Slick Shoes
Encyclopedia
Slick Shoes was a pop punk
band with Christian
origins from Antelope Valley
, California
. Their name comes from the hit 1985 movie, The Goonies
, 'slick shoes' being one of the character Data's many gadgets. The band formed in 1994 and made their first release as a self-titled EP
in 1997. They released 5 full length CDs, 4 of them on Seattle based Tooth and Nail Records. They also released an EP, a split with Autopilot Off
and a greatest hits
CD entitled The Biggest & The Best, featuring 3 previously unreleased songs. Slick Shoes' style could be described as fast and melodic, occasionally with a rough-edged hardcore punk
/melodic hardcore
sound.
The band had gone through numerous line-up changes over the years, but singer Ryan Kepke and Joe Nixon (drums) performed on every release, while Jeremiah Brown (bass) played on all except their final album, Far From Nowhere
. This was their first release without Tooth and Nail Records, which they left, not for religious reasons, but merely because their contract had finished and the band felt the need for a change. Far From Nowhere was released on SideOneDummy Records
in the summer of 2003.
The band was particularly successful in the Christian punk
scene in the late 90s and early 2000s and toured alongside their peers, both secular and Christian (most notably bands such as Face to Face
and MxPx
, respectively). They also played certain legs of the Vans Warped Tour in 2003.
, Slick Shoes was very inactive (even their website was taken down), and on October 7, 2006 the band issued a statement through their MySpace page saying that they had begun a side project called Sigmund, and that Slick Shoes was on an "indefinite hiatus". Then, 15 months later on January 3, 2008, the band announced through MySpace that they had reunited:
"Hey Everyone,
Good news. Slick Shoes is back together with original members Ryan Kepke, Jackson Mould, Joe Nixon, and Jeremiah Brown. We also added guitarist Jordan Mould . Although we will not be touring extensively we will be playing shows and hope to record a new record in the near future. Don't forget to tell your friends."
Their first show back together took place at Schooner's in Lancaster, CA in December, 2007, with their last show at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA on April 10, 2008.
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...
band with Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
origins from Antelope Valley
Antelope Valley
The Antelope Valley in California, United States, is located in northern Los Angeles County and the southeastern portion of Kern County, California, and constitutes the western tip of the Mojave Desert...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Their name comes from the hit 1985 movie, The Goonies
The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure-comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The screenplay was written by Chris Columbus from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. The premise surrounds a band of pre-teens who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon hoping to save...
, 'slick shoes' being one of the character Data's many gadgets. The band formed in 1994 and made their first release as a self-titled 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...
in 1997. They released 5 full length CDs, 4 of them on Seattle based Tooth and Nail Records. They also released an EP, a split with Autopilot Off
Autopilot Off
Autopilot Off is a punk rock band from Orange County, New York composed of Chris Hughes , Chris Johnson , Phil Robinson and Rob Kucharek ....
and a greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
CD entitled The Biggest & The Best, featuring 3 previously unreleased songs. Slick Shoes' style could be described as fast and melodic, occasionally with a rough-edged 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...
/melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore
Melodic hardcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk with a strong emphasis on vocal melody. The genre is commonly defined with fast hardcore drum beats, complex guitar riffs and melodic singing with occasional screaming and shouting.-History:...
sound.
The band had gone through numerous line-up changes over the years, but singer Ryan Kepke and Joe Nixon (drums) performed on every release, while Jeremiah Brown (bass) played on all except their final album, Far From Nowhere
Far From Nowhere
Far from Nowhere is the fifth and final album from Christian band Slick Shoes. This album was released on Side One Dummy, and the first to not be released by Tooth & Nail-Track listing:# "Darko" – 2:30# "Carpenteria" – 2:02...
. This was their first release without Tooth and Nail Records, which they left, not for religious reasons, but merely because their contract had finished and the band felt the need for a change. Far From Nowhere was released on SideOneDummy Records
SideOneDummy Records
SideOneDummy Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label whose roster focuses mostly on punk and related genres. Founded in 1995 by Joe Sib and Bill Armstrong, who continue to run it today, the label has built a reputation for its diverse roster of artists ranging from third wave ska...
in the summer of 2003.
The band was particularly successful in the Christian punk
Christian punk
Christian punk is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. Much disagreement persists about the boundaries of the subgenre, and the extent that their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies among bands...
scene in the late 90s and early 2000s and toured alongside their peers, both secular and Christian (most notably bands such as Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
and MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
, respectively). They also played certain legs of the Vans Warped Tour in 2003.
Post-2004
Since touring in 2003 and early 2004 in support of Far From NowhereFar From Nowhere
Far from Nowhere is the fifth and final album from Christian band Slick Shoes. This album was released on Side One Dummy, and the first to not be released by Tooth & Nail-Track listing:# "Darko" – 2:30# "Carpenteria" – 2:02...
, Slick Shoes was very inactive (even their website was taken down), and on October 7, 2006 the band issued a statement through their MySpace page saying that they had begun a side project called Sigmund, and that Slick Shoes was on an "indefinite hiatus". Then, 15 months later on January 3, 2008, the band announced through MySpace that they had reunited:
"Hey Everyone,
Good news. Slick Shoes is back together with original members Ryan Kepke, Jackson Mould, Joe Nixon, and Jeremiah Brown. We also added guitarist Jordan Mould . Although we will not be touring extensively we will be playing shows and hope to record a new record in the near future. Don't forget to tell your friends."
Their first show back together took place at Schooner's in Lancaster, CA in December, 2007, with their last show at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA on April 10, 2008.
Discography
- Slick Shoes EPSlick Shoes EPSlick Shoes EP is the debut EP by Slick Shoes.-Track listing:# "Silence"# "I Guess"# "Five O Grind"# "My So Called Real World"...
(released January 21, 1997) - Rusty (released June 24, 1997)
- Burn Out (released July 7, 1998)
- Wake Up ScreamingWake Up ScreamingWake Up Screaming is the third album from Christian pop punk band Slick Shoes.-Track listing:# "Another Day" # "Constancy"# "Angel"# "Peace of Mind"# "Hide & Seek"# "Lucky"# "Have I Said Too Much?"# "Elisa"# "Don't Mess With Texas"...
(released May 23, 2000) - Slick Shoes/Cooter SplitSlick Shoes/Cooter SplitSlick Shoes/Cooter Split is a split EP from Slick Shoes and Autopilot Off . When Cooter became Autopilot Off, the name of this CD was changed and it was re-released to reflect the new name.-Track listing:...
EP (released May 23, 2000) - Slick ShoesSlick Shoes (album)-Track listing:# "My Ignorance"# "Pass Me By"# "Friday Night"# "Ten Ways"# "Alone"# "I Knew"# "Remember"# "So Much More"# "1 A.M."# "No More Words"# "1000 Times Before"# "151"...
(April 9, 2002) - Far From NowhereFar From NowhereFar from Nowhere is the fifth and final album from Christian band Slick Shoes. This album was released on Side One Dummy, and the first to not be released by Tooth & Nail-Track listing:# "Darko" – 2:30# "Carpenteria" – 2:02...
(released July 8, 2003) - The Biggest and the BestThe Biggest and the BestThe Biggest and the Best is a greatest hits compilation by Christian pop punk band Slick Shoes, and was the band's final album with never before released music.-Track listing:# "Pretend to Be the Same" - 1:30...
(released November 18, 2003)