ZOX
Encyclopedia
ZOX is a band from Providence, Rhode Island
that is self-described as "violin
-laced Reggae
rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox (drums), Eli Miller (guitar, vocals), Spencer Swain (violin, vocals), and Dan Edinberg (bass, vocals).
, soon after rapidly growing their fanbase through traditional grassroots methods and energetic live shows. Their debut album, Take Me Home
, was released in 2003, launching the band on a 300-show-a-year tour schedule, split between the U.S. and Europe. They have opened for or toured with bands such as The Black Eyed Peas
, O.A.R.
, Rusted Root
, Common, Ok Go
, The Roots
, Everclear
, Dispatch
, Live
, Guster
, Good Charlotte
, Gogol Bordello
, Streetlight Manifesto
, Phantom Planet
, Flogging Molly
, The Sugar Hill Gang, Medeski Martin & Wood
, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
, Matisyahu
, Hawthorne Heights
, The Living End
, Petey Pablo
, T-Pain
, Hot Hot Heat
, Jack's Mannequin
, Bedouin Soundclash
, Rustic Overtones
, Gaslight Anthem, Badfish
, Goldfinger
, and Lupe Fiasco
, among others. The band toured through 2008, and as of August of that year, sold over 50,000 albums.
In 2005, ZOX released a second album titled The Wait
, which was listed on the Billboard Magazine Internet Album Charts in 7th position between The Black Eyed Peas
and Coldplay
. The Wait, in addition to selling 2,700 albums nationwide in its debut week, was also the top selling album in Rhode Island. The single "Can't Look Down" received a good deal of public attention: it was featured on the 2006 Bionicle Free the Band website, along with songs from the Undertones
, Damone
, Over It
, and others; it also appeared on MTV's The Real World: Key West
, "Road Rules", and in the ski film Snow Gods. "The Wait" charted at #38 on CMJ charts with 153 Stations adding the disc (Spring 2008).
In 2006, Zox were featured at the South by Southwest
festival in Austin
. The band signed with SideOneDummy Records
(The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
, Gogol Bordello
, Flogging Molly
) in 2006, and CAA Booking (AC/DC
, John Mayer
, etc.) and ZOX re-released The Wait with their new label on June 6 in Canada and the United States. During the summer of 2006, Zox toured on the Warped Tour
and with Rusted Root
, followed by an extensive European tour, which included playing at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
. Other festivals performed at include Germany's Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Festivals, Italy's Rock the Week, NovaRock Austria, and Switzerland's Greenfield Festival.
Zox's third album, Line in the Sand was released in January 2008, receiving favorable reviews from many underground rating sites http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=284876. The single "Goodnight" continues to receive national radio play. "Line in the Sand" was produced by John Goodmanson, whose credits include Death Cab for Cutie, Sleater Kinney, Blood Brothers and Harvey Danger.
On August 13, 2011, Zox headlined a 10-year reunion concert at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in their hometown of Providence, Rhode Island.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
that is self-described as "violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
-laced 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...
rock." The band consists of four members: namesake John Zox (drums), Eli Miller (guitar, vocals), Spencer Swain (violin, vocals), and Dan Edinberg (bass, vocals).
History
Two founding members of ZOX met while students at Brown UniversityBrown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, soon after rapidly growing their fanbase through traditional grassroots methods and energetic live shows. Their debut album, Take Me Home
Take Me Home (Zox Album)
-Track listing:#"The Squid" – 4:57#"Butterfly" – 4:01#"Ghostown" – 3:23#"Goodbye to You" – 3:47#"Leaving Me" – 3:07#"Ode to the Mountain Pirates" – 2:19#"Rain on Me" – 4:16#"Homebody" – 3:18#"Delicious" – 3:32#"Stupid Song" – 3:36...
, was released in 2003, launching the band on a 300-show-a-year tour schedule, split between the U.S. and Europe. They have opened for or toured with bands such as The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
, O.A.R.
Of a Revolution
O.A.R. is an American rock band composed of Marc Roberge , Chris Culos , Richard On , Benj Gershman , and Jerry DePizzo...
, Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
, Common, Ok Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Everclear
Everclear (band)
Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1992 best known for their radio hits spanning more than a decade. For most of its existence, Everclear has consisted of Art Alexakis , Craig Montoya , and Greg Eklund . Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994...
, Dispatch
Dispatch (band)
Dispatch is an American indie/roots band. The band consists of Brad Corrigan , Pete Francis Heimbold , and Chad Urmston ....
, Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
, Guster
Guster
Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1991, the group is known for its live performances and humor, founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel came about to begin practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford,...
, Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
, Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
, Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto
Streetlight Manifesto is an American punk band with many influences from different genres including ska, from New Brunswick, New Jersey fronted by Tomas Kalnoky....
, Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
, 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:...
, The Sugar Hill Gang, Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood
Medeski Martin & Wood is an American jazz trio formed in 1991, consisting of John Medeski on keyboards and piano, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar....
, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
, Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Their line-up currently consists of lead-singer and rhythm guitarist JT Woodruff, lead-guitarist and vocalist Micah Carli, bassist and backing vocalist Matt Ridenour, and drummer Eron Bucciarelli...
, The Living End
The Living End
The Living End are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, Victoria, formed in 1994. The current lineup consists of Chris Cheney , Scott Owen and Andy Strachan...
, Petey Pablo
Petey Pablo
Moses Mortimer Barrett III , known by the stage name Petey Pablo, is an American rapper from Greenville, North Carolina.-Biography:...
, T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
, Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...
, Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin
Jack's Mannequin is an American rock band formed in 2004, originally hailing from Orange County, California. The band began as a side project of Andrew McMahon, the frontman for Something Corporate, and is composed of guitarist Bobby Anderson, bassist Mikey "The Kid" Wagner, and drummer Jay...
, Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band currently based in Toronto. Their sound can be described as reggae and ska.-History:The band's current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, and bassist Eon Sinclair with Sekou Lumumba on drums. Their debut album, Root Fire, released in 2001...
, Rustic Overtones
Rustic Overtones
Rustic Overtones is a rock/jazz/funk band from Maine active from 1993–2002 and 2007–present. They were the first group to perform live on XM Satellite Radio, and their 2007 album Light At The End was the fastest-selling local disc ever in the state of Maine....
, Gaslight Anthem, Badfish
Badfish
Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime is a tribute band dedicated to playing the music of Sublime and not to be confused with the original "Badfish" from Southern California. The group is named after a song appearing on the album 40oz. to Freedom...
, Goldfinger
Goldfinger (band)
Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer...
, and Lupe Fiasco
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...
, among others. The band toured through 2008, and as of August of that year, sold over 50,000 albums.
In 2005, ZOX released a second album titled The Wait
The Wait
The Wait is an album by ZOX. It was released on 6 June 2006. It was originally released by Armo Records in 2005 when Zox was signed by SideOneDummy Records; the album was re-released in 2006.-Track listing:#"The Wait" – 0:31#"Thirsty" – 2:37...
, which was listed on the Billboard Magazine Internet Album Charts in 7th position between The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
and Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. The Wait, in addition to selling 2,700 albums nationwide in its debut week, was also the top selling album in Rhode Island. The single "Can't Look Down" received a good deal of public attention: it was featured on the 2006 Bionicle Free the Band website, along with songs from the Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
, Damone
Damone
Not to be confused with singer Vic Damone.Damone is an American rock band with distinct elements from power pop in their sound. The band originated in Waltham, a city located just west of Boston, Massachusetts, and comprises Noelle , Mike Woods , Vazquez and Dustin Hengst .-In popular culture:The...
, Over It
Over It (band)
Over It is a rock band from Orange County, California. Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, the band formed in 1998 to play pop punk, and has since developed a more mainstream rock sound with punk roots. They were most recently signed to Virgin Records, but are currently unsigned.The band,...
, and others; it also appeared on MTV's The Real World: Key West
The Real World: Key West
The Real World: Key West is the seventeenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, "Road Rules", and in the ski film Snow Gods. "The Wait" charted at #38 on CMJ charts with 153 Stations adding the disc (Spring 2008).
In 2006, Zox were featured at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. The band signed with 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...
(The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, bassist Joe Gittleman, tenor saxophonist Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton and dancer Ben Carr have remained constant members...
, Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
, 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:...
) in 2006, and CAA Booking (AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, etc.) and ZOX re-released The Wait with their new label on June 6 in Canada and the United States. During the summer of 2006, Zox toured on the Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
and with Rusted Root
Rusted Root
Rusted Root is a band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania known for their unique fusion of acoustic, rock, world and other styles of music, with a strong percussion section that draws from African, Latin American, Native American, and Indian influences...
, followed by an extensive European tour, which included playing at the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
. Other festivals performed at include Germany's Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Festivals, Italy's Rock the Week, NovaRock Austria, and Switzerland's Greenfield Festival.
Zox's third album, Line in the Sand was released in January 2008, receiving favorable reviews from many underground rating sites http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=284876. The single "Goodnight" continues to receive national radio play. "Line in the Sand" was produced by John Goodmanson, whose credits include Death Cab for Cutie, Sleater Kinney, Blood Brothers and Harvey Danger.
On August 13, 2011, Zox headlined a 10-year reunion concert at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in their hometown of Providence, Rhode Island.
Full-length albums
- Take Me HomeTake Me Home (Zox Album)-Track listing:#"The Squid" – 4:57#"Butterfly" – 4:01#"Ghostown" – 3:23#"Goodbye to You" – 3:47#"Leaving Me" – 3:07#"Ode to the Mountain Pirates" – 2:19#"Rain on Me" – 4:16#"Homebody" – 3:18#"Delicious" – 3:32#"Stupid Song" – 3:36...
(2002) Armo Records - The WaitThe WaitThe Wait is an album by ZOX. It was released on 6 June 2006. It was originally released by Armo Records in 2005 when Zox was signed by SideOneDummy Records; the album was re-released in 2006.-Track listing:#"The Wait" – 0:31#"Thirsty" – 2:37...
(2006) SideOneDummy RecordsSideOneDummy RecordsSideOneDummy 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... - Line In The Sand (2008) SideOneDummy RecordsSideOneDummy RecordsSideOneDummy 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...
Singles
- Can't Look Down (2005)
- Carolyn (2005)
- Can't Look Down (re-release, 2006)
- ZOX: Connect Sets (Alternate Versions of Can't Look Down, Anything But Fine, and cover of Where Is My Mind?Where Is My Mind?"Where Is My Mind?" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pixies. It is the seventh track on their 1988 album Surfer Rosa. The song was written by frontman Black Francis while he attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, inspired by his experiences scuba diving in the Caribbean....
by Pixies) - Thirsty (2006)
- Spades (2006)
- GoodnightGoodnight (song)"Goodnight" is the debut single by ZOX from their third studio album Line In The Sand. It was first played on the radio in late November 2007, and the Goodnight-EP was released to iTunes on January 8, 2008. Its music video involves the band playing the song with lightbulbs hanging down from the...
(2007) - Line in The Sand (2008)
B-sides
- Spectacle Girl (2003)
- She's a Vampire (2005)
- Losing Streak (2005)
- Where is My Mind? (2005)
- Last Train Home (2005)
- I'm Not Gunna Save You (2005)
- Better if it's Worse (acoustic) (2005)
- Wishing For Your Mouth (2008)
- Tonight I Wasn't There (2008)
- Goodnight (Electric) (2008)
- From Yesterday (2008)
- Sometimes We're in Love (2008)