Creed

Sound Familiar?

“My Own Prison,” “Higher,” “With Arms Wide Open”

Who Are They?

Everyone’s favorite butt rock band to hate (next to Nickelback, of course).

Scott Stapp and Mark Tremonti met in high school in Tallahassee and formed a band called Naked Toddler in 1993. Once rhythm guitarist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips joined the group, the four-some changed its name to Creed.

The band had an awful time trying to book shows early on, so the boys ended up playing in gay bars and T.G.I. Friday’s. But once Creed played a successful show in a Tallahassee bar, the bar’s manager (who was conveniently head of his own promotions company) hooked them up with a producer named John Kurzweg.

Creed’s first album, 1997’s My Own Prison, was initially self-released and sold about 6,000 copies in Florida. The album began circulating around the music industry and eventually fell into the hands of Wind-Up Records rep Diana Meltzer.

My Own Prison was remixed and re-released by Wind-Up Records later that year. The album spawned four singles (“My Own Prison,” “Torn,” “What’s This Life For?” and “One”), all of which reached number one on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Believe it or not, Creed was the first band to achieve this feat with a debut album.

With the money made from My Own Prison, Creed released the follow-up, Human Clay, in 1999. Though not as critically acclaimed as its predecessor, Human Clay did have two huge things going for it: “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open.”

Chances are, when you think of Creed, you immediately hear “With Arms Wide Open” and have visions of Scott Stapp spreading his arms into the wind like a butt rock messiah. This is arguably Creed’s biggest hit (along with “Higher”) and I’m still not sure why (but we’ll get into my secret Creed feelings later on).

(Fun fact: Human Clay is the #8 best-selling album of the past 20 years. Metallica’s The Black Album is #1.)

Where Are They Now?

Reunited and possibly working on a fifth studio album (though that may currently be on hold).

In 2000, right when Creed was on top of the world, bassist Brian Marshall decided to badmouth Pearl Jam. Big mistake, Brian. He claimed that Scott was a better songwriter than Eddie Vedder and criticized the band’s music as a whole for “having songs without hooks.” Scott made it clear that he didn’t share Brian’s views and Brian eventually ditched the group.

For Creed’s third studio album, 2001’s Weathered, guitarist Mark Tremonti pulled double duty and played both lead guitar and bass. The album was a huge success, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and staying there for eight solid weeks (a record the band shares with The Beatles).

The tour to promote Weathered, on the other hand, was not as successful. It was delayed in 2002 when Scott was injured in a car accident, which resulted in his addiction to painkillers (along with a steadily growing alcohol problem).

At a tour stop in Illinois in December 2002, Scott was apparently “so intoxicated and/or medicated that he was unable to sing the lyrics of a single Creed song.” Four concertgoers filed a lawsuit against the band, but the case was later dismissed (though Scott did ultimately admit that he was, in fact, intoxicated during the show).

Tensions mounted between Scott and the rest of the band, resulting in Creed’s dissolution in 2004. Scott immediately went on to a solo career and the remaining members joined forces with Myles Kennedy to form Alter Bridge.

After Mark swore up and down that Creed would never reunite, the band got back together for a new tour in 2009. A new album, Full Circle, was released later that year, along with a record-breaking concert film, Creed Live.

(Fun fact: Creed Live broke the world record for the most cameras used at a live music event, which was a total of 239.)

After a fairly successful tour, Creed went back to the studio to begin work on a fifth studio album, but further details on new material have yet to surface. And now that Alter Bridge is back up and running, it looks like Creed is back on hiatus.

But Why Creed?

Because I’ve been waiting to write this entry for a long time. Also, I still think Creed has one album left in them.

What Does Sam Think?

Okay, I think it’s about time I revealed my secret to you all. I, Sam Boyer, ‘90s queen and grunge enthusiast, used to be the biggest Creed fan on the face of the earth. And not only did I worship this band, but I was also a card-carrying fan club member. (I wish I still had the card to prove it, but alas, it’s gone.)

So if you know me, this really isn’t that big of a secret. For a solid two-year period, I was hopelessly obsessed with this band. I still remember the lyrics to every song from the first three Creed albums. And yes, I still like to listen to them.

Perhaps my thought process is clouded by nostalgia, but I still don’t understand why so many people vehemently hate Creed. I can see why people dislike them—not everyone digs spiritual power-ballads with heavy Christian undertones. But why do people loathe them beyond reason?

Creed’s mainstream success obviously doesn’t reflect the group’s reputation as one of the most hated bands ever. Scott Stapp and company sold millions of albums and even broken records. Human Clay broke the Top 10 Best-Selling Albums of the Past 20 Years. So do millions of people (including myself) just have bad taste in music?

I’m not going to argue that Creed is the greatest band of all time—they’re just some guys from Tallahassee who started a post-grunge band and played some rad music that really resonated with people. “With Arms Wide Open” isn’t the song of a generation (and it’s far from the best Creed song anyway). Human Clay isn’t the best album of all time. But Creed is a decent band.

I don’t expect you to suddenly become a Creed fan overnight, but if you’ve never listened to the band’s music outside of the hits, consider giving it a try. You won’t die, I promise. If anything, give My Own Prison a listen. Compared to Human Clay and Weathered (we’re just going to ignore Full Circle because that album was awful), My Own Prison is incredibly dark. It’s definitely not riddled with soaring ballads.

Now that I’m not an eleven-year-old Creed fangirl, I can look back at my obsession objectively. How did I get into this band in the first place? What made a semi-Christian rock band appealing to me? I don’t consider myself religious at all, but I enjoy the storytelling in Creed’s songs. There are some great lyrics that still resonate with me, and even though the instrumentation is your typical testosterone-drenched post-grunge riffing (most of the time), it’s still catchy.

I guess the moral of the story is, if you happen to genuinely enjoy a band most people seem to hate, embrace it. Don’t call it a guilty pleasure if you don’t feel guilty about it. And if you want me to serenade you with Creed songs some night, buy me drinks and watch the magic (and the messiah arms) happen.

-- Sam Boyer, reporting from the ‘90s.

Toadies

Sound Familiar?

“Possum Kingdom”

Who Are They?

Post-grungers from Texas responsible for that one song you like to play on Guitar Hero II.

In a world after the death of Kurt Cobain, we were introduced to a new phenomenon called post-grunge. Okay, so it was less of a phenomenon and more of a blatant rip-off of Nirvana. But it was huge.

Band who get lumped into this category tend to be modern rock radio favorites like Candlebox, Collective Soul and Stone Temple Pilots (and don’t give me the whole “STP was totally a grunge band” argument. You’re wrong).

And then there were the Toadies.

Formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas, these guys established themselves as, well, pretty odd. According to singer/guitarist Vaden Todd Lewis, “There’s a certain uneasiness to the Toadies.” In other words, this band is twisted in the most delicious of ways.

After recording and self-releasing an EP called Pleather in 1992, the Toadies signed to Interscope Records and dropped a strange little album called Rubberneck in 1994. The record’s most successful single, “Possum Kingdom,” helped Rubberneck achieve platinum status. Other singles that you may remember hearing on the radio for a hot second included “Tyler” and “Away.”

(Side note: I do not consider the Toadies a one-hit-wonder because “Away” actually made in on to the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks list. Plus they’re just too good to be a one-hit-wonder.)

But when the band sent what they thought would be their sophomore album to the label bigwigs in 1997, it was immediately dismissed and the Toadies were forced to start from scratch. As a result, Hell Below/Stars Above wasn’t released until 2001. The album was a flop and the Toadies broke up five months after its release. (Fun fact: Elliott Smith played backup piano on the album’s title track.)

Where Are They Now?

Reunited and just as strange as ever.

“Possum Kingdom” remained a rock radio staple well after the band’s break-up. Because of this, the Toadies maintained a devoted fan base that begged for a reunion.

Eventually, Todd Lewis and crew regrouped for a St. Patrick’s Day show in 2006 and a mini tour in 2007. After a short hiatus, Todd began writing again and the Toadies released No Deliverance in 2008.

Like most reunited ‘90s bands, the Toadies became festival circuit regulars, playing Lollapalooza in 2008 and the Austin City Limits Festival in 2009.

In 2010, the band’s shelved sophomore album, Feeler, finally saw a release (even though it had been floating around the Internet for years).

But Why the Toadies?

They just released their latest album Play.Rock.Music, which means a new tour and a very happy Sam.

What Does Sam Think?

If you couldn’t already tell, I love the Toadies. I do have a strange fascination with post-grunge bands, probably due to the fact that I lived and breathed mainstream rock radio back in the day. I still have a soft spot for what is known as “butt rock.” DON’T JUDGE ME.

Anyway, remember that quote from Vaden Todd Lewis about how strange the Toadies are? He wasn’t kidding. This band is peculiar in all the right ways.

First, let’s analyze the appeal of “Possum Kingdom.” The guitars have a murky, grungy quality that kind of makes you want to take a nice, long shower. And that riff at the end of the first verse? I said goddamn. It’s delicious.

The lyrics are honestly the icing on the cake.

I’m not gonna lie
I’ll not be a gentleman
Behind the boathouse
I’ll show you my dark secret

Rumor has it that this tune is an ode to your friendly neighborhood bloodsucker. So this is a rock song about vampires. What’s not to like?

Though the Toadies are a post-grunge/mainstream rock band, they don’t fall into the trap of the Creeds and Nickelbacks of the world. That is, their sound doesn’t cater to the needs of balding, middle-aged men and their cougar wives. The Toadies are the outsiders of modern rock. They mix that “bigger-in-Texas” sound with the dirtiest of grunge influences.

In other words, it’s dive bar music. Grab a flannel shirt, some cowboy boots and a shot of whiskey because things are gonna get rough.

I had the pleasure of seeing these guys live back in 2008 and they sounded great. They don’t ride the nostalgia train like most bands their age. For example, when I saw Marcy Playground over the summer, they played up the whole ‘90s novelty thing by continuously reminding the audience, “Hey! We’re that obscure band from the ‘90s who had that one hit you all like so much!” (That hit was “Sex and Candy,” by the way.)

Toadies don’t do that. They have a pretty dedicated fan base (myself included) and don’t rely on the appeal of that one really huge hit to appease on audience.

Their newest album sounds like classic Toadies and that’s just perfect. If you’re only familiar with “Possum Kingdom” (and you really dig it), check out the rest of their catalogue, especially Rubberneck.

Or you can just rock out to “Possum Kingdom” until you die.

-- Sam Boyer, reporting from the ‘90s.

Garbage

Sound Familiar?

“Only Happy When It Rains,” “Stupid Girl,” “Special”

Who Are They?

A post-grunge tour de force featuring the “Nevermind Man” (a.k.a. Butch Vig) as a key member.

Butch and Duke Erikson had been a part of the music industry for years before the formation of Garbage. After producing Nirvana’s magnum opus (1991’s Nevermind), Butch sought to start on a new project, this time with a female vocalist.

One night, guitarist Steve Marker was killing time by watching a little MTV when he saw the video for Angelfish’s “Suffocate Me.” The band’s singer, Shirley Manson, immediately peaked his interest, so Steve invited her to join his band.

Angelfish disbanded, and after two auditions, Shirley became a permanent member of Garbage.

In an effort to avoid the grunge genre that had put Butch on the map, the band deliberately strove to make a pop record. After signing to Mushroom UK Records, Garbage released the first single, “Vow,” in 1995. Commercial alternative radio in the US picked up “Vow,” and it went into heavy rotation nationwide, debuting at #39 on Hot Modern Rock Tracks.

Garbage’s self-titled album debuted at #193 on the Billboard 200 in August 1995. Since Shirley and the gang signed with a UK record label (Shirley is Scottish), the album was received better across the pond upon its initial release.

“Queer” was released as a single in the UK, while “Only Happy When It Rains” became a single in North America. Once it was certified a “Buzz Clip” by MTV, “Only Happy When It Rains” gave Garbage that push into the mainstream in the US.

After a contribution to the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack (1996’s “#1 Crush”), Garbage received Grammy nods for Best New Artist, and Best Rock Song/Best Rock Performance for “Stupid Girl.” (They lost Best New Artist to LeAnn Rimes. Really?)

For their follow-up (1998’s Version 2.0), Garbage decided not to change their sound, as most bands feel obligated to do. Instead, they kept the same formula they had used for Garbage and pushed their sound as far as it would go. The first single was the aptly named “Push It.” Subsequent singles “I Think I’m Paranoid” and “Special” helped Version 2.0 earn two Grammy noms for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album.

Despite losing out on tons of Grammys, Garbage ended the ‘90s on top of the world. They had two successful albums and had hits in both the UK and the US, along with Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland, Austria, and Germany. (I know every band dreams of being big in Lithuania. Don’t lie.)

Where Are They Now?

Back from the dead with their first new album in 7 years.

Garbage regrouped in 2001 to record their third album, Beautiful Garbage. After a short legal scuffle with their record label, the band signed to Interscope Records and released “Androgyny” as Beautiful Garbage’s first single.

The promotional schedule for the album was postponed due to the September 11 attacks, and Beautiful Garbage ended up suffering from this lack of promotion. It received mixed reactions from both critics and fans, but was somehow named one of Rolling Stone’s Top 10 Albums of the Year (not that Rolling Stone’s opinion on anything really matters.)

Garbage scored a supporting slot on U2’s Elevation Tour, but Butch ended up contracting Hepatitis A after the last North American show. Meanwhile, “Breaking Up the Girl” (not to be confused with the Red Hot Chili Peppers tune “Breaking the Girl”) was released as a single and eventually used as the theme song to the Daria TV movie Is It College Yet?.

The Beautiful Garbage tour was greatly hampered by the band’s health problems, with Shirley suffering from throat problems and poor Butch being taken off the tour twice (first with Hepatitis, then later with Bell’s Palsy).

Work on 2005’s Bleed Like Me was halted when Shirley underwent surgery on her right vocal cord. Due to rising tension and a breakdown in communication, Garbage slowly began to disintegrate. When Butch encountered eager fans dying to know how the album was going, he didn’t have the heart to tell them that the band was seriously considering a breakup. Instead, he name-dropped some possible titles for the album, which got him thinking that maybe Garbage wasn’t finished after all.

Bleed Like Me was a success, with lead single “Why Do You Love Me?” debuting at #39 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. But the effort of producing the album proved to be too much for the band. At the end of an Australian tour, Garbage confirmed that they were going on an indefinite hiatus.

Shirley began work on a solo album (which was never released) and Butch produced Green Day’s Grammy-winning album 21st Century Breakdown. But the universe sensed this hiatus was too great a disturbance, so Garbage convened once again.

But Why Garbage?

The result of this happy reunion is Not Your Kind of People, the band’s first album in seven years. Not Your Kind of People is set to drop on May 15. No new single yet, but check out this interview with Shirley (and marvel at her lovely accent).

What Does Sam Think?

Post-grunge is dangerous territory. Why? Well, if you’re a post-grunge band, you run the risk of sounding similar to every other post-grunge band (Candlebox, Collective Soul, Oleander, Creed, etc.). Or if your name is Dave Grohl, you can become ridiculously successful. If you are not Dave Grohl, you better have that extra special something that sets you apart.

Garbage has that special something. They’re the perfect mix of post-grunge attitude and electronic infectiousness. Steve Marker said it best: “We take pop music and make it as horrible sounding as we can.”

The music isn’t horrible in the sense that it will make your ears bleed. The “horrible factor” comes from the unconventional pop sensibilities. You’ve got rough electronic elements mixed with Shirley’s sultry vocals, a combination that seems to please people in a post-Nirvana world.

Garbage’s sound is a little dark, a little girly, but all-around original. Garbage and Version 2.0 are great examples of this. Bleed Like Me is much darker than previous albums, but it really doesn’t stray too far from Garbage’s signature sound.

I expect great things from Not Your Kind of People, though I know having high expectations can end in devastation (see my continuous disappointment in new albums from ‘90s bands, with the exceptions of Radiohead and Primus).

But when you have Butch Vig as a permanent member, you’re only allowed to produce great albums. He’s Nevermind Man, capable of topping the charts in a single bound!

-- Sam Boyer, reporting from the ‘90s.