Today, I'm kicking off a brand new feature on the blog called Artist Profile where I'll showcase some of my favorite artists that I listen to on a daily basis. I'll pick one artist from each letter of the alphabet and offer some background info on the artist and why I love them so much!
Today's Artist Profile is on one of my favorite bands growing up, 311! 311 were formed in Omaha, Nebraska in 1988, the band consists of Nick Hexum on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Aaron Wills (AKA P-Nut) on bass, Chad Sexton on drums, SA Martinez on backup vocals and turntable, and Tim Mahoney on lead guitar. The band started out playing a handful of shows at local venues in the Omaha area such as The Ranch Bowl, selling homemade cassettes and CD's at their shows and drawing in thousands of local area fans in the process. The band recorded a 6-song demo titled Hydrophonic that was released in 1992 and within a few months, the band was signed to Capricorn Records.
The band released their debut album titled Music in 1993, producing such classics as "Freak Out", "My Stoney Baby", and "Do You Right". Their follow up came a year later called Grassroots and that gave way to standards such as "Homebrew", "Lucky", and "Applied Science" However, it was their self titled effort, commonly referred to as The Blue Album in 1995 that officially put 311 on the map. The album produced the #1 charting Billboard Modern Rock hit "Down", "All Mixed Up", and my personal favorite 311 song of all time, "Don't Stay Home".
The band released their most ambitious effort Transistor in 1997. The 22 song album produced such memorable tunes as "Beautiful Disaster" and the disc's title track. Their last album on Capricorn Records called Soundsystem came in 1999, and had hits such as "Come Original" and "Freeze Time". The band signed to Volcano Records in 2001, where they released From Chaos. The album produced their biggest crossover hit in the form of "Amber" which charted at #27 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart. Three more albums followed over the years including Evolver in 2003, Don't Tread On Me in 2005, and their most recent set, Uplifter came in 2009.
311 was one of the first bands that I listened to where I immediately became an avid and devoted fan of them upon first listen. The first bands that I listened to growing up were Nirvana and Green Day and while I liked those artists to a certain extent, I wasn't a completely rabid, devoted fan as I was of 311. 311 completely defined for me what it was that I liked about music, their unique blend of rock, reggae, and hip-hop tunes completely reeled me in hook, line, and sinker and their immediate stage presence left me in complete awe of their musical abilities. I've had the pleasure of seeing them in concert twice and I can tell you that they're well worth the price of admission! 311 concerts are more like gatherings you see at football games where people have tailgate parties and hang out in the parking lot before the show. I have met lots of great people at these shows where the atmosphere resembles that more like a festival than just a regular concert. There's nothing better than kicking back in the parking lot on a hot summer day with food, beer, and the company of your fellow 311 peers who have all gathered to be in the presence of each other's company and to enjoy the same band that you grew up listening to when you were younger.
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