Denver Harbor
Encyclopedia
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Denver Harbor was an American
alternative rock
band
, based in San Diego, California
. The band was formed in 2002 by former Fenix*TX members Will Salazar and Chris Lewis, along with F.O.N. members Aaron Rubin and Ilan Rubin. After self-releasing their debut EP
Extended Play
in 2003, they were temporarily signed to Universal Records
, who released their 2004 full-length album
Scenic
.
Will Salazar and the remaining three Fenix*TX members went separate ways. While Salazar wanted to keep the band going (but was not legally allowed to), bassist
Adam Lewis and drummer
Damon DeLaPaz decided to extend their side-project Big Black Boat, which later changed its name to ChChCh HaHaHa and ultimately became the band I Sing the Body Electric. Guitarist Chris Lewis was caught in between, as he was asked to take part in Big Black Boat but also wanted to continue working with Salazar, and finally settled for a position alongside Salazar. Joined by F.O.N. members and brothers Aaron Rubin on bass and Ilan Rubin
on drums — the latter of which was a protégé of blink-182
drummer and reality TV
star Travis Barker
— the duo formed Denver Harbor in December 2002, three months after Fenix*TX broke up.
The band made its stage debut on March 14, 2003 at The Scene in San Diego, California
. They recorded three songs in their home studio ("All I Want", "Move On" and a cover version
of Avril Lavigne
's "I'm with You"), that were uploaded onto MP3.com
to help spread the word. Within weeks, they had a solid fanbase, mainly former Fenix*TX fans. Following a stint of intimate club shows, Denver Harbor returned to the recording studio
with producer
Joe Marlett, to work on the songs that would become their debut EP
Extended Play
(2003). Fans voted the EP's single
"Outta My Head" to the top of KEDJ 103.9 The Edge
's online chart, securing the band a spot in front of a crowd of 20,000 on the radio station's Edgefest
, hosted on September 20, 2003. Extended Play
was released under the band's own imprint, called Angry Pirate Records, on December 16, 2003. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the release was promoted by tours with Sugarcult
, Story of the Year
, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
and Flogging Molly
, helping the CD's first print run to sell out within half a year.
Their continuing success attracted the attention of several record label
s, including Universal Records
, who signed Denver Harbor in May 2004. The band released their full-length debut Scenic
on October 12, 2004. Musically, the album was much more diverse than Fenix*TX's material, with influences ranging from post-grunge
to reggae
to pop rock
, although the band's pop punk
roots were also clearly audible. However, due to Universal's lack of promotion, the album did not manage to chart the Billboard 200
, which ultimately led to the label dropping the band exactly one year after their signing. After that, things quieted down around the quartet
until in September 2005, Fenix*TX reunited for a final tour. While Fenix*TX and Allister
co-headlined the tour, Day at the Fair
, Houston Calls
and Denver Harbor supported, which meant that Salazar, Chris Lewis and eventually Ilan Rubin — who would replace Fenix*TX drummer DeLaPaz halfway through the tour — had to play two sets every night.
Denver Harbor finally went their separate ways in 2006. Drummer Ilan Rubin then went on to play for Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets
before becoming drummer for Nine Inch Nails
.
Denver Harbor was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, based in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. The band was formed in 2002 by former Fenix*TX members Will Salazar and Chris Lewis, along with F.O.N. members Aaron Rubin and Ilan Rubin. After self-releasing their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Extended Play
Extended Play (Denver Harbor EP)
Extended Play is the debut EP from Denver Harbor. It was first released by the band on December 16, 2003, featuring a skit at the very end of the CD, about a hung-over girl who wakes up in bed next to a stranger. After the first print run of the EP sold out, Denver Harbor re-recorded the songs for...
in 2003, they were temporarily signed to Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
, who released their 2004 full-length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Scenic
Scenic
Scenic is the first full-length album by Denver Harbor, released on October 12, 2004 on Universal Records. It contains re-recorded versions of four of the five tracks from their debut EP Extended Play , as well as two of the three songs from their 2003 demo Scenic is the first full-length album by...
.
History
In 2002, after breaking up their band of seven years due to musical differences, Fenix*TX singer/guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Will Salazar and the remaining three Fenix*TX members went separate ways. While Salazar wanted to keep the band going (but was not legally allowed to), bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Adam Lewis and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Damon DeLaPaz decided to extend their side-project Big Black Boat, which later changed its name to ChChCh HaHaHa and ultimately became the band I Sing the Body Electric. Guitarist Chris Lewis was caught in between, as he was asked to take part in Big Black Boat but also wanted to continue working with Salazar, and finally settled for a position alongside Salazar. Joined by F.O.N. members and brothers Aaron Rubin on bass and Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour...
on drums — the latter of which was a protégé of blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
drummer and reality TV
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
star Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
— the duo formed Denver Harbor in December 2002, three months after Fenix*TX broke up.
The band made its stage debut on March 14, 2003 at The Scene in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. They recorded three songs in their home studio ("All I Want", "Move On" and a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
's "I'm with You"), that were uploaded onto MP3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
to help spread the word. Within weeks, they had a solid fanbase, mainly former Fenix*TX fans. Following a stint of intimate club shows, Denver Harbor returned to the recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
with producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Joe Marlett, to work on the songs that would become their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Extended Play
Extended Play (Denver Harbor EP)
Extended Play is the debut EP from Denver Harbor. It was first released by the band on December 16, 2003, featuring a skit at the very end of the CD, about a hung-over girl who wakes up in bed next to a stranger. After the first print run of the EP sold out, Denver Harbor re-recorded the songs for...
(2003). Fans voted the EP's single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Outta My Head" to the top of KEDJ 103.9 The Edge
KEDJ
KEXX is a commercial radio station located in Phoenix, Arizona, broadcasting to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area on 103.9 FM. KEXX airs a modern rock music format branded as "X 103-9". In July 2009, the station added less commercials and plays deeper tracks rather than just radio hits unlike normal...
's online chart, securing the band a spot in front of a crowd of 20,000 on the radio station's Edgefest
Edgefest
Edgefest, a yearly outdoor rock concert festival that primarily promotes Canadian rock music, began in 1987 as a thank-you gesture to the listeners of Toronto radio station 102.1 the Edge and as a birthday party to commemorate both the station's tenth birthday, and the coinciding Canada Day...
, hosted on September 20, 2003. Extended Play
Extended Play (Denver Harbor EP)
Extended Play is the debut EP from Denver Harbor. It was first released by the band on December 16, 2003, featuring a skit at the very end of the CD, about a hung-over girl who wakes up in bed next to a stranger. After the first print run of the EP sold out, Denver Harbor re-recorded the songs for...
was released under the band's own imprint, called Angry Pirate Records, on December 16, 2003. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the release was promoted by tours with Sugarcult
Sugarcult
Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta , Airin Older , Marko DeSantis , and Kenny Livingston .-Formation :Tim Pagnotta met ex-drummer Ben Davis during a cigarette break at school...
, Story of the Year
Story of the Year
Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000. The band was initially named 67 North but was then changed to Big Blue Monkey...
, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
and Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...
, helping the CD's first print run to sell out within half a year.
Their continuing success attracted the attention of several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, including Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
, who signed Denver Harbor in May 2004. The band released their full-length debut Scenic
Scenic
Scenic is the first full-length album by Denver Harbor, released on October 12, 2004 on Universal Records. It contains re-recorded versions of four of the five tracks from their debut EP Extended Play , as well as two of the three songs from their 2003 demo Scenic is the first full-length album by...
on October 12, 2004. Musically, the album was much more diverse than Fenix*TX's material, with influences ranging from post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
to reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
to pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
, although the band's pop punk
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
roots were also clearly audible. However, due to Universal's lack of promotion, the album did not manage to chart the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, which ultimately led to the label dropping the band exactly one year after their signing. After that, things quieted down around the quartet
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
until in September 2005, Fenix*TX reunited for a final tour. While Fenix*TX and Allister
Allister
Allister is an American pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois. The four-piece formed in 1996 and were one of the first bands to sign to Drive-Thru Records...
co-headlined the tour, Day at the Fair
Day at the Fair
Day at the Fair were a pop punk band from Jefferson, New Jersey. They were signed to Rushmore Records.-History:Emerging from the remnants of the two now defunct bands Lanemeyer and Humble Beginnings, Day at the Fair started as a half-electric, half-acoustic recording project...
, Houston Calls
Houston Calls
Houston Calls was an American power pop/punk band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Drive-Thru Records. On June 9, 2009 they announced their official breakup.-Formation :...
and Denver Harbor supported, which meant that Salazar, Chris Lewis and eventually Ilan Rubin — who would replace Fenix*TX drummer DeLaPaz halfway through the tour — had to play two sets every night.
Denver Harbor finally went their separate ways in 2006. Drummer Ilan Rubin then went on to play for Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets
Lostprophets
Lostprophets is a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997. Founded by vocalist Ian Watkins, bassist Mike Lewis, drummer Mike Chiplin and guitarist Lee Gaze, they were originally a side-project to hardcore punk band Public Disturbance. To date, Lostprophets have released four studio...
before becoming drummer for Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
.
Members
- Will Salazar – vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Chris Lewis – guitar
- Aaron Rubin – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Ilan RubinIlan RubinIlan Rubin is an American musician, best known for being former drummer of Lostprophets & industrial rock act Nine Inch Nails during their last tour...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Non-album tracks
- "I'm with You" – released on Boys on Top: A Punk Rock Tribute to Avril LavigneAvril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
(2004)
External links
- Denver Harbor's profile at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Denver Harbor's profile at PureVolumePureVolumePureVolume was the first independently run website of its type, allowing for the upload and stream of music files. It was created in 2003 by Jennifer Welch , in conjunction with the Unborn Media team; Brett Woitunski, Nate Hudson, and Mitchell Pavao; all from the University of...