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Taking the name from the local police code for indecent exposure, the
Alternative-Rock band 311 was formed in Omaha, Nebraska USA, in 1990 by
five long-time friends: lead singer+guitarist Nick Hexum, guitarist Tim
Mahoney, bass player P-Nut real name Aaron Wills, turntablist+rappers
SA Douglas Martinez and drummer Chad Sexton.
Over the next two years the group released three independent albums on
their own label, What Have You Records: "Dammit", "Hydroponic"
and "Unity". With these records and their solid live show, the
band quickly established a following in the Midwest and then set out for
the West Coast.
311 then relocated to Los Angeles, where they signed with Capricorn Records
who issued their major-label debut, "Music", in February 1993;
the record was an infectious mix of Funk Metal and Hip-Hop and although
it failed to chart, generated the Modern Rock top 30 hit "Do You
Right".
They followed it up a year later with "Grassroots", soon after
they set out on tour to support the album which climbed into the top 10
of The Billboard Heatseekers list.
311 delivered their self-titled CD, known as the 'Blue Album', in July
1995, it entered The Billboard Top 200 chart at #12, spawning "Down",
which rose to the #1 spot on The Modern Rock chart, "All Mixed Up",
which hit the top 5 in the same chart and the Modern Rock top 30 single
"Don't Stay Home". The 'Blue Album', eventually went on to sell
3 million copies worldwide.
The band's popularity continued to grow, leading to The Billboard 200
#4 album, "Transistor"; the record, released in August 1997,
included three Modern Rock hits: "Beautiful Disaster", "Prisoner"
and the title-track, the latter of which reached the #14.
After an exhaustive international tour supporting "Transistor",
the group released a collection of live recordings simply entitled "Live".
in October of 1999, 311 released its fifth Capricorn studio-album, "Soundsystem",
which shot to #9 on The Billboard Top 200 list; the main single, "Come
Original", peaked at #6 on Modern Rock chart followed by a second
single cut, "Flowing", which cracked the top 20 in the same
chart.
2001 saw the band back in the studio the record "From Chaos"
which was issued that summer on Volcano Records, the CD debuted at #10
on The Billboard 200 Albums chart spawning no less than three Modern Rock
top 20 hit singles including the #7 "You Wouldn't Believe",
"I'll Be Here Awhile" and "Amber".
The quintet returned two years later with their seventh studio effort,
"Evolver", which peaked at #7 in U.S. Top 200 chart, the record
generated the Modern Rock top 3 smash "Creatures (For A While)"
and a further Modern Rock top 40 hit, "Beyond The Gray Sky".
In early 2004 the group was asked by Adam Sandler to contribute a song
to his movie "50 First Dates", 311 recorded and released the
cover-single of The Cure's "Love Song",
the track smashed into The Modern Rock chart at #1.
In March the band performed a 5-hour concert in New Orleans, the entire
show was filmed and recorded and ultimately released as a special 2-DVD
set; "3-11 Day Live In New Orleans" included 64 songs plus a
behind the scenes look at the band and their fans; the DVD is now certified
platinum.
The compilation album "Greatest Hits '93-'03", which appeared
in June that same year, celebrated 311's decade-long recording history;
the set rose to #7 on The Billboard Top 200 chart and included two previously
unreleased tracks, "How Do You Feel?" and the radio-single "First
Straw".
In August 2005, 311 released its eighth studio album, "Don't Tread
On Me"; the Volcano/Jive set was preceded by the title-track as the
first radio single.
311 biography is an exclusive of 100xr.com
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