantive as well. Thanks to their early breakup (the group was only together for two years), Operation Ivy became an enduring, even legendary influence in the neo-punk underground, especially after half of the band went on to hit it big in a new group, Rancid.

Operation Ivy were formed in Berkeley, CA, in May 1987 out of the ashes of several local bands. Lead singer Jesse Michaels, guitarist Lint (born Tim Armstrong), bassist Matt McCall (born Matt Freeman, renamed after the hero of the TV series The Equalizer), and drummer Dave Mello began playing extensively at the famed Gilman Street club, a center of the Bay Area's burgeoning punk revival scene. (Initially, they had no horn section, though sax player Paul Bae would later join them on selected recordings.) They quickly signed with the local punk label Lookout, and appeared on two compilations by the end of the year: the label sampler The Thing That Ate Floyd, and the Maximum Rock'n'Roll magazine sampler Turn It Around. In 1988, they released an EP titled Hectic and toured the country, playing small-scale punk venues.

With a budding reputation as an excellent live band, EMI offered Operation Ivy a major-label deal. Unsure of how to react to the prospect of success -- both because of their independent politics and local-mindedness -- the band chose to break up rather than compromise their intentions, playing their last show in May 1989. Their debut full-length album, Energy, was released on Lookout several months later, and became a touchstone of the third wave ska revival largely through word of mouth. Michaels went on to sing with Big Rig before leaving music; varying accounts hold that he became either a Buddhist monk or a Central American missionary, and may have returned to the U.S. to work for Lookout. Mello joined Schlong and then reunited briefly with Armstrong and Freeman in Downfall, which released an album on Lookout in 1995. Armstrong and Freeman, reverting to their real names, formed Rancid in 1991; their Clash-inspired punk and ska helped make them one of the most popular bands of the '90s punk revival, after Green Day and the Offspring. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Along with No Doubt, Sublime, and Rancid, the Los Angeles quartet Goldfinger helped contribute to a mini-U.S. ska-punk movement in the mid- to late '90s. The group was originally formed in 1994 by ex-Electric Love Hogs guitarist/singer John Feldmann and bassist/singer Simon Williams (who were both working at the same shoe store at the time), in... [+] Read More

Along with No Doubt, Sublime, and Rancid, the Los Angeles quartet Goldfinger helped contribute to a mini-U.S. ska-punk movement in the mid- to late '90s. The group was originally formed in 1994 by ex-Electric Love Hogs guitarist/singer John Feldmann and bassist/singer Simon Williams (who were both working at the same shoe store at the time), in addition to drummer Darrin Pfeiffer and an unnamed second guitarist (who would leave the group before any recordings could be issued and later become a pro surfer in Costa Rica). A friend of Feldmann's, Charlie Paulson, signed on shortly thereafter, playing his first show with the group just a day after being given a tape of their songs to learn. A six-track demo EP, Richter, was issued in 1995 and received favorable reviews and a substantial amount of airplay on college radio, leading to Goldfinger signing a major-label contract with Universal. Their self-titled full-length debut hit the record racks a year later, spawning the popular single/video "Here in Your Bedroom" (a track which originally appeared on their EP) and toured alongside the Sex Pistols, No Doubt, Reel Big Fish, and the multi-band festival the Vans Warped Tour.

1997 saw the release of their second full-length, Hang Up's, which failed to live up to the expectations set by their debut, although the group kept their profile in the public's eye by donating a cover of the Spiral Starecase song "More Today Than Yesterday" to the soundtrack of the hit Adam Sandler movie The Waterboy. Williams left the band in 1998, replaced by a former bandmate of Feldmann's from Electric Love Hogs, Kelly Lemieux, and Goldfinger debuted their new lineup with the eight-track all-covers live EP, Darrin's Coconut Ass: Live, a year later. The quartet's third studio release, Stomping Ground, was issued in 2000 as the group thoroughly toured both Europe and the U.S. (during their tour of England, Goldfinger recorded one of their sets, issuing the live Foot in Mouth, available only at shows and through the band's official website). Come 2001, it was Paulson's turn to jump ship, replaced by Brian Arthur (formerly of the Texas alt-metal outfit Unloco), as Goldfinger's first studio album for their new label, Jive/Zoomba, was issued in 2002 with Open Your Eyes. Disconnection Notice from 2005 found the group switching to the Maverick label. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Not only is Pezcore the record that kicked off Less Than Jake's underground success, but it also inspired a million suburban ska-punk bands all across the U.S. Depending on your perspective, LTJ is praised and cursed for being this influential. But who wouldn't be inspired after listening to Pezcore? The music is an instant party conveniently... [+] Read More

Not only is Pezcore the record that kicked off Less Than Jake's underground success, but it also inspired a million suburban ska-punk bands all across the U.S. Depending on your perspective, LTJ is praised and cursed for being this influential. But who wouldn't be inspired after listening to Pezcore? The music is an instant party conveniently packaged into a compact disc (or LP depending on your preferred format). The energy is thick, the level of fun is high, and the cynicism is nowhere to be found upon hearing the ska guitar riffs. Besides, hits like "Liquor Store," "My Very Own Flag," and "One Last Cigarette" could put a smile on the harshest anti-ska head. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Sublime's eponymous major-label debut arrived a few months after the band's leader, Brad Nowell, died tragically of a heroin overdose. As a show of sympathy, the album tended to be slightly overrated in some critical quarters, who claimed that Nowell was an exceptionally gifted lyricist and musical hybridist, but Sublime doesn't quite support... [+] Read More

Sublime's eponymous major-label debut arrived a few months after the band's leader, Brad Nowell, died tragically of a heroin overdose. As a show of sympathy, the album tended to be slightly overrated in some critical quarters, who claimed that Nowell was an exceptionally gifted lyricist and musical hybridist, but Sublime doesn't quite support those claims. The trio does have a surprising grace in its unabashedly traditionalist fusion of Californian hardcore punk, light hip-hop, and reggae. Switching between bracing hardcore and slow, sexy reggae numbers, Sublime display supple, muscular versatility and, on occasion, a gift for ingratiatingly catchy hooks, as on the hit single "What I Got." What they don't have is the vision -- either lyrical or musical -- to maintain interest throughout the course of the entire album. Sublime sags when the band delves too deeply into their dub aspirations or when their lyrics slide into smirking humor. The low moments don't arrive that often -- by and large, the album is quite engaging -- but they happen frequently enough to make the record a demonstration of the band's blossoming ability, but not the fulfillment of their full potential. Of course, Nowell's death gives the record a certain pathos, but that doesn't make the album any stronger. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Less Than Jake's major-label debut, Losing Streak, is a reasonably engaging collection of frenzied, party-ready metallic ska-punk. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Less Than Jake's major-label debut, Losing Streak, is a reasonably engaging collection of frenzied, party-ready metallic ska-punk. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

So many mid-'90s bands combined ska with punk rock, and so few of them did it in any memorable way, that it's a genuine pleasure to be able to report on one that makes it work perfectly. The Dance Hall Crashers succeed by worrying about tunes first and rhythmic signifiers second (if at all), and by putting two marvelous singers (Elise Rogers and... [+] Read More

So many mid-'90s bands combined ska with punk rock, and so few of them did it in any memorable way, that it's a genuine pleasure to be able to report on one that makes it work perfectly. The Dance Hall Crashers succeed by worrying about tunes first and rhythmic signifiers second (if at all), and by putting two marvelous singers (Elise Rogers and Karina Denike) front and center and yoking them equally. On "All Mine" they slide in and out of harmony, spending half the time singing in sweet unison while the guitar-bass-drums backing trio spins out tightly constructed power-pop-ska behind them, whereas on "Elvis & Me" one sings lead while the other jumps in with perfect harmonies on the chorus. That's the formula and they stick with it, much to the music's benefit. The tempos are typically very brisk but never feel rushed (a sure sign of maturity in a ska band), and the production is clear and focused without sounding overly slick. Excellent. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

While it wasn't as jaw-droppingly brilliant as such future releases like 1988's Truth and Soul and 1991's The Reality of My Surroundings would be, Fishbone's self-titled debut from 1985 sounded, at the time, totally unlike anything on the music scene. Although it only contains six songs total and their more hard-rocking direction of the future... [+] Read More

While it wasn't as jaw-droppingly brilliant as such future releases like 1988's Truth and Soul and 1991's The Reality of My Surroundings would be, Fishbone's self-titled debut from 1985 sounded, at the time, totally unlike anything on the music scene. Although it only contains six songs total and their more hard-rocking direction of the future isn't yet present, it remains Fishbone's most ska-based work. By incorporating the energy and unpredictability of punk rock, however, the EP was an obviously important influence on the 1990s popular alterna-ska scene (No Doubt, Sublime, etc.). One of the band's perennial concert favorites, "Party at Ground Zero," is included and remains an invigorating listen years later. Other lesser-known highlights include the cutting edge sounds of "? (Modern Industry)," in which the bandmembers shout out radio station call letters as opposed to conventional lyrics, as well as "Another Generation." While the album opener "Ugly" was an early fan favorite, the lyrics are quite silly, and the closing track, "Lyin' Ass Bitch," hasn't aged well either, especially when heard in the politically correct '90s. Still, Fishbone remains an important album for the now commonplace, genre-jumping alternative music scene. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Hide