Nerf Herder
Encyclopedia
Nerf Herder is a punk rock
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 from Santa Barbara formed in 1994 by Parry Gripp
Parry Gripp
Parry Gripp is a singer-songwriter as well as lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder.As a songwriter, Gripp is best known for fake jingles, as in his 2005 solo album For Those About to Shop, We Salute You - a 51-track concept album mimicking various musical styles as product...

 (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). They describe themselves as a "geek
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...

 rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

" band, and are known for simplistic modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, juvenile and pop-culture-referencing lyrics. They are most noted for composing the theme tune to the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and for their 1997 single "Van Halen", a tribute to the band of the same name
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...

, which attracted significant radio airplay and led to their first major record deal with Arista Records
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...

.

The song "High Five Anxiety" was featured on the soundtrack for Major League Baseball 2k7 made by 2k Sports. The band's cover of ELO
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...

's "Mr. Blue Sky
Mr. Blue Sky
"Mr. Blue Sky" is a song by English rock group Electric Light Orchestra, featured on the band's seventh studio album Out of the Blue . Written and produced by frontman Jeff Lynne, the song forms the fourth and final track of the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" suite, on side three of the original double...

" was used in the end credits of the British Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle
The Great Global Warming Swindle
The Great Global Warming Swindle is a polemical documentary film that suggests that the scientific opinion on climate change is influenced by funding and political factors, and questions whether scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming exists....

 in 2007.

History

Nerf Herder was formed in Santa Barbara in 1994 by Parry Gripp
Parry Gripp
Parry Gripp is a singer-songwriter as well as lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder.As a songwriter, Gripp is best known for fake jingles, as in his 2005 solo album For Those About to Shop, We Salute You - a 51-track concept album mimicking various musical styles as product...

 (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). Charlie left the band after the release of their debut self-titled album
Nerf Herder (album)
Nerf Herder is the eponymous debut album by Nerf Herder, released in November 1996.The album was released in two different versions, both in 1996. The first version featured an orange golf shirt on the cover and was produced by My Records as the label's debut album...

, and was replaced first by Pete Newbury, with Dave Ehrlich also joining as a second guitarist. Newbury's tenure touring with the band was short-lived, however; he was replaced in 1999 briefly by bassist Marko 72, and more permanently by Justin Fisher.

During 1999 Nerf Herder asked to be let go by Arista, (anticipating a long and slow wait until eventually being dropped) to record a new record How To Meet Girls
How to Meet Girls
How to Meet Girls is the follow-up to Nerf Herder's self-titled release. The album was released in 2000 on Honest Don's Records. The track Courtney was written about Courtney Love, containing humorous references to her life...

 with Honest Don's Records
Honest Don's Records
Honest Don's Records was a subsidiary label based in San Francisco, California, set up along with Pink & Black Records by Fat Wreck Chords to release material by bands that didn't fit within the roster at Fat....

, a subsidiary of Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....

. A special EP for My Records (run by Joey Cape from Lagwagon
Lagwagon
Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, just outside Santa Barbara, California. They formed in 1990 and went on hiatus and reunited several times over the years...

) entitled My EP, was released in 2001, and was followed in 2002 by their album, American Cheese
American Cheese (album)
American Cheese is the third album by Nerf Herder, released in 2002.-Track listing:All songs written by Parry Gripp, except where indicated.# "Welcome To My World" – 2:07# "High Five Anxiety" – 3:06# "New Wave Girl" – 2:53# "Mr...

.

In April 2003, Nerf Herder appeared as the musical guest in the final-season Buffy episode "Empty Places
Empty Places (Buffy episode)
"Empty Places" is the 19th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:The citizens of Sunnydale flee en masse and Sunnydale becomes a ghost town. Willow uses magic to get information from the police on Caleb, and Spike and Andrew leave...

" – the very last band to play at The Bronze
The Bronze
The Bronze is a fictional nightclub in Sunnydale, the fictional setting for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Of 144 episodes of the series, 66 have at least one scene at the Bronze, not including its appearance in the unaired pilot....

. Their special connection to the series was further acknowledged by a bit of dialogue, as "Rock City News" played in the background:
Kennedy
Kennedy (Buffyverse)
Kennedy is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Portrayed by Iyari Limon in the TV series, the character was introduced in the final season of the series and goes on to appear in the comic book series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight which continues the...

: What kind of band plays during an apocalypse?
Dawn
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...

: I think this band might actually be one of the signs.


By 2003, after the final American Cheese tour dates - during which time Ben Pringle (now of The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...

) had replaced Fisher (who had left amicably to front his own band, Psoma) - the band disintegrated. No official split was announced, but a post by Gripp on the band's website some time afterwards detailed how most of the former band members had gone on to get "proper jobs." Gripp did some work as a jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...

 writer, which led to his 2005 solo album For Those About To Shop, We Salute You - a 51-track concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

 mimicking various musical styles and focusing on product commercialization.

In late 2005, Nerf Herder made a surprise comeback, announcing on their website that they were playing a handful of gigs with the original lineup of Parry, Charlie and Steve. For Parry's May 7, 2007 review of the day, he announced that the original lineup had finally finished recording their 4th album, which did not have a title at that time. Parry stated that he wanted the title to be "Brownerton
Pinkerton (album)
Pinkerton is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on September 24, 1996. After finishing tours in promotion of their 1994 album Weezer, the band originally planned to record a space-themed rock opera entitled Songs from the Black Hole...

", but that idea was shot down. Parry also stated that of the 13 songs recorded, they would probably pick 10 to be on the album. In June 2007, the band decided on the title "Nerf Herder IV," and the album was released through Oglio Records
Oglio Records
Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. They are well-known for issuing compilations of rare 1980's modern rock and New Wave songs, many of which were previously unreleased on CD...

 on April 29, 2008. Pringle returned, and Former Size 14
Size 14
Size 14 was a pop punk band in the late 90's based out of Hollywood that gained some notoriety with the novelty song "Claire Danes Poster". They released one self titled album on Volcano Entertainment in 1997 and influenced later bands such as Nerf Herder, Bowling for Soup and others...

 singer Linus of Hollywood
Linus Of Hollywood
Kevin Dotson , better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer...

 joined the live band (playing guitar and keyboard) in early 2008 for a series of West Coast shows and a short tour of Japan.

Origin of band name

The band takes their name from a Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...

 reference — a "nerf herder" is a fictional occupation referred to by Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...

) in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...

, when she insults Han Solo
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise played by Harrison Ford. Introduced in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca , become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire...

 (Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...

) for arrogantly asserting that she has romantic feelings for him': "Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder!"

Members

Current members
  • Parry Gripp
    Parry Gripp
    Parry Gripp is a singer-songwriter as well as lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder.As a songwriter, Gripp is best known for fake jingles, as in his 2005 solo album For Those About to Shop, We Salute You - a 51-track concept album mimicking various musical styles as product...

     – vocals, guitar (1994–2003, 2005–present)
  • Steve Sherlock – drums, vocals (1994–2003, 2005–present)
  • Ben Pringle – bass, vocals (2002–2003, 2009–present)
  • Linus of Hollywood
    Linus Of Hollywood
    Kevin Dotson , better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American rock and pop singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer...

     – guitar, keyboards (2008–present)

Past members
  • Charlie Dennis – bass, vocals (1994–1998, 2005–2009)
  • Dave Ehrlich – guitar (1997–2003)
  • Pete Newbury – bass, vocals (1998–1999)
  • Marko 72 – bass (1999)
  • Justin Fisher – bass, vocals (1999–2002)

Timeline

Discography

  • Nerf Herder
    Nerf Herder (album)
    Nerf Herder is the eponymous debut album by Nerf Herder, released in November 1996.The album was released in two different versions, both in 1996. The first version featured an orange golf shirt on the cover and was produced by My Records as the label's debut album...

     (1996)
  • How to Meet Girls
    How to Meet Girls
    How to Meet Girls is the follow-up to Nerf Herder's self-titled release. The album was released in 2000 on Honest Don's Records. The track Courtney was written about Courtney Love, containing humorous references to her life...

     (2000)
  • My E.P.
    My E.P.
    -Track listing:# Hotel California – 2:39# Love Sandwich – 2:36# High School – 2:36# Bridge Under Troubled Water – 2:22# The Sportsman Bar – 3:23# I've Got A Boner For Christmas – 1:37# Unlisted – 2:46...

     (2000)
  • High Voltage Christmas Rock (2000)
  • American Cheese
    American Cheese (album)
    American Cheese is the third album by Nerf Herder, released in 2002.-Track listing:All songs written by Parry Gripp, except where indicated.# "Welcome To My World" – 2:07# "High Five Anxiety" – 3:06# "New Wave Girl" – 2:53# "Mr...

     (2002)
  • Nerf Herder IV
    Nerf Herder IV
    Nerf Herder IV is American punk rock band Nerf Herder's fourth studio album. It was released on April 29, 2008.-Track listing:# "Oh Me, Oh My"# "Golfshirt, Part 2"# "High School Reunion"# "WTC #7"# "Dianalee"# "Crocodile"...

    (2008)

External links

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