Billy Gibbons
NICKELBACK
Few bands did more than Nickelback to establish the force of slick, commercially minded post-grunge in the 2000s. Led by vocalist Chad Kroeger, the band initially emerged in the late '90s as Canada's answer to Creed, prizing a blend of gruff vocals and distorted (yet radio-friendly) guitars. After a handful of singles failed to gain much traction in Canada, "How You Remind Me" caught hold in 2001, eventually topping the charts in several countries while gathering four Grammy nominations and four Juno Awards. Creed imploded several years later, but Nickelback's popularity only grew as the decade progressed, effectively eclipsing those acts that had once informed the band's sound.
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Chad Kroeger honed his frontman skills by performing with cover bands in Hanna, a small Canadian town 215 kilometers northeast of Calgary. After growing tired of playing other people's songs, he borrowed money from his stepfather and relocated to Vancouver, where he recorded his first batch of original material. Mike Kroeger, Chad's bass-playing sibling, decided to join his brother's band, as did fellow Vancouver transplants Ryan Peake (a guitarist who had befriended the Kroegers in middle school) and Ryan Vikedal (a drummer from Peake's hometown of Brooks, Alberta). Nickelback officially took shape in 1996 and quickly set to work, releasing two albums -- the Hesher EP and full-length album, Curb -- before the year was up. By 1998, the bandmates were managing themselves; Chad courted radio stations, brother Mike Kroeger handled distribution, Ryan Vikedal booked shows, and Peake maintained the band's website.
January 2000 saw the arrival of The State, Nickelback's second independent release. Issued at a time in which Canadian content requirements were increased (and, accordingly, local radio stations had begun to desperately seek out homegrown product), the album fared very well on indie charts. Nickelback toured ceaselessly in support of The State, logging approximately 200 shows while playing alongside other groups of the burgeoning post-grunge genre. Nickelback's commercial appeal wasn't lost on the record industry, either, and The State's distribution rights were quickly snapped up by Roadrunner Records in the U.S. and EMI in Canada. As the band continued to tour, Chad Kroeger kept writing new songs, many of which were honed in front of live audiences.
Much of that material found its way onto Silver Side Up, which was produced by Rick Parashar (who came to prominence in the early '90s by helming Pearl Jam's Ten, Alice in Chains' Sap, and Blind Melon's self-titled debut) and recorded at Green House, the same Vancouver studio used during The State's creation. The combination of Nickelback's growing popularity and Kroeger's focused songwriting propelled Silver Side Up onto album charts across the world, spearheaded by the hit single "How You Remind Me." Kroeger capitalized on that exposure by producing another Vancouver-based band, Default, and collaborating with Saliva's Josey Scott for the Spiderman soundtrack. The Long Road then arrived in 2003, featuring an increasingly polished sound and another high-charting single, "Someday." While some listeners criticized the apparent similarities between "Someday" and "How You Remind Me," The Long Road had little trouble maintaining Nickelback's wide audience, eventually selling over five million copies worldwide.
In February 2005, Nickelback announced the departure of Ryan Vikedal. He was soon replaced by 3 Doors Down's former drummer, Daniel Adair, and Nickelback returned to Kroeger's studio in Vancouver to begin work on another album. ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell (who unfortunately died before the album's release) were guests on the chart-topping All the Right Reasons, which arrived in October 2005. The album proved to be Nickelback's most popular effort to date, remaining in the Billboard Top 30 for over two years and selling over 7 million copies in the U.S. alone. It also spawned five Top 20 singles, a feat that attracted the attention of veteran producer (and demonstrated hit-maker) Mutt Lange. Nickelback traveled to Lange's home in Switzerland to share songwriting ideas; impressed with the results, they also enlisted him to helm their next album. Recorded in a converted Vancouver barn, Dark Horse marked the band's sixth studio album upon its release in November 2008. ~ All Music Guide
For the Record
Members include Chad Kroeger, vocals, guitar; Mike Kroeger, bass; Ryan Peake, guitar; Ryan Vikedal. drums.
Group formed in Vancouver, Canada, early 1990s; released debut EP Hesher on independent label, 1995; followed with full-length independent CD Curb, 1995; released second full-length independent CD, The State, 1999; signed with EMI Music Canada and with the U.S. label Roadrunner Records, 1999; rereleased The State under Roadrunner label, 2000; released Silver Side Up, 2001.
Addresses: Record company Roadrunner Records, 902 Broadway, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010.
Website: http://www.nickelback.com.
Albums: (all albums produced by Roadrunner)
Curb, 1996.
The State, 1998.
Silver Side Up, 2001.
The Long Road , 2003.
All the Right Reasons, 2005.
Dark Horse, 2008.
Here and Now, 2011.
Source: Andrew Leahey; Wendy Kagan
This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com
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ZZ TOP
ZZ Top is an American rock trio that formed in late 1969 in Houston, Texas, US. The group members are Billy Gibbons (lead vocals, guitar), Dusty Hill (vocals, bass, keyboards), and Frank Beard (drums, percussion).
The band holds the distinction of being among the few rock bands still composed of its original recording members for nearly 40 years[1] and until September 2006, the same manager/producer/image maker, Bill Ham. ZZ Top reached peak commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring many hit songs during that era, but they remain together today and are still touring and releasing albums.
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ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 2004. Summarizing their music, Cub Koda wrote, "As genuine roots musicians, they have few peers; Gibbons is one of America's finest blues guitarists working in the hard rock idiom ... while Hill and Beard provide the ultimate rhythm section support."[2] Their song lyrics often feature sexual innuendo and humor.
Nearly as well-known as their music is the group's image: Gibbons and Hill are almost always pictured wearing sunglasses (a nod to their 1979 song "Cheap Sunglasses"), similar if not matching clothing, and their trademark chest-length beards (ironically, in spite of his own surname, Beard almost always sports just a mustache).
In 1984, the Gillette Company reportedly offered Gibbons and Hill $1 million each to shave their beards for a television commercial but they declined, stating "We're too ugly without 'em".
Group formed in Texas, February 10, 1970; members include Billy Gibbons (born Houston, Tex.; guitar), Dusty Hill (born May 19, 1949, in Dallas, Tex.; bass), and Frank Beard (drums).
Gibbons formed first band, the Saints, at age 14; later played with the Coachmen and with Billy G. and the Ten Blue Flames; played with the Moving Sidewalks, 1967-70. Hill began playing bass at age 13; played in various groups, including the Deadbeats and Lady Wild and the Warlocks; played in the American Blues Band, 1967-70. Beard played in various bands before forming the American Blues Band, which backed numerous blues headliners, including Lightnin' Hopkins, Jimmy Reed, and Freddie King.
Addresses: Record company—Warner Bros. Records, 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91510.
Albums:
ZZ Top's First Album, London Records, 1971.
Rio Grande Mud, London Records, 1972.
Tres Hombres, London Records, 1973.
Fandango!, London Records, 1975.
Tejas, London Records, 1976.
Degüello, Warner Bros. Records, 1979.
El Loco, Warner Bros. Records, 1981.
Eliminator, Warner Bros. Records, 1983.
Afterburner, Warner Bros. Records, 1985.
Recycler, Warner Bros. Records, 1990.
Antenna, RCA Records, 1994.
Rhythmeen, RCA Records, 1996.
XXX, RCA Records, 1999.
Mescalero, RCA Records, 2003.
Source: Calen Stone
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This information is provided as a brief overview and not as a definitive guide, there are other sources on the net for that. If however you have a story or information that is not generally known we would love to hear from you. Content@rokpool.com.
