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Revision as of 21:12, 27 September 2007

NOFX

NOFX is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California, in 1983.[3][4][5]

The original lineup included singer/bassist Fat Mike (Mike Burkett), drummer Erik Sandin, and guitarist Eric Melvin. Since 1991 (and after several line-up changes) El Hefe (Aaron Abeyta) has played second guitar and trumpet. The band rose to popularity in 1994 with their album Punk in Drublic which was certified gold.[6]

NOFX has released 10 studio full lengths, 15 EPs, and many 7" singles. The group has sold over 6 million records worldwide, and are one of the most successful independent label bands of all time [7]

Career

NOFX’s first recording was a demo from 1983, produced by Germs drummer Don Bolles, which did not sell any copies. They released their self-titled debut EP NOFX on Mystic Records in 1985, which was later re-released in 1992 as part of the Maximum RocknRoll CD. For a year, Erik Sandin left the band and was replaced by Scott Sellers, and later by Scott Aldahl. Dave Allen was in the band for about four months, until he died in a car accident. In 1986, the band released “So What if We’re on Mystic!” Dave Casillas joined the band on second guitar in 1987 and was featured on the EP The P.M.R.C. Can Suck on This!, attacking the PMRC’s campaign for music censorship. The original cover was an edited S&M photo; the cover for the re-released version was changed to a photo of Eric Melvin.

File:HOFXyellowsplatter3.jpg
NOFX 1995 release HOFX, pressed on splatter-colored vinyl.

Dave then left the band and was replaced by Steve Kidwiller (a.k.a. ‘Steve the Caucasian’). They recorded Liberal Animation in 1988 (before Dave was replaced by Steve) with Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion. Although the title and some of the album’s lyrics mocked vegetarianism and animal rights, Fat Mike says that he became a vegetarian after writing the Liberal Animation album.[8] The album was re-released in 1991 on Gurewitz’s label Epitaph Records. NOFX had signed to Epitaph by 1989, releasing their second album S&M Airlines. 1990 saw the release of Ribbed. By 1991, the band’s lineup had undergone numerous changes; however, the original three members had reunited, and Aaron Abeyta (a.k.a. El Hefe) joined to round out the group. White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean was released in 1992. (The original intended title, White Trash, Two Kikes, and a Spic, was changed because Eric Melvin’s grandmother was upset about the racial epithets.[9])

It was not until the 1994 release of Punk in Drublic that the band had a commercial breakthrough, with the album going gold. In the same year, ‘pop’ punk entered the mainstream with the success of The Offspring’s Smash and Green Day’s Dookie. Punk in Drublic was followed by 1996’s slower Heavy Petting Zoo and 1997’s So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes, a return to faster punk, as exemplified by the frenetic opening track, “It’s My Job to Keep Punk Rock Elite.” In 1999, the band released The Decline, an 18-minute single-track EP which served as a fiery and cynical social commentary. This was followed by the full-length album Pump Up the Valuum in 2000.

In 2003, NOFX released War on Errorism, an album of political songs. It became the start of their anti-George W. Bush campaign, and a rallying point for leftist punks. Fat Mike organized the website punkvoter.com, compiled two chart-topping Rock Against Bush CDs, and kicked off a Rock Against Bush U. S. tour. The band has released many EPs (e.g., Fuck the Kids and The Longest Line) on Fat Mike’s own label Fat Wreck Chords. In February 2005, the band launched the NOFX 7" of the Month Club, a subscription-based service which saw the release of one new EP almost monthly, from February 2005 to March 2006 (a total of 12 releases). The cover art for these EPs were chosen from fan-submitted entries. The first 3000 subscribers to the club received all of their records on colored vinyl. Fat Wreck Chords later released full sets of the EPs.

File:NOFXt.jpg
NOFX performing at "The Wall" in Taipei, Taiwan.

On March 14, 2006, the EP Never Trust a Hippy was released. This EP was followed on April 18 by the full-length album Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing. On September 12, 2006, the video game EA Sports NHL07 was released, featuring Wolves in Wolves’ Clothing on its soundtrack, produced by Bill Stevenson and Fat Mike.

In January 2007, the band recorded three nights of shows in San Francisco, California, for an upcoming live album entitled They’ve Actually Gotten Worse Live, set to be released in November 2007. The live album is described on the press release as “their sloppiest, drunkest, funnest, best sounding recording ever … and they even made sure not to play any songs off their 1995 live album I Heard They Suck Live.”[10]

NOFX launched a world tour in September 2007, which included concerts in Israel (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa). During their final concert in Israel (7 September in Haifa), vocalist Fat Mike inadvertently struck guitarist Eric Melvin with his bass guitar during their performance of “Bottles to the Ground,” breaking the guitar’s neck and leaving a bloody gash on Eric Melvin’s forehead. (The band completed their scheduled set amidst the audience’s cheers to Eric Melvin’s good humor and perseverance.)

Music style and influences

The band’s sound is diverse, utilizing elements of melodic hardcore, skate punk, ska, and other music genres. Their lyrics generally satirize issues such as politics, society, various subcultures, racism, the music industry, and religion.

They cite their influences as Adrenalin O.D., Rich Kids on LSD, The Sex Pistols, and The Subhumans.[11]

Relationship with the media

For years the band has consented to very few interviews and have only made a few music videos, citing the fact that they do not need any more exposure and that people were exploiting them.[12] In recent years Fat Mike has consented to more interviews, including four different interviews with Nardwuar between 2002 and 2006.[13] The band has also refused permission for their music videos to be played on MTV, VH1, and similar music channels, although they made a live appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 2004.[14] The credits on the album Heavy Petting Zoo call on MTV, along with major labels, to "leave them the fuck alone."

Discography

Studio albums

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1988, re-released in 1991 Liberal Animation Epitaph n/a
1989 S&M Airlines Epitaph n/a
1991 Ribbed Epitaph n/a
1992 White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean Epitaph n/a
1994 Punk in Drublic Epitaph 12 (Heatseekers) Gold
1996 Heavy Petting Zoo Epitaph 63 (Billboard 200)
1997 So Long and Thanks for All the Shoes Epitaph 79 (Billboard 200)
2000 Pump up the Valuum Epitaph 61 (Billboard 200)
2003 The War on Errorism Fat Wreck Chords 44 (Billboard 200)
2006 Wolves in Wolves' Clothing Fat Wreck Chords 46 (Billboard 200)

Live albums

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1995 I Heard They Suck Live!! Fat Wreck Chords 198 (Billboard 200)
2008 They've Actually Gotten Worse Live[15] Fat Wreck Chords N/A

EPs

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1985 NOFX (EP) Mystic Records n/a
1986 So What If We're on Mystic! Mystic Records n/a
1987, re-released in 1990 The P.M.R.C. Can Suck on This! Colossal Wassail Re-released on Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1992 The Longest Line Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1995 Leave it Alone (EP) Epitaph n/a
1996 Fuck the Kids Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1999 The Decline Fat Wreck Chords #200
2001 Surfer Fat Wreck Chords n/a
2003 Regaining Unconsciousness Fat Wreck Chords 187 (Billboard 200)
2006 Never Trust a Hippy Fat Wreck Chords 186 (Billboard 200)

Singles

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1992 Liza and Louise Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1994 Don't Call Me White Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1995 HOFX Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1996 All of Me Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1999 Timmy the Turtle Fat Wreck Chords n/a
1999 Louise and Liza Fat Wreck Chords n/a
2000 Pods and Gods Fat Wreck Chords n/a
2000 Bottles to the Ground Epitaph n/a
2001 Fat Club 7 Fat Wreck Chords n/a
2003 13 Stitches Fat Wreck Chords n/a
2005-2006 7" of the Month Club Fat Wreck Chords n/a

Splits

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1988 Drowning Roses/NOFX Split X-Mist Records n/a
2002 BYO Split Series, Vol. 3 BYO Records n/a

Compilations

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1992 Maximum Rocknroll Mystic Records n/a
2002 45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records Fat Wreck Chords 80 (Billboard 200)
2004 The Greatest Songs Ever Written (By Us!) Epitaph Records n/a

Videos

Date of Release Title Label US Billboard Peak US sales
1994 Ten Years of Fuckin' Up Fat Wreck Chords n/a

See also

References

  1. ^ Rhapsody.com - Top Skate Punk Bands
  2. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,984879-2,00.html
  3. ^ http://www.fatwreck.com/band/index/6
  4. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/27/CMG7RPJJFD1.DTL
  5. ^ http://www.fatwreck.com/store/detail/Epitaph+86435
  6. ^ http://epitaph.com/artists/album/148
  7. ^ http://fatwreck.com/band/index/6
  8. ^ http://www.nofx.org/oldint/flipside97.html
  9. ^ http://www.nofx.org/oldint/flipside97.html
  10. ^ http://fatwreck.com/band/index/6
  11. ^ http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/qa/qa_read.php3?page=3
  12. ^ http://www.nofxofficialwebsite.com/qa/qa.html
  13. ^ http://nardwuar.com/vs/fat_mike/
  14. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/wilco/articles/story/6416250/wilco_modest_mouse_on_tv
  15. ^ url=http://www.fatwreck.com/band/index/6
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