Reel Big Fish were one of the legions of Southern California ska-punk bands to edge into the mainstream following the commercial success of No Doubt and Sublime. Like most of their peers, the band was distinguished by their hyperkinetic stage shows, juvenile humor, ironic covers of new wave pop songs, and metallic shards of ska. The group cultivated an underground following that broke into the mainstream in the summer of 1997, when their single "Sell Out" became a modern rock radio and MTV favorite. Based in Huntington Beach, California, Reel Big Fish was originally a trio comprised of vocalist/guitarist Aaron Barrett, bassist Matt Wong and drummer Andrew Gonzales. At that stage, the group was a conventional rock band with pop-metal leanings that covered both classic rock and Top 40 songs -- it was music designed for frat parties. After several months, the band discovered ska and decided to add horn players. Reel Big Fish had a difficult time maintaining a stable horn section, and it took several years before their final lineup -- featuring Tavis Werts (trumpet), Scott Klopfenstein (trumpet, vocals), Grant Barry (trombone) and Dan Regan (trombone) -- fell into place. This new and final lineup of Reel Big Fish recorded their debut album, Everything Sucks, in 1995, and released it themselves. Everything Sucks became a word-of-mouth underground hit in ska-punk and college circles. Following its success, the band signed with the indie label Mojo Records. The label's president, Jay Rifkin, and former Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila co-produced Turn the Radio Off, Reel Big Fish's first album for Mojo. Turn the Radio Off was released in August of 1996, and over the next year, the group continually toured in support of the album, expanding their fan base all the while. In the spring of 1997, the single "Sell Out" began receiving heavy airplay from several influential modern rock stations in the U.S., which soon translated into MTV support for the song's quirky video. By the summer, the song had become a moderate modern rock hit, and the album had charted in the Top 100. In July of 1997, Reel Big Fish released the Keep Your Receipt EP, which contained "Sell Out" and several outtakes, new songs and live cuts.
 |  | ||
| Random |
  |     |   |
