The Ziggens
Encyclopedia
The Ziggens are a band based out of Orange County
, California
whose self-described style of "cowpunksurfabilly" combines elements of surf
, rockabilly
, punk
, ska
, and country
. The Ziggens are led by Bert Susanka who sings and plays rhythm guitar. Other members include Dickie Little on lead guitar, Jon Poutney on bass, and Brad Conyers who plays the drums and provides background vocals 1. The Ziggens have been playing since the early 1990s and have developed a strong following in Southern California
.
The Ziggens were contemporaries with Sublime
and were originally signed to their Skunk Records
label. Their song "Big Salty Tears" was covered and popularized by Bradley Nowell
on the Sublime acoustic album
. The Ziggens, and more specifically Bert Susanka were also mentioned in the Sublime song "Greatest Hits
". Also, their song "Outside" is sampled in the Sublime song "Smoke Two Joints
" for the line "Smoked cigarettes 'til the day she died!" The Ziggens contributed a cover of the song "Paddle Out
" to the Sublime tribute album Look at All the Love We Found
, released in June 2005. The Ziggens are currently signed to Cornerstone RAS, which is a subsidiary of Skunk Records.
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, 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...
whose self-described style of "cowpunksurfabilly" combines elements of surf
Surf
Surf is the wave activity in the area between the shoreline and outer limit of breakers. It may refer to a breaking wave in shallow water, upon the shore, or in the area in which waves breakSurf also may refer to:Commercial products...
, 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...
, punk
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...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. The Ziggens are led by Bert Susanka who sings and plays rhythm guitar. Other members include Dickie Little on lead guitar, Jon Poutney on bass, and Brad Conyers who plays the drums and provides background vocals 1. The Ziggens have been playing since the early 1990s and have developed a strong following in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
The Ziggens were contemporaries with Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
and were originally signed to their Skunk Records
Skunk Records
Skunk Records is a Long Beach, California based record label that was founded by Michael "Miguel" Happoldt and Bradley Nowell in 1990. The label also operates a subsidiary, Cornerstone RAS....
label. Their song "Big Salty Tears" was covered and popularized by Bradley Nowell
Bradley Nowell
Bradley James Nowell was an American musician who served as lead singer and guitarist of the Californian band Sublime. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose shortly before the release of Sublime's self-titled major label debut.Raised in Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an...
on the Sublime acoustic album
Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends
Sublime Acoustic: Bradley Nowell & Friends is an album of acoustic performances by the band Sublime, mostly done solo by singer/guitarist Bradley Nowell...
. The Ziggens, and more specifically Bert Susanka were also mentioned in the Sublime song "Greatest Hits
Robbin' the Hood
Robbin' the Hood is the second album by the Southern California ska punk band Sublime, which was released in 1994.- Context and production values :...
". Also, their song "Outside" is sampled in the Sublime song "Smoke Two Joints
Smoke Two Joints
"Smoke Two Joints" is a song originally written by The Toyes, who performed it in traditional Reggae style and released it in 1983. According to The Toyes, "one fine fall day on a small island" of Oahu in Hawaii, two of the band members, Jim and Sandy, were sitting under a large banyan tree on...
" for the line "Smoked cigarettes 'til the day she died!" The Ziggens contributed a cover of the song "Paddle Out
Sublime (album)
Sublime is the third and final album released by ska-punk band Sublime. Originally intended to be titled Killin' It, the band and record label agreed to substitute an eponymous title due to lead singer Bradley Nowell's death prior to the album's release...
" to the Sublime tribute album Look at All the Love We Found
Look at All the Love We Found
Look at All the Love We Found is a tribute album by various artists dedicated to Sublime, released on June 21, 2005 . The title comes from a lyric in the song "S.T.P." on Sublime's Robbin' the Hood album.-Track listing:...
, released in June 2005. The Ziggens are currently signed to Cornerstone RAS, which is a subsidiary of Skunk Records.
Discography
- Three Wise Men & Dickie (1987)
- Wake Up & Smell (1991)
- Rusty Never Sleeps (1992)
- Chicken Out (1994)
- Ignore Amos (1996)
- Pomona Lisa (1998)
- Live: Tickets Still Available (2000)
- Sleazy Rider (2000)
- The Ziggens (2002)
- Greatest Zits: 1990-2003 (2003)