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Consisting of four friends, Geoff Weers (guitar/vocals), Adam Patterson (drums/vocals), Raul Bianchi (lead guitar) and Ryan DeMars, The Expendables put a twist on California surf rock, through their heavy reggae influence and punk aesthetic. They began releasing their music independently, with "No Tie To Worry" (2000), "Open Container" (2001) and "Gettin' Filthy" (2004) selling over 40,000 units without any physical distribution or record label support. This success shows the wild popularity of The Expendables' music.
Having performed alongside band Slightly Stoopid, they were signed to front men Kyle McDonald and Miles Doughty's new independent label, joining the roster of Stoopid Records. They soon released their self-titled album in 2007, which became hugely popular amongst fans and critics alike.
Following the album release, the band embarked on several tours, joining the likes of NOFX, Less Than Jake and Pennywise on the road. They also supported 311 on their arena tour, playing to huge crowds and gaining many new fans.
After two years of relentless touring, they returned to the studio to record their fifth album, "Prove It," featuring the production talents of Paul Leary (Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Supersuckers). The album was released in May 2010, debuting at number 158 on the Billboard 200, moving to number 15 in the ITunes Top 200 album chart. The band again went on the road following its release before returning to the studio in 2012 to record their acoustic album, "Gone Soft."
For one reason or another, it always seems as if reggae bands - or at least the ones that cross over and enjoy some mainstream success, anyway - never seem to actually stick straight to that one particular genre; there’s usually a mash-up of similar styles in there, too, with the likes of ska, rocksteady and often more traditional rock sounds making the cut, too; that’s certainly the case with The Expendables, who formed in Santa Cruz, California in 1997. They’ve toured with contemporaries like Less Than Jake and 311, but unlike those bands, they aren’t a straightforward punk rock band who are tinged with a reggae sound - it’s the other way around, with punk rock itself being the secondary influence on the group, and that makes for a fascinating twist on the usual formula. Not that there’s a great deal of difference to the energy they bring to their gigs, of course, or the degree to which they flesh out their instrumentation, but for those fed up with typical punk rock fare, The Expendables are certainly worth a look as they approach their twentieth anniversary as a band; their last album, Gone Soft, was an acoustic affair, so expect a return to full-octane noise on their next effort.
Joeg_67
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