Artist bio

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.

Albums by this artist

From Chaos (2001)

Soundsystem (1999)

Transistor (1997)

Grassroots (Recommended) (1996)

Concerts

October 27, 1999
The Metro, Chicago

311

Grassroots

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» TROY CARPENTER | CO-DIRECTOR

NATN Recommended 311 Grassroots Capricorn, 1996 RiYL: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck, Faith No More, Beastie Boys, G. Love, Rage Against The Machine

Fusion: the catchphrase started popping up in CD reviews everywhere in the '90s, as bands proliferated like rabbits to the point where traditional genres began to blur. But in only a few modern cases have artists dropped albums that truly fuse traditional musical aesthetics and traverse new avenues by bringing together traits not previously found side-by-side.

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. It captures the band at a crucial moment - sandwiched between the raw power and naïvete of debut Music and the slick production/refined sound of the group's self-titled third album, Grassroots is 311 at its most adventurous. Afforded studio luxury but not feeling particularly loyal to any fanbase, the band explores its creative possibilities through a jungle of ganja smoke.

The basic set-up is this: guitarist Timothy J. Mahoney lays down grooves based on circular mutations of Sabbath/Soundgarden-esque riffs. Bassist P-Nut and drummer Chad Sexton weave around these with quick-change precision, and vocalists Nick Hexum and SA Martinez trade flavorful raps on their way to the upbeat chorus, often sung by Hexum. The heavy guitar sound often draws comparisons to Korn-y bands, but Mahoney's distinct riffing style sets 311 apart. He creates crafty, whistleable solos over his own grooves, and his rhythm guitar work thrives in the court of Sexton and P-Nut's dead accuracy.

While Nick is the real vocal author and leader of the band, Martinez gives Grassroots its delicious flavor. He's a spicy spark plug on the mic, rapping with urgency and dexterity, and offsetting some of Hexum's inherent cheesiness, due to surface too obviously on some of the band's later work. "Taiyed" is a fresh breath, Mahoney's lyrical guitar flowing through Martinez' musings about the afterlife so effortlessly that the listener is left unsure if Martinez was rapping or singing.

Whether consummating the party vibe of "Grassroots," slamming through the taut luminosity of "Six", or humming a midwestern love ode in "8:16 A.M.", 311 cultivates a style all its own on Grassroots. It's an original and inventive effort that takes the '90s for what it's worth: an era of experimentation, of breaking boundaries, of having fun.

TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.