Sublime

The 1990s were known for possessing a wide variety of popular music that managed to be both melodic and socially conscious . The grunge movement expressed the angst of a generation , while the prefab bands like the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys represented the polar end of the musical spectrum . Somewhere in between the angst of grunge and the good time tunes of pop music came Sublime . With their combination of punk , reggae , hip-hop , and good old fashion rock and roll , Sublime would create a handful of memorable albums in their all too

brief career

Sublime began in southern California during the late 1980s . Like most bands that would eventually achieve great success , Sublime was formed by friends . Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh were childhood friends in Long Beach , where each boy would benefit from the musical tutelage of Eric 's father ( Sublime . The two boys formed a punk trio in high school with the future manager of Sublime and the boys began playing around their hometown . Around this time , the two boys met Brad Nowell , and the three instantly hit it off musically , jamming together and separately for a period of time before finally forming Sublime in 1988 , where the boys would play their first gig in a Long Beach club on the Fourth of July , which reportedly created a mini riot that led to a handful of arrests ( Sublime . During this early period , the band would play mainly small clubs and parties and continue to improve their craft Unfortunately , it was also a time when the members of the band also experimented with hard drugs such as heroin . This early period would prove difficult but rewarding for the band , and in just a few short years they stood poised to dominate the music charts

Through extensive touring of California and a musical style and repitoire that only continued to expand and become more complex , Sublime was able to garner a significant following in its home state . Spurned by the success of its live shows , in 1992 , Sublime recorded and released 40 Oz . to Freedom under its own label , Skunk Records ( Sublime Though many hailed the album as a unique blend of musical genres including reggae , ska , punk , and hip hop , the band failed to achieve widespread success outside of California . However , within the state Sublime 's popularity only grew , and their album became increasingly popular , aided by the support of the popular rock station , KROQ , which often played one of 40 Oz 's more pop-oriented tracks , Date Rape ( Sublime . The critical reaction to the album , at the time relegated to local critics and national critics that specialized in the obscure local scenes , was mixed . While most appreciated the music fusion the band executed , it was considered largely party ' music or frat rock ' and Brad 's lyrics came under constant fire . According to critic , Stephen Thomas Erlewine , Since the group has a knack for combining dancehall reggae with hardcore punk , the music can be nervy and invigorating , but their...