Wax (rock band)
Encyclopedia
Wax is a Los Angeles, California
based punk rock
band that emerged during the pop punk
resurgence of the early 1990s, and includes Joe Sib, Tom "Soda" Gardocki, Dave Georgeff
, and Loomis Fall
. The band is best known for their MTV
buzz clip
video "California," directed by Spike Jonze
.
, California
. They released their first album, What Else Can We Do on Caroline Records in 1992, with a surf-inflected punk rock style, comparable to the Ramones
and Pixies. According to the liner notes
, "Hold On" was the first song that the band ever wrote together. The album was produced by Daniel Rey
at Convent Studios. Wax began a lasting relationship with Spike Jonze
, who directed the music video
for "Hush," filmed in Chicago
, Illinois
where the majority of the band members originated prior to forming.
In 1995 the band issued its major label debut, 13 Unlucky Numbers on Interscope/Atlantic
, as well as a limited color vinyl version on the independent label Shattered Records, that also included a numbered gatefold
sleeve and bonus track. Paul Q. Kolderie
and Sean Slade
acted as the production team for the sessions, recorded in the summer of 1993 at Fort Apache Studios
. Spike Jonze was credited for the albums photography and also directed two more music videos for the band.
13 Unlucky Numbers included the single "California," whose music video was later called "infamous" by NME
and has been included on Artforum
's website. The video depicted a man on fire running in slow motion, and was quickly banned from daytime airplay on MTV. It was included on a retrospective DVD of the director, Spike Jonze, where a still from the video also graced the cover of the collection. The song was a moderate hit on American rock radio, reaching #28 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts in 1995. The album also included "Who Is Next," a song licensed to Nike
for a commercial which featured Pete Sampras
and Andre Agassi
. The music video for the song featured Tim Armstrong
and Lars Frederiksen
of the band Rancid
. On April 2, 1995 the band appeared on MTV's 120 Minutes
to promote the release and perform live in the studio.
Wax was featured in several major motion pictures in the mid-90's. Their song "Mallrats" appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 Kevin Smith
film Mallrats
. In the movie itself, it is heard over the closing credits, just after "Susanne" by Weezer
. The band briefly appeared in the 1996 film Bio-Dome
, starring Pauly Shore
and Stephen Baldwin
, where they performed "He´s a Whore", "Your Intelligence" and the Bobby Freeman
song "Do You Wanna Dance?
," during the party scene. The latter two songs appeared on the film's soundtrack. The band also contributed a cover of "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" to the cartoons' greatest hits album Saturday Morning
, a song originally from The Ren & Stimpy Show.
After going their separate ways in 1995, Sib started the band 22 Jacks
with Steve Soto of the Adolescents and Agent Orange
, while continuing to develop his record label SideOneDummy. Gardocki went on to front Soda & His Million Piece Band, a Pogues-esque rock band who specialized in punk-inflected Americana and blues, and later played with Rose's Pawn Shop
. Georgeff started the Los Angeles indie rock combo, Sign of the Fox. Loomis became a recurring cast member and writer on Jackass
, appeared on Wildboyz
, and was present in Jackass: The Movie
, Jackass Number Two and Jackass 3D
. He also released two albums as Loomis, Black Black and Cigarette, as well as playing drums for Chris Pontius
' band, Scream For Me.
and saw release on SideOneDummy, with all proceeds donated to UCP
Wheels For Humanity. Wax played their first show in fourteen years at Riot Fest in Chicago, with Naked Raygun
and Rights of the Accused, at The Metro
on October 9, 2009, following a small warm-up show in Los Angeles at the Darkroom. Wax opened for long time friends and contemporaries, Weezer, after being asked by the band to support them for their October 24, 2009 performance at the Hollywood Palladium
to promote the then upcoming Raditude
album.
}
|-
|}
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
based 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 that emerged during the pop punk
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...
resurgence of the early 1990s, and includes Joe Sib, Tom "Soda" Gardocki, Dave Georgeff
Dave Georgeff
Dave Georgeff is an American musician. Born in Naperville, Illinois, and raised in nearby Downers Grove, Georgeff is a graduate of the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California....
, and Loomis Fall
Loomis Fall
Loomis Fall is an American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and actor who has performed with several rock and punk bands, most notably with Wax, an early-1990s California pop-punk band, which was compared to the likes of the Ramones and the Pixies. Fall has performed as a cast member in...
. The band is best known for their MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
buzz clip
Buzz Bin
MTV's Buzz Bin was a select group of music videos by up and coming artists and bands that the network deemed "buzz worthy", "cutting edge", or "the next big thing"...
video "California," directed by Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
.
History
Wax formed in 1991 in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, 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...
. They released their first album, What Else Can We Do on Caroline Records in 1992, with a surf-inflected punk rock style, comparable to the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
and Pixies. According to the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
, "Hold On" was the first song that the band ever wrote together. The album was produced by Daniel Rey
Daniel Rey
Daniel Rey is an American musician, music producer and songwriter from New York City best known for his work with the Ramones....
at Convent Studios. Wax began a lasting relationship with Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
, who directed the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Hush," filmed in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where the majority of the band members originated prior to forming.
In 1995 the band issued its major label debut, 13 Unlucky Numbers on Interscope/Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, as well as a limited color vinyl version on the independent label Shattered Records, that also included a numbered gatefold
Gatefold
A gatefold is a type of fold used for advertising around a magazine or section, and for packaging of media such as vinyl records.- LP covers :...
sleeve and bonus track. Paul Q. Kolderie
Paul Q. Kolderie
Paul Q. Kolderie is a record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with Pixies, Radiohead, Orangutang, Hole, Dinosaur Jr., Juliana Hatfield, Wax, Warren Zevon, Uncle Tupelo, Throwing Muses, Morphine, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Abandoned Pools, and The Go-Go's...
and Sean Slade
Sean Slade
Sean Slade is a record producer, engineer, and mixer. He has worked with artists including Hole, Radiohead, Warren Zevon, Juliana Hatfield, Dinosaur Jr., Uncle Tupelo, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Boo Radleys, Sebadoh, Lush, the Go-Go's, and The Dictators among others. In 2005 he produced The...
acted as the production team for the sessions, recorded in the summer of 1993 at Fort Apache Studios
Fort Apache Studios
Fort Apache Studios is a New England recording studio internationally renowned for alternative rock sessions produced there since 1986. The studio is currently located in the village of Bellows Falls, Vermont in space leased in an old hotel called The Windham, owned by the town of Rockingham,...
. Spike Jonze was credited for the albums photography and also directed two more music videos for the band.
13 Unlucky Numbers included the single "California," whose music video was later called "infamous" by NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
and has been included on Artforum
Artforum
Artforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
's website. The video depicted a man on fire running in slow motion, and was quickly banned from daytime airplay on MTV. It was included on a retrospective DVD of the director, Spike Jonze, where a still from the video also graced the cover of the collection. The song was a moderate hit on American rock radio, reaching #28 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts in 1995. The album also included "Who Is Next," a song licensed to Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
for a commercial which featured Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras
Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....
and Andre Agassi
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
. The music video for the song featured Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
and Lars Frederiksen
Lars Frederiksen
Lars Erik Frederiksen is an American guitarist and vocalist, most notably for the punk rock band Rancid, and as the frontman of Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and The Old Firm Casuals. He was also briefly a member of the UK Subs in 1991...
of the band Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
. On April 2, 1995 the band appeared on MTV's 120 Minutes
120 Minutes
120 Minutes is a television show in the United States dedicated to alternative music, originally airing on MTV from 1986 to 2000, and then on MTV's sister channel MTV2 from 2001 to 2003....
to promote the release and perform live in the studio.
Wax was featured in several major motion pictures in the mid-90's. Their song "Mallrats" appeared on the soundtrack of the 1995 Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
film Mallrats
Mallrats
Mallrats is a 1995 film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is the second to be set in Smith's View Askewniverse series of interlocking films set mostly in New Jersey, although the movie was filmed in Eden Prairie Center and Osowski's Flea Market which are located in Minnesota...
. In the movie itself, it is heard over the closing credits, just after "Susanne" by Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. The band briefly appeared in the 1996 film Bio-Dome
Bio-Dome
Bio-Dome is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Jason Bloom. Bio-Dome was produced by Motion Picture Corporation of America on a budget of $15 million and was distributed theatrically by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
, starring Pauly Shore
Pauly Shore
Paul Montgomery "Pauly" Shore is an American comedian and actor who starred in several comedy films in the 1990s and hosted a video show on MTV in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
and Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Baldwin
Stephen Andrew Baldwin is an American actor, director, producer and author. One of the Baldwin brothers, he is known for his roles as William F. Cody in the western show The Young Riders and as Stuart in the movie Threesome...
, where they performed "He´s a Whore", "Your Intelligence" and the Bobby Freeman
Bobby Freeman
Bobby Freeman is an African-American soul singer, songwriter, and record producer who recorded for the Autumn Records label in San Francisco, California. He is best known for his 1958 hit "Do You Want To Dance?" and his 1964 Top Ten hit "C'mon and Swim"...
song "Do You Wanna Dance?
Do You Wanna Dance?
"Do You Wanna Dance?" is a song written by Bobby Freeman , and recorded by him in 1958. It is also popular in a version performed by the Beach Boys, which was released in 1965, and in a version recorded by Bette Midler in 1972...
," during the party scene. The latter two songs appeared on the film's soundtrack. The band also contributed a cover of "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" to the cartoons' greatest hits album Saturday Morning
Saturday Morning
-Album credits:*All tracks produced by Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Executive Producer/Concept: Ralph Sall for Bulletproof Recording Company Inc.*Engineered by Peter McCabe and Larry Fergusson....
, a song originally from The Ren & Stimpy Show.
After going their separate ways in 1995, Sib started the band 22 Jacks
22 Jacks
22 Jacks is an American punk rock supergroup, consisting of members of Wax, The Breeders, The Adolescents and Royal Crown Revue. They were active from 1995 to 2001, and again from 2007 on.-Career :...
with Steve Soto of the Adolescents and Agent Orange
Agent Orange (band)
Agent Orange is an American punk rock band formed in Orange County, California in 1979. The band is one of the first to mix punk rock with surf music. They first gained attention with their song "Bloodstains" which they released on their own 7" E.P. An early demo of the song was presented to...
, while continuing to develop his record label SideOneDummy. Gardocki went on to front Soda & His Million Piece Band, a Pogues-esque rock band who specialized in punk-inflected Americana and blues, and later played with Rose's Pawn Shop
Rose's Pawn Shop
Rose's Pawn Shop is an Americana, bluegrass, rock, rockabilly and country band from Los Angeles, California. Their debut album The Arsonist was released in May 2006...
. Georgeff started the Los Angeles indie rock combo, Sign of the Fox. Loomis became a recurring cast member and writer on Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
, appeared on Wildboyz
Wildboyz
Wildboyz is a spin-off and follow-up to Jackass, which debuted in 2003 on MTV and moved to MTV2 in its third season. Steve-O and Chris Pontius are the stars of the show, who perform stunts and acts with animals, often putting themselves in situations for which they are not trained...
, and was present in Jackass: The Movie
Jackass: The Movie
Jackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
, Jackass Number Two and Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
. He also released two albums as Loomis, Black Black and Cigarette, as well as playing drums for Chris Pontius
Chris Pontius
Christopher Andrew "Chris" Pontius is an American entertainer and daredevil. Pontius is a member of Jackass, and along with Steve-O, was the co-host of Wildboyz.-Life and career:...
' band, Scream For Me.
Recent activity
In July 2009 Wax reunited, announcing the release of Hangin' On, a 7" vinyl record featuring four unreleased songs that were originally intended to appear on 13 Unlucky Numbers. The idea was inspired by Record Store DayRecord Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
and saw release on SideOneDummy, with all proceeds donated to UCP
United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy is an international nonprofit charitable organization consisting of a network of affiliates. UCP is a leading service provider and advocate for adults and children with disabilities, including cerebral palsy...
Wheels For Humanity. Wax played their first show in fourteen years at Riot Fest in Chicago, with Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun
Naked Raygun is a Chicago-based punk rock group. Initially active from 1980 to about 1992, Naked Raygun had several short-lived reunions afterwards and a full-time reformation in 2006....
and Rights of the Accused, at The Metro
Metro Chicago
This page is about the concert hall; for the metro region surrounding Chicago, see Chicago metropolitan area.Metro is a concert hall at 3730 N. Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois that plays host to a variety of local, regional and national emerging bands and musicians. The Metro was first opened in...
on October 9, 2009, following a small warm-up show in Los Angeles at the Darkroom. Wax opened for long time friends and contemporaries, Weezer, after being asked by the band to support them for their October 24, 2009 performance at the Hollywood Palladium
Hollywood Palladium
The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200 square foot dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people.-History:...
to promote the then upcoming Raditude
Raditude
Raditude is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Weezer, released on November 3, 2009 and is their final album on DGC Records, Geffen Records and Interscope Records...
album.
Band members
- Joe Sib – lead vocals
- Tom "Soda" Gardocki – guitars, vocals
- Dave GeorgeffDave GeorgeffDave Georgeff is an American musician. Born in Naperville, Illinois, and raised in nearby Downers Grove, Georgeff is a graduate of the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, California....
– bass, vocals - Loomis FallLoomis FallLoomis Fall is an American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist musician and actor who has performed with several rock and punk bands, most notably with Wax, an early-1990s California pop-punk band, which was compared to the likes of the Ramones and the Pixies. Fall has performed as a cast member in...
– drums, vocals
Studio albums
| Year | Album Details |
|---|---|
| 1992 | What Else Can We Do
|
| 1995 |
|-
|}
- I The LP version was issued on Shattered Records.
Extended plays and singles
- "Who is Next" (1994) Side One
- "It Ain't Funny" (1994) Side One
- "Who is Next" (1995) Interscope/Atlantic
- "California" (1995) Interscope/Atlantic
- "Hangin' On" (2009) Side One Dummy
Compilations and soundtracks
- Mallrats (1995) MCAMCA RecordsMCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
- Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits (1995) MCA
- Bio-DomeBio-DomeBio-Dome is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Jason Bloom. Bio-Dome was produced by Motion Picture Corporation of America on a budget of $15 million and was distributed theatrically by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
(1996) Priority RecordsPriority RecordsPriority Records is an American record label, owned and operated by EMI, which has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop, pop and world...