311 Rides the Wave of Popularity with the Release of Their New Album (1995)‏

311 RIDES THE WAVE OF POPULARITY WITH
THE RELEASE OF THEIR NEW ALBUM

It is rare today to hear a music group that is forging it's own style; playing something original and unique that hasn't been heard before. However, after decades of rock and roll, one group has still managed to find uncharted territory to explore. I am speaking of 311, the high energy, maximum impact quintet from Omaha, Nebraska.

311's individual style is something of a mix between funk, reggae, the heavy metal overtones and rap-style vocals of Rage Against the Machine, and the shear energy of the Beastie Boys. To the hastily judgemental listener, 311 usually sounds like a Rage copy, but this is far from the case. Most listeners slowly grow to love them for all their styles of music, once they have been recognized.

In their new, self titled album, 311 presents the same aggressive punch that can be heard in their previous 2 albums. In the 311 tradition, the album opens up with a fast-fretting, heavily distorted rocker named "Down". The fourth song is "All Mixed Up", which presents an irresistible mellowed-out style. Guitarist Tim Mahoney's playing in this song, as well as in a handful of other 311 tunes, incorporates melodious chords noticeably influenced by reggae. The two band members devoted to vocals, Nick Hexum and SA (Doug) Martinez, add their own personal spice to the songs, sometimes singing harmoniously and sometimes dishing out the vocal gymnastics in a fast-paced rap style.

The fact that 311 has two members solely devoted to vocals gives their music a great deal of diversity. SA has a higher-pitched, typically more concordant voice that complements Hexum's deeper voice perfectly. When they sing fast, such as in "Jackolantern's Weather", it's very hard not to get up and jump around to the music. Likewise, when they sing in harmony, such as in "Purpose", it's equally as hard not to sing along.

The lyrics, generally written by Hexum and SA, usually set a "just plain fun" atmosphere around their music. The lyrics frequently poke fun at people or weighty topics in the form of a half non-intelligent "spaghetti rhyme". A good example of this is "Random", which tries to focus on aliens and space travel, but goes off on a million tangents in a million directions. Sometimes they directly confront a serious issue, as they do to domestic abuse in "Don't Let Me Down". But the majority of their songs are simply about frames of mind or are expressions of emotions; always amusing and always high energy.

The album continues in this fashion, with all high-points and no lows. It closes appropriately with "T & P Combo", which combines everything inherently 311 for a final, fast-paced encore.

It is no surprise that 311 is now gaining popularity very quickly. Their latest album is a complete success. You may have heard their newest hit, "Don't Stay Home", already crackling over the airwaves. "311" presents a variety of music styles that are likely to appeal to all kinds of teenagers who want to hear a new flavor of alternative rock. I personally like this album so much because it has always left me in a good mood. In this case, 311 has definitely succeeded in what they set out to do with their music (and they always have). I highly recommend it.

JACKPOT! (CMJ, 1995‏)

If there's one thing to be said for a hard-working, hard-touring band like 311, it's that the group has been able to carve a niche for itself on its own terms over its three albums. Having such a singular sound means that 311 is the kind of band that's best described by what it isn't, rather than pinning diwn what it is. It isn't some cartoonish rap/rock hybrid, it isn't a funk/metal band, it isn't a post-Hendrix punk band; instead, 311 takes the various things that other wannabes in those categories aspire to and contribute them into one ideal, super-charged sound. Bands are generally judged by their deeds, not their words, but here 311 cuts through "Down" with slashing turntables, incorperates funk chops to "Misdirected Hostility" and adds reggae tinge to the vocals on "Random," proving the band's mettle. Clearly, there's more to this band than just four guys on guitars playing rock, and one listen through Nick Hexum's and Sa Martinez's shouted lyrics reinforces that there's more to 311 than meets the eye. Produced and mixed by Ron St. Germain (Bad Brains), 311 is the band's most cogent and coherent alum to date.

311, Phunk Junkeez, 1000 Mona Lisas (Los Angles View, 1995)‏

It's easy to see why 311 sell out all-ages clubs every time they hit Los Angles. These five Omaha, Neb. transplants deliver on their promise to create a percolation metal-rap-funk fusion for their hometown every time. At last Friday's show, all the basic elements of a great 311 preformance were there: crunchy power-guitar churns; slap-and-pop bass lines; psychadelic-inflected bridges; and, of couse, the desperate give and take between romance and wrath in singer/rappers Nicholas Hexum's and Count SA's voices.

The set was heavily seasoned with spirited cuts from their newest cd, the self-titled 311, which was what the crowd wanted to hear. Although the group's 1993 debut Music was a much hookier work, the quintet has now blossomed artistically into a band with as broad a creative base as funkmeisters Fishbone. And Friday's faithful crowd seemed ready for just about any style 311 wanted to throw around.

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

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."

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."