Weezer
Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Brian Bell (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), and Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals). They have sold 10 million albums in the US and more than 35 million worldwide.[1]
For any of this band's self-titled albums, see Weezer (disambiguation).
Weezer
Goat Punishment (1998–2000, 2002, 2022)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
1992–present
(hiatus: 1997–2000)
After signing to Geffen Records in 1993, Weezer released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, also known as the Blue Album, in May 1994. Backed by music videos for the singles "Buddy Holly", "Undone – The Sweater Song", and "Say It Ain't So", the Blue Album became a multiplatinum success. Weezer's second album, Pinkerton (1996), featuring a darker, more abrasive sound, was a commercial failure and initially received mixed reviews, but achieved cult status and critical acclaim years later. Both the Blue Album and Pinkerton are now frequently cited among the best albums of the 1990s. Following the tour for Pinkerton, the founding bassist, Matt Sharp, left and Weezer went on hiatus.
In 2001, Weezer returned with the Green Album with their new bassist, Mikey Welsh. With a more pop sound, and promoted by singles "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun", it was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews. After the Green Album tour, Welsh left for health reasons and was replaced by Shriner. Weezer's fourth album, Maladroit (2002), incorporated a hard-rock sound and achieved mostly positive reviews, but weaker sales. Make Believe (2005) received mixed reviews, but its single "Beverly Hills" became Weezer's first single to top the US Modern Rock Tracks chart and their first to reach the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2008, Weezer released the Red Album; its lead single, "Pork and Beans", became the third Weezer song to top the Modern Rock Tracks chart, backed by a Grammy-winning music video. Raditude (2009) and Hurley (2010) featuring more "modern pop production"[2] and songs co-written with other artists, achieved further mixed reviews and moderate sales. Everything Will Be Alright in the End (2014) and the White Album (2016) returned to a rock style that was reminiscent of their 90s sound mixed with modern alternative production and achieved more positive reviews; Pacific Daydream (2017) once again featured a more mainstream pop sound.[3] In 2019, Weezer released an album of covers, the Teal Album, followed by the Black Album.[4] In 2021, they released OK Human, which featured an orchestral pop sound and received acclaim, followed by the hard rock-inspired Van Weezer. In 2022, they released a series of EPs based on the four seasons.
History[edit]
Formation and first years (1986–1994)[edit]
The vocalist and guitarist Rivers Cuomo moved to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1989 with his high school metal band, Avant Garde, later renamed Zoom. After the group disbanded, Cuomo met the drummer Patrick Wilson, and moved in with him and Wilson's friend Matt Sharp.[5] Cuomo moved away from metal and explored alternative rock influences such as Nirvana, the Pixies and Sonic Youth.[6] He and Wislon formed a band, Fuzz, and enlisted Scottie Chapman on bass. Chapman quit after a few early shows; the band reformed as Sixty Wrong Sausages, with Cuomo's friend Pat Finn on bass and Jason Cropper on guitar, but soon disbanded.[5]
Cuomo moved to Santa Monica, California, and recorded dozens of demos, including the future Weezer songs "The World Has Turned and Left Me Here" and "Undone – The Sweater Song". Sharp was enthusiastic about the demos, and became the group's bassist and de facto manager.[5]
Cuomo, Wilson, Sharp and Cropper formed Weezer on February 14, 1992. Their first show was on March 19, 1992, closing for Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar.[5] They took their name from a nickname Cuomo's father gave him.[5] Cuomo gave Sharp one year to get the band a record deal before Cuomo accepted a scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley.[5] In November, Weezer recorded a demo, The Kitchen Tape, including a version of the future Weezer single "Say It Ain't So".[5] The demo was heard by Todd Sullivan, an A&R man at Geffen Records, who signed Weezer in June 1993.[5]
Style and influences[edit]
Weezer has been described as alternative rock,[211][212][213][214] power pop,[213][215][216][217] pop rock,[211][218][219][220] pop-punk,[221][222][223] geek rock,[211][224][225][226] emo,[217][227][228] indie rock,[211][229] emo pop,[230] melodic metal,[231] and pop.[232] The members of Weezer have listed influences such Kiss (with direct references in the song "In the Garage"), Nirvana, the Pixies, the Cars (whose member Ric Ocasek produced several Weezer records), Cheap Trick, Pavement, Oasis, the Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day and Wax.[233][234] Cuomo credited the Beach Boys as a major influence, specifically Pet Sounds; Bell described Weezer's sound as "Beach Boys with Marshall stacks".[235] Operas and musicals such as Madama Butterfly (1904) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1970) influenced Pinkerton and Songs from the Black Hole.[236] The band members' worship for hard rock and heavy metal music was the source of inspiration behind Van Weezer, including 1970s and 1980s bands like Kiss, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Slayer, Rush, and Van Halen (the last of whom inspired the album's title).[237][238][239]
Artists such as Paramore,[240] Fun.,[241] Pete Wentz,[242] Fall Out Boy,[243] Panic! at the Disco,[244] Blink-182,[245] Steve Lacy,[246] Taylor Swift,[247] Charli XCX,[248] Mac DeMarco,[249] Real Estate,[250] Dinosaur Pile-Up,[251] Cymbals Eat Guitars,[252] DNCE,[253] Ozma,[254] Wavves,[255] Joyce Manor,[256] Origami Angel,[257] and the Fall of Troy[258] cite Weezer as an influence.
Solo work and side projects[edit]
Patrick Wilson started his side-project the Special Goodness in 1996, for which he sings and plays guitar and bass.[259] In May 2012, he released his fourth record with the Special Goodness, entitled Natural.[260]
Brian Bell started the Space Twins in 1994 releasing an album, The End of Imagining, in 2003.[261][262] In 2006, Bell started a new band called the Relationship, and did not contribute any songs for Weezer's Raditude in order to save material for the Relationship.[263] The Relationship's self-titled debut was released in 2010, with a follow-up, Clara Obscura, released in 2017.[264]
Former bassist Matt Sharp started the Rentals in 1994.[265] After releasing Return of the Rentals in 1995, Sharp went on to quit Weezer in 1998 to focus more on the Rentals.[265][24] Sharp has also released work under his own name.[266] Mikey Welsh toured with Juliana Hatfield[267] and played bass for the Kickovers.[268] Scott Shriner played bass for Anthony Green's debut studio album Avalon.[269]
On December 18, 2007, Cuomo released Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, a compilation of his demos recorded from 1992 to 2007, including some demos from the unfinished Songs from the Black Hole album.[270] A second compilation, Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo, was released on November 25, 2008, and a third, Alone III: The Pinkerton Years, on December 12, 2011.[271] The album was sold exclusively with a book, The Pinkerton Diaries, which collects Cuomo's writings from the Pinkerton era.[272]
On March 20, 2013, Cuomo and Scott Murphy of the band Allister released Scott & Rivers, a Japanese-language album.[273] They released their second album in April 2017.[274] In November 2020, Cuomo released thousands of unreleased songs and demos from throughout Weezer's career on his personal website for purchase and download.[275][276]
Musical contributions[edit]
In 1994, Weezer contributed the song "Jamie" to DGC Rarities Vol. 1, which is a compilation of demos, B-sides, and covers recorded by bands on the label.[277][278] It was the first appearance of the song until it was released as a B-side for the single of "Buddy Holly" and again on the Blue Album Deluxe Edition.[279][280]
In 1999, Weezer contributed a cover of the song "Velouria" by The Pixies to the tribute album Where Is My Mind? A Tribute To The Pixies.[281]
On July 22, 2003, Weezer contributed an acoustic cover of Green Day's "Worry Rock" to the compilation album A Different Shade of Green: A Tribute to Green Day.[282]
On December 4, 2008, iOS developer Tapulous released the game Christmas with Weezer, featuring gameplay similar to Tap Tap Revenge and six Christmas carols performed by the band. A digital EP featuring the songs, titled Christmas with Weezer, was also released on December 16, 2008.[283]
On March 9, 2010, Weezer appeared on an episode of the children's daytime television show Yo Gabba Gabba! and performed the song "All My Friends Are Insects". The song appeared on a compilation soundtrack album for the show, Yo Gabba Gabba! Music Is...Awesome! Volume 2, as well as a bonus track for the Weezer album Hurley.[284]
On June 11, 2010, the band released a new single, "Represent", as an "unofficial" anthem for the US Men's soccer team to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although technically unofficial, the song was embraced by the team, and on June 23, 2010, US Soccer released a music video on their official YouTube channel featuring dramatic footage of the US team spliced with footage of Weezer performing.[285]
In 2010, the band recorded a cover of "I'm a Believer" for the movie Shrek Forever After.[286] Previously, Weezer had planned to include an early version of "My Best Friend" from Make Believe in Shrek 2, but it was rejected due to the song sounding "too much like it was written for Shrek".[287]
In 2011, the band covered "You Might Think" by The Cars for the Pixar movie Cars 2. The song appears on the movie's official soundtrack.[288]
In 2011, Weezer recorded a cover of "Rainbow Connection" with Hayley Williams for Muppets: The Green Album, a cover album of Muppets songs which also included OK Go, The Fray, Alkaline Trio, and others.[289]
On September 20, 2018, Weezer released "California Snow" for the film Spell, which Cuomo also provided voicework for.[290] The song later appeared on the Black Album.[291]
In 2019, Weezer recorded a cover of "Lost In the Woods" for the Frozen II soundtrack.[292]
In 2020–2021, Weezer released "It's Always Summer in Bikini Bottom" for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run's film soundtrack.[293]
In June 2021, Weezer contributed the song "Tell Me What You Want" to the video game Wave Break. The song is featured in a special level of the game called "Weezy Mode".[294]
In August 2021, Weezer contributed a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" to The Metallica Blacklist, a compilation of Metallica song covers by various artists, with each song getting several covers by different artists.[295]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Grammy Awards[edit]
The Grammy Award is an award presented by the Recording Academy to recognize achievement in the mainly English-language music industry.[296] Weezer has received one award from five nominations.
