Dishwalla
Encyclopedia
Dishwalla is an American
alternative rock
band based out of Santa Barbara, CA. The band's name comes from a Hindi
term for a person providing cable television
to a neighborhood. In a Vox
interview, lead guitarist Rodney Browning Cravens claimed the band took the name out of a Wired
magazine article.
In 1996, the single "Counting Blue Cars
" from the album Pet Your Friends
climbed the charts and was frequently played on the airwaves, bringing the band a short round of mainstream-scale success. The track earned them a Billboard Award for "Best Rock Song" for 1996 as well as two ASCAP Awards for "Rock Track Of The Year" in both 1996 and 1997. Their 1998 follow-up album, And You Think You Know What Life's About
, failed to sustain the level of popularity achieved by "Counting Blue Cars".
Dishwalla have since made a handful of other ventures into the limelight. In 1995 the song "Counting Blue Cars" was featured in the movie Empire Records
. "Pretty Babies" is on the Blast from the Past
soundtrack. In 1998 landed the song "Truth Serum" in The Avengers; in 1999, the song "Stay Awake" was featured in the movie Stir of Echoes
and the song "Find Your Way Back Home" was featured in the movie American Pie
. In 2002 the song "Home" was in the movie The Banger Sisters
and the The WB series Charmed
spotlighted Dishwalla as musical guests in one episode. Other TV shows that have used their songs include Smallville
, The OC, and NCIS
. The band has gone on to release two more studio albums, Opaline
and the self-titled Dishwalla
, as well as a live album, Live... Greetings From The Flow State
.
Five singles charted on Billboard. In 1996, "Counting Blue Cars" peaked at #15 on the Hot 100 but climbed to #5 on both the Adult Top 40 and Hot 100 Airplay charts, #4 on the Top 40 Mainstream charts, #2 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and #1 on the Modern Rock charts. "Charlie Brown's Parents" hit #24 on the Mainstream Rock charts. The following year, "Give" was a #26 Adult Top 40 single. In 1998, "Once in a While" reached #17 on the Mainstream Rock charts and #20 on the Modern Rock charts. Finally, "Somewhere in the Middle" hit #25 on the Adult Top 40 charts in 2002.
In 2006, the band decided to take a break from recording, and returned to touring in 2008 with a modified lineup of Scot Alexander, Rodney Cravens, Jim Wood and original drummer George Pendergast. The lineup featured long time friend, Justin Fox, singer of the Santa Barbara band Tripdavon, as a "Special Guest Vocalist". Lead Singer J.R. Richards recorded a debut solo album titled A Beautiful End that was released on May 12, 2009.
On March 15, 2009, Dishwalla was asked to play a benefit concert for "Tea Fire" victims, Lance and Carla Hoffman, who were badly burned in fires which hit Santa Barbara in November 2008. The hugely successful event was put on by coordinated efforts with Santa Barbara City Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire, Montecito Fire, Carpentaria/Summerland Fire departments.
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 based out of Santa Barbara, CA. The band's name comes from a Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
term for a person providing cable television
Cable theft
Cable theft is the act of obtaining unauthorized access to cable television services. With the advent of digital cable, cases of people obtaining illegal service are less common. Digital cable can be more secure and can be very difficult to crack, although this is wholly dependent on the security...
to a neighborhood. In a Vox
Vox (magazine)
Vox was a British music magazine, first issued in October 1990. It was published by IPC Media, and was later billed as a monthly sister-magazine to IPC's music weekly, the NME....
interview, lead guitarist Rodney Browning Cravens claimed the band took the name out of a Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
magazine article.
History
In 1994, the band recorded "Take Some Time" on the tribute album If I Were a Carpenter featuring cover versions of songs by The Carpenters.In 1996, the single "Counting Blue Cars
Counting Blue Cars
"Counting Blue Cars" is a song by the alternative rock band Dishwalla that appears on their 1995 album Pet Your Friends. It was Dishwalla's only hit song, making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996...
" from the album Pet Your Friends
Pet Your Friends
Pet Your Friends is the debut album by American alternative rock band Dishwalla. It was released in 1995 on A&M Records. The album produced the hit single "Counting Blue Cars" , which was a Top 40 favorite. However, the song also caused the group to gain somewhat of a one-hit wonder status because...
climbed the charts and was frequently played on the airwaves, bringing the band a short round of mainstream-scale success. The track earned them a Billboard Award for "Best Rock Song" for 1996 as well as two ASCAP Awards for "Rock Track Of The Year" in both 1996 and 1997. Their 1998 follow-up album, And You Think You Know What Life's About
And You Think You Know What Life's About
And You Think You Know What Life's About is the second album by Dishwalla. It was released on August 11, 1998 on A&M Records.-Track listing:# "Stay Awake" - 4:13# "Once In A While" - 4:42# "Bottom Of The Floor" - 3:29# "Healing Star" - 4:21...
, failed to sustain the level of popularity achieved by "Counting Blue Cars".
Dishwalla have since made a handful of other ventures into the limelight. In 1995 the song "Counting Blue Cars" was featured in the movie Empire Records
Empire Records
Empire Records is a 1995 coming of age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees of this independent music store try to fight off a large chain, all while learning about each other...
. "Pretty Babies" is on the Blast from the Past
Blast From the Past (film)
Blast from the Past is a 1999 romantic comedy film based on a story and directed by Hugh Wilson and starring Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek, and Dave Foley.-Plot:...
soundtrack. In 1998 landed the song "Truth Serum" in The Avengers; in 1999, the song "Stay Awake" was featured in the movie Stir of Echoes
Stir of Echoes
Stir of Echoes is a supernatural horror / thriller released in the United States in 1999, starring Kevin Bacon and directed by David Koepp. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Richard Matheson.-Plot:...
and the song "Find Your Way Back Home" was featured in the movie American Pie
American Pie (film)
American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy film written by Adam Herz. American Pie was the directorial film debut of brothers Paul and Chris Weitz, and the first film in the American Pie film series...
. In 2002 the song "Home" was in the movie The Banger Sisters
The Banger Sisters
The Banger Sisters is a 2002 American comedy film produced by Fox Searchlight Pictures about the reunion of two middle-aged women who used to be friends and groupies when they were young. The movie starred Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon and Geoffrey Rush...
and the The WB series Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
spotlighted Dishwalla as musical guests in one episode. Other TV shows that have used their songs include Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, The OC, and NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
. The band has gone on to release two more studio albums, Opaline
Opaline (album)
Opaline is the third studio album by Dishwalla. It was released on April 23, 2002 on Immergent Records.-Track listing:# "Opaline" - 04:10# "Angels or Devils" - 04:03# "Somewhere in the Middle" - 03:42# "Every Little Thing" - 04:26...
and the self-titled Dishwalla
Dishwalla (album)
Dishwalla is the self-titled fourth studio album by Dishwalla.-Track listing:All tracks by Dishwalla# "40 Stories" - 4:29# "Collide" - 4:49# "Ease The Moment" - 5:54# "Coral Sky" - 3:44# "Winter Sun" - 3:50# "Creeps In The Stone" - 3:41...
, as well as a live album, Live... Greetings From The Flow State
Live... Greetings from the Flow State
Live... Greetings From The Flow State is a 2003 live album by Dishwalla.-Track listing:# "Stay Awake"# "Mad Life"# "Once In A While"# "Home"# "Moisture"# "Angels Or Devils"# "Counting Blue Cars"# "Somewhere In The Middle"# "Every Little Thing"...
.
Five singles charted on Billboard. In 1996, "Counting Blue Cars" peaked at #15 on the Hot 100 but climbed to #5 on both the Adult Top 40 and Hot 100 Airplay charts, #4 on the Top 40 Mainstream charts, #2 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and #1 on the Modern Rock charts. "Charlie Brown's Parents" hit #24 on the Mainstream Rock charts. The following year, "Give" was a #26 Adult Top 40 single. In 1998, "Once in a While" reached #17 on the Mainstream Rock charts and #20 on the Modern Rock charts. Finally, "Somewhere in the Middle" hit #25 on the Adult Top 40 charts in 2002.
In 2006, the band decided to take a break from recording, and returned to touring in 2008 with a modified lineup of Scot Alexander, Rodney Cravens, Jim Wood and original drummer George Pendergast. The lineup featured long time friend, Justin Fox, singer of the Santa Barbara band Tripdavon, as a "Special Guest Vocalist". Lead Singer J.R. Richards recorded a debut solo album titled A Beautiful End that was released on May 12, 2009.
On March 15, 2009, Dishwalla was asked to play a benefit concert for "Tea Fire" victims, Lance and Carla Hoffman, who were badly burned in fires which hit Santa Barbara in November 2008. The hugely successful event was put on by coordinated efforts with Santa Barbara City Fire, Santa Barbara County Fire, Montecito Fire, Carpentaria/Summerland Fire departments.
Members
- J. R. RichardsJ. R. RichardsJ. R. Richards is the lead singer/songwriter for alternative rock band Dishwalla. He has appeared in the films Almost Anything, 2:13 and Morning and he guest starred on Charmed as himself. Richards also sang the title role in a concert production of Jesus Christ Superstar with the Golden State...
- vocals, guitar, keyboards - Rodney Browning Cravens - lead guitar
- Scot Alexander - bass (1993–2005)
- Jim Wood - keyboards (1996— )
- Pete Maloney - drums (1998–2007)
- George Pendergast - drums (1993–1998)
Studio Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard Top 200 |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Pet Your Friends Pet Your Friends Pet Your Friends is the debut album by American alternative rock band Dishwalla. It was released in 1995 on A&M Records. The album produced the hit single "Counting Blue Cars" , which was a Top 40 favorite. However, the song also caused the group to gain somewhat of a one-hit wonder status because... |
89 |
| 1998 | And You Think You Know What Life's About And You Think You Know What Life's About And You Think You Know What Life's About is the second album by Dishwalla. It was released on August 11, 1998 on A&M Records.-Track listing:# "Stay Awake" - 4:13# "Once In A While" - 4:42# "Bottom Of The Floor" - 3:29# "Healing Star" - 4:21... |
164 |
| 2002 | Opaline Opaline (album) Opaline is the third studio album by Dishwalla. It was released on April 23, 2002 on Immergent Records.-Track listing:# "Opaline" - 04:10# "Angels or Devils" - 04:03# "Somewhere in the Middle" - 03:42# "Every Little Thing" - 04:26... |
192 |
| 2005 | Dishwalla Dishwalla (album) Dishwalla is the self-titled fourth studio album by Dishwalla.-Track listing:All tracks by Dishwalla# "40 Stories" - 4:29# "Collide" - 4:49# "Ease The Moment" - 5:54# "Coral Sky" - 3:44# "Winter Sun" - 3:50# "Creeps In The Stone" - 3:41... |
- |
Extended Plays/Live Album
- Gems (2001)
- Santa Claus Lane (2003)
- Live... Greetings From The Flow StateLive... Greetings from the Flow StateLive... Greetings From The Flow State is a 2003 live album by Dishwalla.-Track listing:# "Stay Awake"# "Mad Life"# "Once In A While"# "Home"# "Moisture"# "Angels Or Devils"# "Counting Blue Cars"# "Somewhere In The Middle"# "Every Little Thing"...
(2003) - Santa Claus Lane II (2004)
- Southeast Asia (2004)
Charted Singles
| Year | Name | Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Radio Songs Hot 100 Airplay The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard... |
US Rock Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
US Main | US Alt | US Adult |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "Counting Blue Cars Counting Blue Cars "Counting Blue Cars" is a song by the alternative rock band Dishwalla that appears on their 1995 album Pet Your Friends. It was Dishwalla's only hit song, making it onto the Billboard Hot 100 in 1996... " |
15 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 1998 | Charlie Brown's Parents | - | - | 24 | - | - | - |
| 1998 | Once In A While | - | - | 17 | - | 20 | - |
| 2002 | Somewhere In The Middle | - | - | - | - | - | 25 |
See also
- 1990s in music1990s in musicFor music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
- List of alternative music artists
- J.R. Richards
- Scot Alexander
External links
- Official website
- Dishwalla Fan Site 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....
- Interview with JR Richards at Life Without Pants (4/13/2009)