311

Nebraska-bred, L.A.-transplanted funk/rock/pop combo 311 burst on the scene in 1993 with the genre-bending album Music, and has continued to ply its trade through hard-hitting live shows and word-of-mouth popularity growth in the ensuing decade.

The group formed on a basically unique hybrid of rock guitars, reggae and funk rhythms, rapped lyrics and soaring vocal harmonies. Through Music and ganja-clouded followup Grassroots, the quintet perfected the sound, scoring minor underground hits with "Do You Right" and "Homebrew" but generally building a fanbase through relentless touring.

The big breakthrough came with a self-titled third album in 1995, as a slicker production courtesy of Ron Saint Germain smoothed out their sound ("All Mixed Up") but still allowed it to rock with precision ("Down"). The five musicians had also grown and become more musically proficient, leading to a branching out on 1997's Transistor, which found them running through genre experiments with less of an ear toward blending than in the past. The album failed to meet critical and commercial expectations, though the group's fanbase stayed strong, and eventually 311 would return to a refined version of its original sound for Soundsystem and From Chaos.

Though the conventional wisdom is that Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rage Against The Machine were the true progenitors of the rap-rock hybrid sound that exploded in the late '90s with hundreds of platinum-selling faceless bands, 311's take on a similar hybrid was unique, and the group's early body of work will always have its place in rock's pantheon, having helped bring the '90s some of its own dialects to speak within the larger language of rock music.

Album reviews

From Chaos
Volcano (2001)
311 has made some great music over the years, but its studio work has lost a greatdeal of its once-original luster.

Soundsystem
Capricorn (1999)
The carefully-crafted album shows the band's continued devotion to their music, but it features more stale moments than their classic earlier work.

Transistor
Capricorn (1997)
So how does a band follow up its magnum opus?

Grassroots (Recommended)
Capricorn (1996)
311 is one of these rare artists, and Grassroots is a rare album: aside from introducing the motivation and setting the style for the power rock/rap mixture that has dominated the late '90s, the album also floats through pool-hall reggae, dreamy pop, and the indescribable Omaha Stylee along the way.

Concert reviews

October 27, 1999
The Metro, Chicago
Old or new, each song was performed with gusto, inciting the crowd to move as one organism, caught up in the unique vibe and celebration of life flowing through the PA.