Rancid (band)
Encyclopedia
Rancid is an American punk rock
band formed in Berkeley, California
in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong
and Matt Freeman
, both of whom previously played in the ska punk
band Operation Ivy
, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day
and The Offspring
—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States
during the mid-1990s. Unlike Green Day and The Offspring however, Rancid remained signed to an independent record label and retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground
roots. Rancid's songs reflect its advocacy for populist
radical politics, near-religious practice of DIY ethic
s, and discontent with punk elitism
.
Rancid includes Armstrong on guitar
and vocals
, Freeman on bass
and vocals, Lars Frederiksen
on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert
on drums
. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. Frederiksen joined Rancid in 1993 when the band was searching for a second guitar player.
To date, Rancid has released seven studio albums, one split album, one compilation, two extended plays, and a series of live online-only albums, and has been featured on a number of compilation albums. The band has independently sold over four million records worldwide, making it one of the most successful independent punk groups of all time. The band rose to fame in 1994 with its second studio album, Let's Go, featuring the single "Salvation
". In the following year, Rancid released its highly successful album ...And Out Come the Wolves
, which produced its best-known songs "Roots Radicals
", "Ruby Soho
" and "Time Bomb", and was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA
, selling over one million copies in the United States alone. Its next four albums, Life Won't Wait
, Rancid
, Indestructible and Let the Dominoes Fall
, were also critically acclaimed, though not as successful as ...And Out Come the Wolves. Rancid is currently working on an eighth studio album, which is said to be recorded in September 2011, and expected to be released in 2012.
, near Berkeley. The two had been playing together in the influential ska punk
band Operation Ivy
from 1987–1989. The band became popular in the punk scene at 924 Gilman Street
, a club and concert venue featuring Bay Area punk bands. When Operation Ivy broke-up, Armstrong and Freeman decided to form a new band, and formed a ska punk band called Downfall
, which disbanded after a few months. They then started a hardcore punk
band called Generator, which also disbanded shortly after. They also started the ska influenced Dance Hall Crashers
, though left the band shortly after it was formed. During this time, Armstrong was struggling with alcoholism
, and to keep him focused on other interests, Freeman suggested they form a new band. In 1991, they recruited Armstrong's roommate Brett Reed as their drummer and formed Rancid.
A few months after the band's inception, Rancid began performing around the Berkeley area, and quickly developed a fan following. Rancid's first recorded release was a 1992 EP
for Operation Ivy's old label Lookout! Records
. Shortly after releasing the extended play, the band left Lookout! and was signed to Bad Religion
guitarist Brett Gurewitz
's record label, Epitaph Records
. Rancid released its self-titled debut album
through Epitaph in 1993.
joined them to co-write the song "Radio", which resulted in Billie Joe playing a live performance with Rancid. Tim had previously asked Lars Frederiksen to be Rancid's second guitarist, but he turned down the request initially as he was playing with the UK Subs
at the time. After Billie Joe turned down the request, Frederiksen changed his mind and joined Rancid.
Frederiksen played with the band on its second studio album Let's Go (1994). That year, its then-label-mates, The Offspring
, experienced huge success with its album Smash. Rancid supported The Offspring's 1994 tour, which helped Let's Go reach number 97 on Billboard
s Heatseekers and the Billboard 200
charts, respectively. The album also provided its first widespread exposure when MTV
broadcasted the video for the single "Salvation
." Let's Go was certified gold
on July 7, 2000, and with the success of the album the band was pursued by a number of major record labels, including Madonna
's label Maverick Records
. Many rumors circulated during this time period. Some of the rumors were Epitaph employees were not allowed to discuss matters with the press, Rancid convinced an A&R man from Epic
to shave a blue mohawk, and Madonna sent the band nude pictures of herself.
The band eventually decided to remain signed to Epitaph, and the next year released its third album ...And Out Come the Wolves
on August 22, 1995. The album quickly surpassed Let's Go in terms of success, and reached number 45 on the Billboard 200
album chart. on January 22, 1996, the album was certified gold. The album received positive reviews, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the album as having "classic moments of revivalist punk". Erlewine praised the music and claims the album "doesn't mark an isolationist retreat into didactic, defiantly underground punk rock". Three of the album's singles, "Roots Radicals
", "Time Bomb", and "Ruby Soho
" all charted on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, and earned Rancid its heaviest airplay on MTV
and radio stations to date. The band also performed "Roots Radicals" and "Ruby Soho" on Saturday Night Live
.
, which was released on June 30, 1998. The album branched out from Rancid's previous musical styles, and combined punk rock with elements of roots reggae
, rockabilly
, dub
, hip-hop
, and funk
. Due to this it was often compared to The Clash
's Sandinista!
. Though the album did not achieve the success of ...And Out Come the Wolves, but has since garnered a strong cult following
in recent times. In 1999, Rancid decided to end its seven year relationship with Epitaph and signed with Armstrong's founded Hellcat Records
(which is a sub-label Epitaph).
A second self-titled album
was released on August 1, 2000 and would be its first album released through Hellcat. The album failed to achieve the success of Rancid's previous three albums and reached number 68 on the Billboard charts. On the album, the group largely abandoned its ska-punk influences, recording a more hardcore
-influenced album.
The three original members of Rancid released three songs under the name Devil's Brigade
in 2002, one on the Give 'Em the Boot III
compilation album, and two on a 12-inch vinyl record
. In March of the same year, a split album with NOFX
entitled BYO Split Series Volume III was released, in which Rancid covered NOFX songs and NOFX covered Rancid songs.
After a break from touring in 2001, Rancid returned to the studio with Gurewitz in 2002 to record its sixth studio album, Indestructible, which was released on August 19, 2003. It featured the song "Fall Back Down", which was Rancid's highest-charting album to date, reaching number 15. Unlike the band's previous albums, Indestructible was distributed by a major record label, Warner Bros. Records
.
, in 2005. He also contributed guitar and backing vocals on Cypress Hill
's song "What's Your Number?" from its tenth album Till Death Do Us Part. Armstrong also released a solo album, A Poet's Life
in May 2007. Frederiksen continued working with his side-project Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
and released their second studio album, Viking
, in 2004, the album was co-written and co-produced by Armstrong. Freeman briefly toured with Social Distortion
in 2004 as John Maurer
's replacement until the band found its current bassist Brent Harding
. Freeman and Frederiksen both had children during this time as well—Freeman had two, and Frederiksen had one.
' Hellcat Nights concert series at The Echo
. It was the band's first live performance since its hiatus. On April 13, 2006, Rancid announced plans for a worldwide tour beginning in July 2006, and the release of a DVD consisting of 31 of its music videos, as well as a tentative release date of Spring 2007 for a new as-of-yet-unnamed studio album.
Similar to a number of other bands signed to Lookout! Records
, in September 2006, Rancid had taken its self-titled extended play from the label's catalog.
On November 3, 2006, Reed left Rancid and was replaced by Branden Steineckert
, formerly a member of The Used
.
Rancid released a compilation album, B Sides and C Sides
, on December 11, 2007. The album consists of various b-sides, "c-sides", and songs from other compilations.
Rancid toured Japan in April 2008 for a number of shows following its two days headlining the Punkspring 2008 festival. Following the Japanese tour, Rancid embarked on a full tour of the United States during the summer and a tour of the United Kingdom in the winter.
Rancid used to host a one hour once a week XM radio show. The show was called Rancid Radio and was on "Fungus" channel 53 Saturday at midnight. However, the show was cancelled due to Fungus 53 being taken from XM's programming.
Plans for a follow-up to Indestructible had been mentioned in 2005, 2006 and 2007, but would materialize until January 2008, when Rancid entered Skywalker Sound
to record it. The resulting seventh studio album, Let the Dominoes Fall
, was released on June 2, 2009. In late May, the full album was streamed from the band's MySpace
page. It was Rancid's first album without its "classic" line-up, with Branden Steineckert
replacing Brett Reed on drums in 2006. The album was written at Branden's Unknown Studios in Utah and was recorded at Skywalker Sound
in Nicasio, California
. Music legend Booker T. Jones
performed organ
on one song. A deluxe version of the album included the CD, some of the songs recorded acoustically on another CD, and a making of the album DVD. Rancid toured North America in the summer of 2009 in support of Let the Dominoes Fall, with Rise Against
, Riverboat Gamblers, and Billy Talent
as its opening bands. The tour began on June 4, 2009 in Vancouver, British Columbia and ended in Toronto, Ontario on July 31.
On June 10, 2009, the band appeared as the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
playing "Last One to Die" from Let the Dominoes Fall.
replied, "We haven't really figured that out yet. We're not going anywhere [Laughs]. We're going to do something, we just don't know what it is yet. We're always together and we all talk everyday. We're just doing different stuff right now." It was announced on Punknews.org that Hellcat/Epitaph plans to release a Rancid live CD/DVD in the fall of 2011.
Rancid has recently announced that they would do a small US tour supporting Blink-182
from August 25 through September 4 and that this would enable them to warm up before entering the studio in September 2011 to record their eighth album with Brett Gurewitz
. A 2012 release date is expected. The band also mentioned that a 20th anniversary world tour will accompany the album. According to Tim Armstrong
, Rancid's new album will arrive after the Transplants release their new one.
Former
Timeline
Although Frederiksen had joined the band by the time its first album was released in 1993, he did not perform on the album.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
and Matt Freeman
Matt Freeman
Matthew "McCall" Freeman is an American musician. He is best known for his bass guitar work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy, Rancid and as the frontman of Devil's Brigade.-Playing style:...
, both of whom previously played in the ska punk
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
band Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy (band)
Operation Ivy was an American ska punk band that formed in Berkeley, California, and was often credited with spurring the 1990s punk revival in California. It is well-known as one of the first bands to "mix" hardcore punk with elements of ska, known as ska-core...
, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
and The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the mid-1990s. Unlike Green Day and The Offspring however, Rancid remained signed to an independent record label and retained much of its original fan-base, most of which was connected to its underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
roots. Rancid's songs reflect its advocacy for populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
radical politics, near-religious practice of DIY ethic
DIY ethic
The DIY ethic refers to the ethic of self-sufficiency through completing tasks oneself as opposed to having others who are more experienced or able complete them for one's behalf. It promotes the idea that an ordinary person can learn to do more than he or she thought was possible...
s, and discontent with punk elitism
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
.
Rancid includes Armstrong on guitar
Guitar
The 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...
and vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Freeman on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals, Lars Frederiksen
Lars Frederiksen
Lars Erik Frederiksen is an American guitarist and vocalist, most notably for the punk rock band Rancid, and as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and The Old Firm Casuals. He was also briefly a member of the UK Subs in 1991...
on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert
Branden Steineckert
Branden Steineckert , is the drummer for the punk rock band Rancid. He was previously the drummer of The Used, but it was announced on September 12, 2006 that he was no longer a part of the band.-Biography:...
on drums
Drum kit
A 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 ....
. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. Frederiksen joined Rancid in 1993 when the band was searching for a second guitar player.
To date, Rancid has released seven studio albums, one split album, one compilation, two extended plays, and a series of live online-only albums, and has been featured on a number of compilation albums. The band has independently sold over four million records worldwide, making it one of the most successful independent punk groups of all time. The band rose to fame in 1994 with its second studio album, Let's Go, featuring the single "Salvation
Salvation (Rancid song)
"Salvation" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the second single from its second studio album, Let's Go.Along with "Time Bomb" and "Ruby Soho", "Salvation" is considered to be one of Rancid's breakthrough songs, as it received airplay from modern rock radio...
". In the following year, Rancid released its highly successful album ...And Out Come the Wolves
...And Out Come the Wolves
…And Out Come the Wolves is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on August 22, 1995 through Epitaph Records. Rancid's popularity and catchy songs made them the subject of a major label bidding war that ended with the band staying on Epitaph...
, which produced its best-known songs "Roots Radicals
Roots Radicals
"Roots Radicals" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the first single from its third album, ...And Out Come the Wolves. The song reached number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. The b-side, "I Wanna Riot" was originally featured on the Epitaph Records...
", "Ruby Soho
Ruby Soho
"Ruby Soho" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the third and final single from its third album, ...And Out Come the Wolves...
" and "Time Bomb", and was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, selling over one million copies in the United States alone. Its next four albums, Life Won't Wait
Life Won't Wait
Life Won't Wait is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 30, 1998 through Epitaph Records. It was released as the follow-up to ...And Out Come the Wolves .-Musical style and lyrics:...
, Rancid
Rancid (2000 album)
Rancid is the eponymous fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It is the second eponymous album and was released on August 1, 2000 through frontman Tim Armstrong's label, Hellcat Records. It was the band's first album released through Hellcat...
, Indestructible and Let the Dominoes Fall
Let the Dominoes Fall
Let the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 2, 2009 through Hellcat Records...
, were also critically acclaimed, though not as successful as ...And Out Come the Wolves. Rancid is currently working on an eighth studio album, which is said to be recorded in September 2011, and expected to be released in 2012.
Early history (pre-1993)
Childhood friends Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman grew up together in the small, working-class town of Albany, CaliforniaAlbany, California
Albany is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. The population was 18,539 at the 2010 census.-History:In 1908, a group of local women protested the dumping of Berkeley garbage in their community...
, near Berkeley. The two had been playing together in the influential ska punk
Ska punk
Ska punk is a fusion music genre that combines ska and punk rock. It achieved its highest level of commercial success in the United States in the late 1990s. Ska-core is a subgenre of ska punk, blending ska with hardcore punk.The characteristics of ska punk vary, due to the fusion of contrasting...
band Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy (band)
Operation Ivy was an American ska punk band that formed in Berkeley, California, and was often credited with spurring the 1990s punk revival in California. It is well-known as one of the first bands to "mix" hardcore punk with elements of ska, known as ska-core...
from 1987–1989. The band became popular in the punk scene at 924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street
924 Gilman Street is an all-ages, not for profit, collectively organized music club usually referred to by its fans simply as "The Gilman." It is located in the West Berkeley area of Berkeley, California about a mile and a half west of the North Berkeley BART station and a quarter-mile west of San...
, a club and concert venue featuring Bay Area punk bands. When Operation Ivy broke-up, Armstrong and Freeman decided to form a new band, and formed a ska punk band called Downfall
Downfall (band)
Downfall was a ska and punk band from the Bay Area formed by Tim Armstrong, Matt Freeman, Dave Mello, Pat Mello, and Jason Hammon following the break-up of Operation Ivy in 1989 and pre-dating Armstrong's and Freeman's wider recognition in Rancid...
, which disbanded after a few months. They then started a hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band called Generator, which also disbanded shortly after. They also started the ska influenced Dance Hall Crashers
Dance Hall Crashers
Dance Hall Crashers is an American ska punk band formed in 1989 in Berkeley, California.-Early years:The original incarnation of the Dance Hall Crashers was formed in 1989 by Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong, formerly of the seminal Bay Area ska-punk band Operation Ivy, after both musicians...
, though left the band shortly after it was formed. During this time, Armstrong was struggling with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, and to keep him focused on other interests, Freeman suggested they form a new band. In 1991, they recruited Armstrong's roommate Brett Reed as their drummer and formed Rancid.
A few months after the band's inception, Rancid began performing around the Berkeley area, and quickly developed a fan following. Rancid's first recorded release was a 1992 EP
Rancid (EP)
-Personnel:* Tim Armstrong - lead vocals, guitar* Matt Freeman - bass, vocals* Brett Reed - drums, backing vocals* Andy Ernst - producer* Jimmy Johnson - executive producer* Martin Sprouse - graphics...
for Operation Ivy's old label Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
. Shortly after releasing the extended play, the band left Lookout! and was signed to Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
guitarist Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
's record label, Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
. Rancid released its self-titled debut album
Rancid (1993 album)
Mike DaRonco of Allmusic stated "This is where it all starts. Without any reminiscing about their former band, Operation Ivy, Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong blast through their debut without any hints of ska or blatant Clash plagiarizing...
through Epitaph in 1993.
Breakthrough success (1994–1996)
While Rancid was writing for a follow-up album, Billie Joe ArmstrongBillie Joe Armstrong
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American rock musician and occasional actor, best known as the lead vocalist, main songwriter and lead guitarist for the American punk rock band Green Day...
joined them to co-write the song "Radio", which resulted in Billie Joe playing a live performance with Rancid. Tim had previously asked Lars Frederiksen to be Rancid's second guitarist, but he turned down the request initially as he was playing with the UK Subs
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
at the time. After Billie Joe turned down the request, Frederiksen changed his mind and joined Rancid.
Frederiksen played with the band on its second studio album Let's Go (1994). That year, its then-label-mates, The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
, experienced huge success with its album Smash. Rancid supported The Offspring's 1994 tour, which helped Let's Go reach number 97 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Heatseekers and 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...
charts, respectively. The album also provided its first widespread exposure when MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
broadcasted the video for the single "Salvation
Salvation (Rancid song)
"Salvation" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the second single from its second studio album, Let's Go.Along with "Time Bomb" and "Ruby Soho", "Salvation" is considered to be one of Rancid's breakthrough songs, as it received airplay from modern rock radio...
." Let's Go was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
on July 7, 2000, and with the success of the album the band was pursued by a number of major record labels, including Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's label Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
. Many rumors circulated during this time period. Some of the rumors were Epitaph employees were not allowed to discuss matters with the press, Rancid convinced an A&R man from Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
to shave a blue mohawk, and Madonna sent the band nude pictures of herself.
The band eventually decided to remain signed to Epitaph, and the next year released its third album ...And Out Come the Wolves
...And Out Come the Wolves
…And Out Come the Wolves is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on August 22, 1995 through Epitaph Records. Rancid's popularity and catchy songs made them the subject of a major label bidding war that ended with the band staying on Epitaph...
on August 22, 1995. The album quickly surpassed Let's Go in terms of success, and reached number 45 on 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...
album chart. on January 22, 1996, the album was certified gold. The album received positive reviews, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic described the album as having "classic moments of revivalist punk". Erlewine praised the music and claims the album "doesn't mark an isolationist retreat into didactic, defiantly underground punk rock". Three of the album's singles, "Roots Radicals
Roots Radicals
"Roots Radicals" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the first single from its third album, ...And Out Come the Wolves. The song reached number 27 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. The b-side, "I Wanna Riot" was originally featured on the Epitaph Records...
", "Time Bomb", and "Ruby Soho
Ruby Soho
"Ruby Soho" is a song by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released as the third and final single from its third album, ...And Out Come the Wolves...
" all charted on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, and earned Rancid its heaviest airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and radio stations to date. The band also performed "Roots Radicals" and "Ruby Soho" on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
Middle years (1997–2003)
After two years of touring for ...And Out Come the Wolves, Rancid returned to the studio in 1997 to begin recording its fourth studio album, Life Won't WaitLife Won't Wait
Life Won't Wait is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 30, 1998 through Epitaph Records. It was released as the follow-up to ...And Out Come the Wolves .-Musical style and lyrics:...
, which was released on June 30, 1998. The album branched out from Rancid's previous musical styles, and combined punk rock with elements of roots reggae
Roots reggae
Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of the artists concerned, including the spiritual side of Rastafari and with the honoring of God, called Jah by rastafarians. It also is identified with the life of the ghetto sufferer, and the rural poor...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
. Due to this it was often compared to The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
's Sandinista!
Sandinista!
Sandinista! is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side...
. Though the album did not achieve the success of ...And Out Come the Wolves, but has since garnered a strong cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
in recent times. In 1999, Rancid decided to end its seven year relationship with Epitaph and signed with Armstrong's founded Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an off-shoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz carp Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, the latter of whom is generally responsible for...
(which is a sub-label Epitaph).
A second self-titled album
Rancid (2000 album)
Rancid is the eponymous fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It is the second eponymous album and was released on August 1, 2000 through frontman Tim Armstrong's label, Hellcat Records. It was the band's first album released through Hellcat...
was released on August 1, 2000 and would be its first album released through Hellcat. The album failed to achieve the success of Rancid's previous three albums and reached number 68 on the Billboard charts. On the album, the group largely abandoned its ska-punk influences, recording a more hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
-influenced album.
The three original members of Rancid released three songs under the name Devil's Brigade
Devil's Brigade (band)
Devils Brigade is an American rock band formed as a side project by Rancid bassist Matt Freeman in 2000. In Devils Brigade Freeman performs a mix of punk rock and psychobilly styles, singing lead vocals and playing a double bass in contrast to the backing vocals and electric bass guitar he performs...
in 2002, one on the Give 'Em the Boot III
Give 'Em the Boot III
Give 'Em the Boot III is the third compilation album in the Give 'Em the Boot series, released in 2002 .- Track listing :#"Sick of It All" - The Distillers#"The Legend of Finn MacCumhail" - Dropkick Murphys#"Die Alone" - U.S...
compilation album, and two on a 12-inch vinyl record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. In March of the same year, a split album with NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
entitled BYO Split Series Volume III was released, in which Rancid covered NOFX songs and NOFX covered Rancid songs.
After a break from touring in 2001, Rancid returned to the studio with Gurewitz in 2002 to record its sixth studio album, Indestructible, which was released on August 19, 2003. It featured the song "Fall Back Down", which was Rancid's highest-charting album to date, reaching number 15. Unlike the band's previous albums, Indestructible was distributed by a major record label, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
.
Hiatus (2004–2005)
In 2004, after a tour for Indestructible, Rancid went on an extensive hiatus. The band members worked with side projects, although it had not officially disbanded. Armstrong continued to play with his side project the Transplants, who released their second album, Haunted CitiesHaunted Cities
Haunted Cities is the second album and major label debut by the Transplants. It was released on June 21, 2005 and includes the radio hit "Gangsters & Thugs". The album sold close to 34,000 copies in its first week and came in at #28 on the Billboard 200...
, in 2005. He also contributed guitar and backing vocals on Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
's song "What's Your Number?" from its tenth album Till Death Do Us Part. Armstrong also released a solo album, A Poet's Life
A Poet's Life
A Poet's Life is the first solo album by Tim Armstrong , made in collaboration with Hellcat-signed reggae band The Aggrolites. It was released on May 22, 2007 on Armstrong's own label, Hellcat Records....
in May 2007. Frederiksen continued working with his side-project Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards
Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards were an American street punk band formed to release the songs that Lars had written. Their songs include subject matter consisting of drinking, fighting, drugs, sex, prostitutes, gangs, and street life...
and released their second studio album, Viking
Viking (album)
Viking is the second studio album by the American punk rock band Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards.-Track listing:All songs written by Lars Frederiksen and Tim Armstrong unless otherwise noted.#"Bastards"#"Skins, Punx and Drunx"#"Fight"#"1%"...
, in 2004, the album was co-written and co-produced by Armstrong. Freeman briefly toured with Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
in 2004 as John Maurer
John Maurer
John Maurer was the long time bass guitar player for Social Distortion from 1984 to 2004. He was replaced by Rancid's Matt Freeman. He joined Social Distortion after the departure of Brent Liles....
's replacement until the band found its current bassist Brent Harding
Brent Harding
Brent Harding is the current bass player for the California punk group Social Distortion, which he joined in late 2004.-Biography:...
. Freeman and Frederiksen both had children during this time as well—Freeman had two, and Frederiksen had one.
Reformation and Let the Dominoes Fall (2006–2010)
In early 2006, Rancid reformed to embark on a successful tour and played a number of acoustic performances as part of Hellcat RecordsHellcat Records
Hellcat Records is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. The label, an off-shoot of Epitaph Records, was started as a partnership between Brett Gurewitz carp Bad Religion, the owner of Epitaph, and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, the latter of whom is generally responsible for...
' Hellcat Nights concert series at The Echo
The Echo (venue)
The Echo is a venue/nightclub located in Echo Park in Los Angeles, California. It also hosted Arthur Magazine's yearly ArthurFest.-Notable performers:*Thao with The Get Down Stay Down*Air Traffic*An Albatross*Autolux*Band Of Horses*Beck...
. It was the band's first live performance since its hiatus. On April 13, 2006, Rancid announced plans for a worldwide tour beginning in July 2006, and the release of a DVD consisting of 31 of its music videos, as well as a tentative release date of Spring 2007 for a new as-of-yet-unnamed studio album.
Similar to a number of other bands signed to Lookout! Records
Lookout! Records
-History:Larry Livermore and David Hayes formed the label in 1987. From the start, Lookout released punk rock records, but over time expanded its scope to include various types of pop rock, reggae fusion, acoustic rock, pop punk, and indie rock...
, in September 2006, Rancid had taken its self-titled extended play from the label's catalog.
On November 3, 2006, Reed left Rancid and was replaced by Branden Steineckert
Branden Steineckert
Branden Steineckert , is the drummer for the punk rock band Rancid. He was previously the drummer of The Used, but it was announced on September 12, 2006 that he was no longer a part of the band.-Biography:...
, formerly a member of The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
.
Rancid released a compilation album, B Sides and C Sides
B Sides and C Sides
B Sides and C Sides is a compilation album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was first released online on December 11, 2007, followed by a standard release on January 15, 2008. It contains a number of B-sides and rare songs as well as compilation or soundtrack appearances plus 3 previously...
, on December 11, 2007. The album consists of various b-sides, "c-sides", and songs from other compilations.
Rancid toured Japan in April 2008 for a number of shows following its two days headlining the Punkspring 2008 festival. Following the Japanese tour, Rancid embarked on a full tour of the United States during the summer and a tour of the United Kingdom in the winter.
Rancid used to host a one hour once a week XM radio show. The show was called Rancid Radio and was on "Fungus" channel 53 Saturday at midnight. However, the show was cancelled due to Fungus 53 being taken from XM's programming.
Plans for a follow-up to Indestructible had been mentioned in 2005, 2006 and 2007, but would materialize until January 2008, when Rancid entered Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of George Lucas' Lucas Digital motion picture group. Its main facilities are located in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California...
to record it. The resulting seventh studio album, Let the Dominoes Fall
Let the Dominoes Fall
Let the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 2, 2009 through Hellcat Records...
, was released on June 2, 2009. In late May, the full album was streamed from the band's MySpace
MySpace
Myspace 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....
page. It was Rancid's first album without its "classic" line-up, with Branden Steineckert
Branden Steineckert
Branden Steineckert , is the drummer for the punk rock band Rancid. He was previously the drummer of The Used, but it was announced on September 12, 2006 that he was no longer a part of the band.-Biography:...
replacing Brett Reed on drums in 2006. The album was written at Branden's Unknown Studios in Utah and was recorded at Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound
Skywalker Sound is the sound effects, sound editing, sound design, sound mixing and music recording division of George Lucas' Lucas Digital motion picture group. Its main facilities are located in Lucas Valley, near Nicasio, California...
in Nicasio, California
Nicasio, California
Nicasio is a census-designated place in Marin County, California. It is located west-southwest of Novato, at an elevation of 194 feet . The population was 96 at the 2010 census....
. Music legend Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
performed organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
on one song. A deluxe version of the album included the CD, some of the songs recorded acoustically on another CD, and a making of the album DVD. Rancid toured North America in the summer of 2009 in support of Let the Dominoes Fall, with Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
, Riverboat Gamblers, and Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
as its opening bands. The tour began on June 4, 2009 in Vancouver, British Columbia and ended in Toronto, Ontario on July 31.
On June 10, 2009, the band appeared as the musical guest on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
playing "Last One to Die" from Let the Dominoes Fall.
Planned eighth studio album (2011–present)
Asked in August 2010 whether Rancid will release another album in the future, bassist Matt FreemanMatt Freeman
Matthew "McCall" Freeman is an American musician. He is best known for his bass guitar work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy, Rancid and as the frontman of Devil's Brigade.-Playing style:...
replied, "We haven't really figured that out yet. We're not going anywhere [Laughs]. We're going to do something, we just don't know what it is yet. We're always together and we all talk everyday. We're just doing different stuff right now." It was announced on Punknews.org that Hellcat/Epitaph plans to release a Rancid live CD/DVD in the fall of 2011.
Rancid has recently announced that they would do a small US tour supporting 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...
from August 25 through September 4 and that this would enable them to warm up before entering the studio in September 2011 to record their eighth album with Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
. A 2012 release date is expected. The band also mentioned that a 20th anniversary world tour will accompany the album. According to Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
, Rancid's new album will arrive after the Transplants release their new one.
Members
Current- Tim ArmstrongTim ArmstrongTimothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
and rhythm guitar(s)Rhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(1991–present) - Matt FreemanMatt FreemanMatthew "McCall" Freeman is an American musician. He is best known for his bass guitar work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy, Rancid and as the frontman of Devil's Brigade.-Playing style:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, lead vocals (1991–present) - Lars FrederiksenLars FrederiksenLars Erik Frederiksen is an American guitarist and vocalist, most notably for the punk rock band Rancid, and as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and The Old Firm Casuals. He was also briefly a member of the UK Subs in 1991...
– lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar(s) (1993–present) - Branden SteineckertBranden SteineckertBranden Steineckert , is the drummer for the punk rock band Rancid. He was previously the drummer of The Used, but it was announced on September 12, 2006 that he was no longer a part of the band.-Biography:...
– 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 ....
, percussion (2006–present)
Former
- Brett Reed – drums, percussion (1991–2006)
Timeline
Although Frederiksen had joined the band by the time its first album was released in 1993, he did not perform on the album.
Discography
- For all releases see Rancid discographyRancid discographyThe discography of Rancid, a Northern California-based punk rock band. The band has released seven studio albums, two extended plays, two compilations and seventeen singles...
.- RancidRancid (1993 album)Mike DaRonco of Allmusic stated "This is where it all starts. Without any reminiscing about their former band, Operation Ivy, Matt Freeman and Tim Armstrong blast through their debut without any hints of ska or blatant Clash plagiarizing...
(1993) - Let's Go (1994)
- ...And Out Come the Wolves...And Out Come the Wolves…And Out Come the Wolves is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on August 22, 1995 through Epitaph Records. Rancid's popularity and catchy songs made them the subject of a major label bidding war that ended with the band staying on Epitaph...
(1995) - Life Won't WaitLife Won't WaitLife Won't Wait is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 30, 1998 through Epitaph Records. It was released as the follow-up to ...And Out Come the Wolves .-Musical style and lyrics:...
(1998) - RancidRancid (2000 album)Rancid is the eponymous fifth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It is the second eponymous album and was released on August 1, 2000 through frontman Tim Armstrong's label, Hellcat Records. It was the band's first album released through Hellcat...
(2000) - Indestructible (2003)
- Let the Dominoes FallLet the Dominoes FallLet the Dominoes Fall is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was released on June 2, 2009 through Hellcat Records...
(2009) - TBA (2012)
- Rancid
See also
- List of Rancid concert tours
- List of alternative music artists
- List of musicians in the second wave of punk music