Pour les fans de Metal, Rock, Reggae, Indé et Alternatif, Funk & Soul, et Hip-hop.
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Formed of vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson, bassist Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, and drummer Chad Sexton, the band derived their name from the Omaha Police Department’s code for indecent exposure after the band’s original guitarist was arrested for streaking. That guitarist, Jim Watson, departed the group shortly after the band's conception and was replaced by Tim Mahoney. The band began honing their skills, performing in the local area before moving to Los Angeles, California and signing with Capricorn Records in 1991.
During the 1990s, 311 released a string of albums including the well-received “Music” in 1992, “Grassroots” in 1993, and 1995’s eponymously-titled album, otherwise known as “The Blue Album”. The latter peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, helped by the singles “All Mixed Up” and “Down” eventually selling over three million copies in the U.S.
311’s 1996 was consumed by nonstop, relentless touring, which the band showed off with their live home video “Enlarged to Show Detail”. Subsequently the modern rockers released the album “Transistor” in 1997, a platinum selling release, which led to the the album “Live” cataloging 311’s live shows. “Soundsystem” arrived in 1999 before the group switched to label Volcano Records for their sixth studio album “From Chaos”, which was issued in 2001.
The band’s seventh album “Evolver” turned out to be their worst ever performing material in 2003, however went on to release a “Greatest Hits” compilation of hit singles to celebrate over 10 years as a group together. New material arrived in 2005 with the band’s eighth full-length album “Don’t Tread on Me” followed by “Uplifter” in 2009, “Universal Pulse” in 2011, and “Stereolithic” in 2014.
Bushell was in a punk band and had recorded some hip-hop demo tapes and the two started collaborating, recording in Bushells garage. They created their blend of pop-punk, reggae and hip-hop that was to see them through their recording career under the name “Dirty Head”, which was apparently the name they earned from their family members in their garage days.
Before long they had formed a full band with other members, percussionist Jon Olazabal, drummer Matt Ochoa, and bassist David Foral. They were scheduled to release their first album, “Any Port in a Storm” with Warner Brothers but decided they’d stick it to the big record label and went with EMG.
The first single, “Lay Me Down”, featuring Rome Ramirez from Sublime with Rome, got them a Number 1 slot on the Billboard Alternative Song Chart for 2010.
The rest of the album was a symposium of big wigs including Beatles sessioner and R&B multi-instrumentalist, Billy Preston, Vandals drummer, Josh Freese and reggae singer Tippa Irie.
Dirty Heads began to tour regularly, supporting the likes of Unwritten Law, 311 and Matisyahu.
After a recording hiatus, they put out “Cabin by the Sea”, which also hosted a bunch of cameos including Kymani Marley on “Your Love”, a reappearance of Rome Ramirez on “Mongo Push”, Matisyahu on “Dance All Night”, and hip-hop veteran and cameo machine Del the Funky Homosapien on “Smoke Rings”.
Their studio album, “Sound of Change”, debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard Alternative Albums Chart, with the single “My Sweet Summer” drawing in a new electronic infusion to their rootsy reggae sound, resulting in a dolled-up dancehall number with a melancholic undercurrent, its chorus channeling some the jilted blues tracks of the 1960s, perhaps most recognizably Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine”.
311 - that’s pronounced ‘three-eleven’, for the uninitiated - have to be one of the most sonically-diverse bands ever to sell eight and a half million records (that’s in the U.S. alone). Over the course of eleven records and twenty-five years, they’ve veered between straight-up alternative rock and some more diffuse offshoots thereof; they’ve dabbled in rap and funk, and even reggae, whilst you’ll find some heavier, harder stuff too, if you look closely enough.
Highlight of the calendar year, if you’re a 311 fan (and American) is of course the 11th of March (or 3/11) - 311 day. Over the years, the band have marked it with spectacularly lengthy sets that surely challenge both the legs and attention span of even the most ardent supporter; the current record, set back in 2004, stands at 68. They’re probably not going to be getting close to that when they next tour the UK, but you can expect them to tear through a career-spanning set with little in the way of distractions; frontman Nick Hexum isn’t really one for stage banter. They’re probably one of those bands who are never really going to go looking for a crossover - they’ve got an ardent enough cult fanbase - but the sheer energy of their live shows should be something that most can appreciate, even if they’re perhaps musically a little esoteric for a mainstream audience.
The Dirty Heads are quintessential band to listen to. Their music defines the ”laidback, at the beach, with the year round perfect weather” atmosphere of Southern California. Being a born and raised Southern Californian I was so excited when I found out they were part of the lineup at my university’s winter music festival, I knew that I needed to see them live. Despite my making a big deal and rushing my friends to get to campus to catch the Dirty Heads, I missed about half their set. BUT…they were so good that it is still one of the most memorable performances I have ever seen.
While we were waiting in line to get into the performance area we were able to catch the tail end of “Believe” because their stage was right by the entrance. By the time we reached the back of the crowd, they had started their rendition Rolling Stone’s “Paint it Black.” And while nothing compares to the original, putting their own unique brand of reggae-ska-punk sound made it one of the best I had ever heard.
They closed with “Lay Me Down” which even Duddy B had said, “we’re going to close with the obvious song that you all know best…” This definitely hyped up the crowd even without the actual presence of Rome (his vocal tracks were present however). Throughout the entirety of the song, the audience sang along to every word, and Duddy B’s vocal really could have been enough.
Bloody amazing!! Their music sounded almost exactly like the recorded song, and the lights and set up was really cool. They engaged the audience heaps and I had rad time.