Tuesday, October 24, 1995
311 headline at Jayhawk Festival (Rolling Stone, 1995)
"He's kind of our role model, the way he's built his career touring and through word of mouth and just making music for himself and his fans. We really admire that." That's 311's Nick Hexum waxing poetic on the fact that his band got to headline a bill that included Reverend Horton Heat at the first annual Jayhawk Music Festival at Clinton Lakes, outside Lawerence, Kan. The show, which raised a whoppong $40,000 for the Association to Benefit Children, was arranged by the Kappa Sigma frat at the University of Kansas.
Random Notes
311
Capricorn
Not all Funk Metal sucks, as 311 are out to prove. An Omaha-raised, LA-based quintet with gnarly grooves galore, 311's third, self-titled effort is a believable pastiche of slick chops, Pop panache and Metal mayhem which seems to include just a little bit for every listener. Thanks to yet another outstanding effort by producer Ron St. Germain - an NYC dancefloor mixologist best known in the Rock world for his work with Bad Brains, Living Colour, and Soundgarden- 311 is phat without trying to disown their White roots. Lead vocalist Nick Hexum bumps 'n grinds his way through fourteen tracks that even the Red Hot Chili Peppers wouldn't wince over. Highlights of this pleasant preformance include "Guns (Are for Pussies)" and "Misdirected Hostility," but you'll have to decide for yourself. Don't call 911, 311 is on it's way. Kyra Burton
Capricorn
Not all Funk Metal sucks, as 311 are out to prove. An Omaha-raised, LA-based quintet with gnarly grooves galore, 311's third, self-titled effort is a believable pastiche of slick chops, Pop panache and Metal mayhem which seems to include just a little bit for every listener. Thanks to yet another outstanding effort by producer Ron St. Germain - an NYC dancefloor mixologist best known in the Rock world for his work with Bad Brains, Living Colour, and Soundgarden- 311 is phat without trying to disown their White roots. Lead vocalist Nick Hexum bumps 'n grinds his way through fourteen tracks that even the Red Hot Chili Peppers wouldn't wince over. Highlights of this pleasant preformance include "Guns (Are for Pussies)" and "Misdirected Hostility," but you'll have to decide for yourself. Don't call 911, 311 is on it's way. Kyra Burton
Is Omaha the next Seattle? Probably Not, but 311 is becoming the next big thing (Hypno, 1995)
After hours and hours of California gridlock, Omaha natives 311 have finally gotten their moving van into their new hometown of Los Angles. Besides wanting to record their new album in L.A., 311's rapidly growing success and non-stop tour schedule made such a move inevitable. 311's previous two albums have already sold over a hundred thousand records based entirely on their fiercely energetic funk-rap-rock sound. Their third album and newest release for Capicorn Records, self titled 311, may be the album that takes them to the next level. As we wait to find out, HYPNO writer Susan Delpino catches up with Nick (vocals) to discuss everything from bad acid to gun control to Newt's politics.
Tell me about the little blue aliens on your CD cover. Did you know there was once a problem with some bad acid with the alien's face on it?"Laughing... ha, no. That's funny. Wait til I tell everyone else. How bad was it?"
A lot of people got really sick. There weren't any deaths, I don't think...""No, it really was a totally different reason. On our first album we were thinking about how we were going to make the best musical rap album with a lot of funk. In conjunction with that, we were thinking about space and other life forms out there. It may not make a lot of sense to some people, but that was sort of our 'grassroots.' In many of our lyrics, we talk about space and other life forms. It's also a cool image. I swear it didn't have anything to do with acid, but that is funny."
How do you feel about Red Hot Chili Peppers or Beastie Boys comparisons?"It doesn't really bother us. Those are two of our most definite influences, and we have a lot of respect for both bands. We have jazz and reggae singing which aren't present elements in these bands, so yes there are similarities, but there are also many differences."
311 shows are known for intensity, so do you encounter many problems with security at certain venues?"A lot of it is lack of communication. The problems arise when we play venues that normally don't have moshing-type bands. There was this place in Orange County where they never had a big band, and the security didn't know how to handle it. The bouncers got really belligerent and created more violence than our fans. There were times I had to step in. To avoid this communication barrier, we try to let those venues know what to expect before the show."
How do you feel about Newt Gingrich's attempt to ban rap music, moshing, and many other types of musical expression?"Whether it be gangster rap, moshing, or even bands promoting pot smoking, any conservative effort to ban musical expression actually gives the bands the press they need to sell records. Their theory always backfires. 2 Live Crew would never have gone platinum if it wasn't for conservatives bitching about them. Our first admendment will never be abolished, but then on the other hand, these conservatives could kill the National Endowment for the Arts, which would have a negative effect."
What kind of chemistry happens between the band members when it comes to writing?"There's no set way things happen in 311. Sometimes a jam session will produce a song that everyone helped to write. Other times I'll bring a completed song, and everyone will learn it, and we take it from there. It's always different."
What are some topics 311 chooses to write about?"We write about different observations on life in general. We're a bunch of optimistic guys, really. We believe life is what you make out of it, so you have to enjoy yourself. Life is too short to be surrounded by negitivity."
Since we're on the topic of your new album, tell me about the lyrics "Guns are for Pussies." Does 311 support gun control?"It's really not that political. The song is about someone who needs to carry a gun. 311 sees it as giving into your fears, which therefore is a mental weakness. A stronger person can get through life without having to carry a gun. That's what this song is all about."
I know many interviews can become pretty monotonous, but is there a question you wish someone would ask and never do?A long pause...
"Um, not really. There's always certain people who ask what our name means. We don't really have a prepared answer for that. It's something we don't really define so we always change the subject. I can't think of what I'd like to be asked, but I can give you a lot of questions I don't like to answer.
"No let's no do that. I don't want to do this interview over." He jokes.
Is there anything else you would like to say?"Yes, 311 is a band you must see live to figure out what we're all about. You haven't heard 311 until you've heard us live."
Tell me about the little blue aliens on your CD cover. Did you know there was once a problem with some bad acid with the alien's face on it?"Laughing... ha, no. That's funny. Wait til I tell everyone else. How bad was it?"
A lot of people got really sick. There weren't any deaths, I don't think...""No, it really was a totally different reason. On our first album we were thinking about how we were going to make the best musical rap album with a lot of funk. In conjunction with that, we were thinking about space and other life forms out there. It may not make a lot of sense to some people, but that was sort of our 'grassroots.' In many of our lyrics, we talk about space and other life forms. It's also a cool image. I swear it didn't have anything to do with acid, but that is funny."
How do you feel about Red Hot Chili Peppers or Beastie Boys comparisons?"It doesn't really bother us. Those are two of our most definite influences, and we have a lot of respect for both bands. We have jazz and reggae singing which aren't present elements in these bands, so yes there are similarities, but there are also many differences."
311 shows are known for intensity, so do you encounter many problems with security at certain venues?"A lot of it is lack of communication. The problems arise when we play venues that normally don't have moshing-type bands. There was this place in Orange County where they never had a big band, and the security didn't know how to handle it. The bouncers got really belligerent and created more violence than our fans. There were times I had to step in. To avoid this communication barrier, we try to let those venues know what to expect before the show."
How do you feel about Newt Gingrich's attempt to ban rap music, moshing, and many other types of musical expression?"Whether it be gangster rap, moshing, or even bands promoting pot smoking, any conservative effort to ban musical expression actually gives the bands the press they need to sell records. Their theory always backfires. 2 Live Crew would never have gone platinum if it wasn't for conservatives bitching about them. Our first admendment will never be abolished, but then on the other hand, these conservatives could kill the National Endowment for the Arts, which would have a negative effect."
What kind of chemistry happens between the band members when it comes to writing?"There's no set way things happen in 311. Sometimes a jam session will produce a song that everyone helped to write. Other times I'll bring a completed song, and everyone will learn it, and we take it from there. It's always different."
What are some topics 311 chooses to write about?"We write about different observations on life in general. We're a bunch of optimistic guys, really. We believe life is what you make out of it, so you have to enjoy yourself. Life is too short to be surrounded by negitivity."
Since we're on the topic of your new album, tell me about the lyrics "Guns are for Pussies." Does 311 support gun control?"It's really not that political. The song is about someone who needs to carry a gun. 311 sees it as giving into your fears, which therefore is a mental weakness. A stronger person can get through life without having to carry a gun. That's what this song is all about."
I know many interviews can become pretty monotonous, but is there a question you wish someone would ask and never do?A long pause...
"Um, not really. There's always certain people who ask what our name means. We don't really have a prepared answer for that. It's something we don't really define so we always change the subject. I can't think of what I'd like to be asked, but I can give you a lot of questions I don't like to answer.
"No let's no do that. I don't want to do this interview over." He jokes.
Is there anything else you would like to say?"Yes, 311 is a band you must see live to figure out what we're all about. You haven't heard 311 until you've heard us live."
311's Wild Ride (95/96)
With it's infectious mix of reggae, hip-hop, and punk, 311 can turn a crowd of jaded teens into a raving mosh pit. Over the course of three albums and several tours, 311 has slowly built its fan base to the point that the quintet's concerts in major markets like Los Angles, Atlanta, and New York sell out. Sitting in the back of the tour bus before a recent show, vocalist-guitarist Nicholas Hexum talks about the band's live performances. He's flanked by a Sega Saturn video system (one of the band's favorite pasttimes), and Rush's "Xanadu" plays in the background.
"Most people say you don't appreciate the band fully until you see us play live. I think that's true of any good band. If you can't cut it live, something's wrong," he says. "When you play live music and you have a large group of people dancing, that's the same thing that's been going on for thousands and thousands of years, all the way back to drum circles where poeple would dance. We're just an extension of tribal music."
As if to support Hexum's theory, 311 has traveled like nomads for the past five years, migrating from Omaha Nebraska to Los Angles in 1992. Now, the group )which also includes drummer Chad Sexton, guitarist Tim Mahoney, bassist P-Nut and deejay S.A. Martinez) has moved out of its house and simply live on the road. The payoff hasn't come yet. 311's most recent, self-titled album (produced by Rom St. Germain) only briefly appeared on the Billboard charts, and the band's video hasn't found its way into MTV's "Buzz Bin." But for Hexum, touring provides the most satisfaction. He hopes the band can maintain a cult following and doesn't envision selling millions of albums and becoming the next Green Day or Offspring.
"We don't play punky pop rock, which MTV is all over. I think our time is a little more down the road. I would like to be like the Grateful Dead," he says, adding that the band played a song by the Dead on the night after singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia's death. "The Deadalways focus on their live shows and have people who travel around to see them. They're very successful, but they did it without hits and mainstream press. As far as how they approach the buisness side, they can't be beat."
Born in Wisconsin, Hexum moved to Nebraska by the time he was one. Ever since he can remember, Hexum knew he wanted to play in a band. He started with piano lessons, then learned to play guitar at age twelve. While a teenager, he spent one year in Greenborough, Maryland (just outside Washington D.C.) where he was first exposed to rap, but he says a broad range of music has influenced him.
"When I first heard the Clash, that had a big effect on me. Bob Marley also definately changed my viewpoint a lot," the 25 year old says. "I had a big jazz period, and I still like to listen to Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday."
311's music has a hip-hop vibe that compares with that of the Beastie Boys, but its eclectic influences and positive attitude distiguish it in the world of skate music. The band appeals to the skateboarder/surfer/snowboarder crowd, but doesn't cop a bad-ass attitude. If 311 has any kind of message to offer, it's one that urges it's fans to avoid violence.
"We get a lot of fan mail from people who appreciate what we're trying to do," Hexum says. "I know we're a lot more positive and have more heartfelt lyrics than the tough music stance that prevails. I like lyrics that have meaning behind them, and I like to hear a good love song. I'm not going to try to sound all hard. We're just being ourselves."
On 311, the songs "Misdirected Hostility" and "DLMD," a track about a battered woman, reflect the band's position against violence. In "Misdirected Hostility," Hexum rejects the gloomy nihilism of punk rock: "I cannot handle all the negitive vibe merchants... 'cause all that angst shit is just cheesy." The group's views come across clearest on the track "Guns (Are for Pussies)."
"We believe people carrying guns, especially young males, are pussies. They are giving into fear. It takes a strong person to hold your head high without one," he says. "There are groups in our genre- not just gangsta rappers- who pose with guns on their covers. I think they're a joke."
Hexum also says that 311 tries to cultivate a culturally diverse audience, reporting that women and kids of all ethnic backgrounds often attend their concerts.
"Our audience is generally people like us who don't fit into any specific group," he explains. "There're stoners, skaters, and all kinds of suburban kids. It's not only white males; there's a lot of diversity. If you only appeal to one special group, you limit yourself. I think if I express all the different sides of my personality, someone will relate."
"Most people say you don't appreciate the band fully until you see us play live. I think that's true of any good band. If you can't cut it live, something's wrong," he says. "When you play live music and you have a large group of people dancing, that's the same thing that's been going on for thousands and thousands of years, all the way back to drum circles where poeple would dance. We're just an extension of tribal music."
As if to support Hexum's theory, 311 has traveled like nomads for the past five years, migrating from Omaha Nebraska to Los Angles in 1992. Now, the group )which also includes drummer Chad Sexton, guitarist Tim Mahoney, bassist P-Nut and deejay S.A. Martinez) has moved out of its house and simply live on the road. The payoff hasn't come yet. 311's most recent, self-titled album (produced by Rom St. Germain) only briefly appeared on the Billboard charts, and the band's video hasn't found its way into MTV's "Buzz Bin." But for Hexum, touring provides the most satisfaction. He hopes the band can maintain a cult following and doesn't envision selling millions of albums and becoming the next Green Day or Offspring.
"We don't play punky pop rock, which MTV is all over. I think our time is a little more down the road. I would like to be like the Grateful Dead," he says, adding that the band played a song by the Dead on the night after singer-guitarist Jerry Garcia's death. "The Deadalways focus on their live shows and have people who travel around to see them. They're very successful, but they did it without hits and mainstream press. As far as how they approach the buisness side, they can't be beat."
Born in Wisconsin, Hexum moved to Nebraska by the time he was one. Ever since he can remember, Hexum knew he wanted to play in a band. He started with piano lessons, then learned to play guitar at age twelve. While a teenager, he spent one year in Greenborough, Maryland (just outside Washington D.C.) where he was first exposed to rap, but he says a broad range of music has influenced him.
"When I first heard the Clash, that had a big effect on me. Bob Marley also definately changed my viewpoint a lot," the 25 year old says. "I had a big jazz period, and I still like to listen to Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday."
311's music has a hip-hop vibe that compares with that of the Beastie Boys, but its eclectic influences and positive attitude distiguish it in the world of skate music. The band appeals to the skateboarder/surfer/snowboarder crowd, but doesn't cop a bad-ass attitude. If 311 has any kind of message to offer, it's one that urges it's fans to avoid violence.
"We get a lot of fan mail from people who appreciate what we're trying to do," Hexum says. "I know we're a lot more positive and have more heartfelt lyrics than the tough music stance that prevails. I like lyrics that have meaning behind them, and I like to hear a good love song. I'm not going to try to sound all hard. We're just being ourselves."
On 311, the songs "Misdirected Hostility" and "DLMD," a track about a battered woman, reflect the band's position against violence. In "Misdirected Hostility," Hexum rejects the gloomy nihilism of punk rock: "I cannot handle all the negitive vibe merchants... 'cause all that angst shit is just cheesy." The group's views come across clearest on the track "Guns (Are for Pussies)."
"We believe people carrying guns, especially young males, are pussies. They are giving into fear. It takes a strong person to hold your head high without one," he says. "There are groups in our genre- not just gangsta rappers- who pose with guns on their covers. I think they're a joke."
Hexum also says that 311 tries to cultivate a culturally diverse audience, reporting that women and kids of all ethnic backgrounds often attend their concerts.
"Our audience is generally people like us who don't fit into any specific group," he explains. "There're stoners, skaters, and all kinds of suburban kids. It's not only white males; there's a lot of diversity. If you only appeal to one special group, you limit yourself. I think if I express all the different sides of my personality, someone will relate."
Monday, May 8, 1995
311 (Teen Ink)
The five-man band named 311 just released their self-titled album, which is topping the charts with their two recently released singles, "Down" and "All Mixed Up." These are a great example of the band's many-sided talents. 311 employs a wide array of styles that complement each other, resulting in a new, unique, and almost irresistible vibe. Many styles contribute to this including reggae, rap, alternative rock, hard-core, and an almost acapella singing in some songs.
The songs "Down"' and "Hive" are two examples of the band's hardcore, rap, and alternative rock backgrounds intertwined into one unique style. These two songs are similar because they both have a heavy guitar and bass, as well as loud drums keeping the rhythm. (This trend applies to many songs on the album.) They also have a similar singing style, which sounds like a mixture of Rage Against The Machine, Full Contact, and some West Coast rap, all bound up into the smooth croon of Nick Hexum and Martinez. These songs get you pumped up for a game. Anyone who likes hard-core, alternative, and rap music will definitely love songs of this CD.
The recently released song "ALL Mixed Up" and "Sweet" both fall into a second category. They bind together the styles of reggae, rap, and alternative rock allowing in lighter, yet still rockin' songs. These types of songs introduced me to a new musical experience. These songs are great for parties, driving in the car, or just chillin' at home. Rockers and non-rockers alike will enjoy this style. Although the songs do get a bit annoying if listened to a lot, they are still very catchy and add to the depth of 311's musical groove.
The unique mixture of musical styles and wide array of songs adds to what makes them such a great new group. Instead of sticking to one type of style, 311 has a fresh sound to every song. Any type of music listener will appreciate some aspect of 311's unique style, and almost any alternative rocker would want to add this album to their CD collection
The songs "Down"' and "Hive" are two examples of the band's hardcore, rap, and alternative rock backgrounds intertwined into one unique style. These two songs are similar because they both have a heavy guitar and bass, as well as loud drums keeping the rhythm. (This trend applies to many songs on the album.) They also have a similar singing style, which sounds like a mixture of Rage Against The Machine, Full Contact, and some West Coast rap, all bound up into the smooth croon of Nick Hexum and Martinez. These songs get you pumped up for a game. Anyone who likes hard-core, alternative, and rap music will definitely love songs of this CD.
The recently released song "ALL Mixed Up" and "Sweet" both fall into a second category. They bind together the styles of reggae, rap, and alternative rock allowing in lighter, yet still rockin' songs. These types of songs introduced me to a new musical experience. These songs are great for parties, driving in the car, or just chillin' at home. Rockers and non-rockers alike will enjoy this style. Although the songs do get a bit annoying if listened to a lot, they are still very catchy and add to the depth of 311's musical groove.
The unique mixture of musical styles and wide array of songs adds to what makes them such a great new group. Instead of sticking to one type of style, 311 has a fresh sound to every song. Any type of music listener will appreciate some aspect of 311's unique style, and almost any alternative rocker would want to add this album to their CD collection
Monday, July 18, 1994
Saturday, July 9, 1994
311 Pounds Out 'Party Jams' to Its Own Beat (LA Times)
Pop music: Singer Nicholas Hexum credits the band's roots in Omaha--yes, Omaha--for its sound. They play at Huntington Beach's Club 5902 on Sunday.
The members of 311 had been living in Los Angeles for a couple of months, sampling the local music scene, when a big-time record label expressed interest in signing them. But the neo funk-rock-rap-reggae quintet decided against doing the usual showcase in some prestigious Hollywood venue.
Instead, the band insisted on playing back home, in Omaha. "It's so much more of a moving experience there, with 500 or 1,000 teen-agers who know all the words, said singer Nicholas Hexum.
Here, it just wasn't the same. For one thing, many L.A. clubs don't admit people under 21, and besides, Hexum noted, "when you see any band around Hollywood, there's usually a distance between the band and the crowd, with people standing around, sipping their drinks, looking around at the booty. It's a totally different thing from a real concert with all ages."
He says 311 is rediscovering much of that real concert excitement on its first national tour, which lands Sunday night at Club 5902 in Huntington Beach. The band also has found time to record "Grassroots," its second album for Capricorn.
If listeners have been surprised by the pounding funk energy of this band, Hexum said, it is only due to ignorance of the "small but very cool scene" that exists in Omaha. Though the state's roster of famous natives includes Marlon Brando and William Jennings Bryan, Hexum acknowledged that musically "there hasn't been anybody really successful enough to put Omaha on the map" (though Matthew Sweet has been a critics' fave).
"There's a total diversity of music there," Hexum said.
"It's good party jams, man," added 311's co-vocalist, who goes by the name of SA.
311 developed its own hard rhythmic pulse over the course three independently released records before working on "Music," its Capricorn debut. Now, after all these nights on the road, "we're in the best shape we've ever been," Hexum said.
A goal of "Grassroots" was to capture the raw energy of 311's live gigs. Another was to assemble a collection of songs that fit together, with the aid of producer Eddie Offord (who did "Music" and whose resume also includes work with Yes).
The "Music" album, Hexum said, is "three years worth of music, kind of like a best of; we took all our best old songs. This new album all was written within two months. There is more similarity between the songs. We're more cohesive."
The members of 311 had been living in Los Angeles for a couple of months, sampling the local music scene, when a big-time record label expressed interest in signing them. But the neo funk-rock-rap-reggae quintet decided against doing the usual showcase in some prestigious Hollywood venue.
Instead, the band insisted on playing back home, in Omaha. "It's so much more of a moving experience there, with 500 or 1,000 teen-agers who know all the words, said singer Nicholas Hexum.
Here, it just wasn't the same. For one thing, many L.A. clubs don't admit people under 21, and besides, Hexum noted, "when you see any band around Hollywood, there's usually a distance between the band and the crowd, with people standing around, sipping their drinks, looking around at the booty. It's a totally different thing from a real concert with all ages."
He says 311 is rediscovering much of that real concert excitement on its first national tour, which lands Sunday night at Club 5902 in Huntington Beach. The band also has found time to record "Grassroots," its second album for Capricorn.
If listeners have been surprised by the pounding funk energy of this band, Hexum said, it is only due to ignorance of the "small but very cool scene" that exists in Omaha. Though the state's roster of famous natives includes Marlon Brando and William Jennings Bryan, Hexum acknowledged that musically "there hasn't been anybody really successful enough to put Omaha on the map" (though Matthew Sweet has been a critics' fave).
"There's a total diversity of music there," Hexum said.
"It's good party jams, man," added 311's co-vocalist, who goes by the name of SA.
311 developed its own hard rhythmic pulse over the course three independently released records before working on "Music," its Capricorn debut. Now, after all these nights on the road, "we're in the best shape we've ever been," Hexum said.
A goal of "Grassroots" was to capture the raw energy of 311's live gigs. Another was to assemble a collection of songs that fit together, with the aid of producer Eddie Offord (who did "Music" and whose resume also includes work with Yes).
The "Music" album, Hexum said, is "three years worth of music, kind of like a best of; we took all our best old songs. This new album all was written within two months. There is more similarity between the songs. We're more cohesive."
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