Denver Harbor was an American
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band, based in San Diego, California. The band was formed in 2002 by former
Fenix TX
Fenix TX (styled as Fenix*TX) is an American pop punk band. The band originally formed as Riverfenix in 1995 in Houston, Texas. They released an Extended play, EP, ''G.B.O.H.'', and an album, ''Riverfenix (album), Riverfenix'', on independent rec ...
members Will Salazar and Chris Lewis, along with F.O.N. members Aaron Rubin and Ilan Rubin. After self-releasing their debut
EP ''
Extended Play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. '' in 2003, they were temporarily signed to
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
, who released their 2004 full-length album ''
Scenic''.
History
In 2002, after breaking up their band of seven years due to musical differences,
Fenix TX
Fenix TX (styled as Fenix*TX) is an American pop punk band. The band originally formed as Riverfenix in 1995 in Houston, Texas. They released an Extended play, EP, ''G.B.O.H.'', and an album, ''Riverfenix (album), Riverfenix'', on independent rec ...
singer/guitarist Will Salazar and the remaining three Fenix TX members went separate ways. While Salazar wanted to keep the band going (but was not legally allowed to), bassist Adam Lewis and drummer Damon DeLaPaz decided to extend their side-project Big Black Boat, which later changed its name to ChChCh HaHaHa and ultimately became the band I Sing the Body Electric. Guitarist Chris Lewis was caught in between, as he was asked to take part in Big Black Boat but also wanted to continue working with Salazar, and finally settled for a position alongside Salazar. Joined by F.O.N. members and brothers Aaron Rubin on bass and
Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin (born July 7, 1988) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is known primarily for playing drums with bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, and Angels & Airwaves. In 2008 he formed The New Regime, in which he sings and ...
on drums – the latter of which was a protégé of
Blink-182
Blink-182 (stylized as blink-182) is an American rock band formed in Poway, California in 1992. Their current lineup consists of bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. Though their sound has ...
drummer and reality TV star
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Tran ...
— the duo formed Denver Harbor in December 2002, three months after Fenix TX broke up.
The band made its stage debut on March 14, 2003 at The Scene in San Diego, California. They recorded three songs in their home studio ("All I Want", "Move On" and a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of
Avril Lavigne's "
I'm with You"), that were uploaded onto
MP3.com to help spread the word. Within weeks, they had a solid fanbase, mainly former Fenix TX fans. Following a stint of intimate club shows, Denver Harbor returned to the recording studio with
producer Joe Marlett, to work on the songs that would become their debut
EP ''
Extended Play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. '' (2003). Fans voted the EP's single "Outta My Head" to the top of
KEDJ 103.9 The Edge's online chart, securing the band a spot in front of a crowd of 20,000 on the radio station's
Edgefest
Edgefest was an annual outdoor rock festival in Canada. It was founded by staff members of Toronto radio station CFNY-FM. From 1987 to 2015, the festival was held every year in the summer (except for 2007). The festival was most frequently hel ...
, hosted on September 20, 2003. ''
Extended Play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. '' was released under the band's own imprint, called Angry Pirate Records, on December 16, 2003. Throughout 2003 and 2004, the release was promoted by tours with
Sugarcult
Sugarcult is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim Pagnotta (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Airin Older (bass guitar, backing vocals), Marko DeSantis (lead guitar), and Kenny Living ...
,
Story of the Year
Story of the Year is an American rock band formed in St. Louis, Missouri, Story of the Year at Allmusic.comAccessed May 17, 2007. in 1995 under the name 67 North. The band eventually changed their name to Big Blue Monkey in 1998, and then subs ...
,
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (often shortened to just Me First or the Gimmes) are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995. The band's lineup consists of Spike Slawson, Fat Mike, Joey Cape, and Dave Raun. C ...
and
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is an Irish-American seven-piece Celtic punk band[Life Is Good Out Now](_blank)
Floggingmolly.c ...
, helping the CD's first print run to sell out within half a year.
In June 2004, the band was signed by
Universal Records
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch–American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
.
The band released their full-length debut ''
Scenic'' on October 12, 2004. Musically, the album was much more diverse than Fenix TX's material, with influences ranging from
post-grunge
Post-grunge is a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. Originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid-1990s rock bands such as Bush, Candlebox and Collective Soul that emulated th ...
to
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
to
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
, although the band's
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...
roots were also clearly audible. However, due to Universal's lack of promotion, the album did not manage to chart the
''Billboard'' 200, which ultimately led to the label dropping the band exactly one year after their signing. After that, things quieted down around the
quartet until in September 2005, Fenix TX reunited for a final tour. While Fenix TX and
Allister
Allister is an American pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois. The four-piece formed in 1994 when the original band members were still in high school, and was originally named Phineas Gage. In 1998 Allister became one of the first bands to sign ...
co-headlined the tour, Day at the Fair,
Houston Calls
Houston Calls was an American rock band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey, United States. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Rushmore Records (a subsidiary of Drive-Thru Records). On June 9, 2009, they announced their official breakup.http: ...
and Denver Harbor supported, which meant that Salazar, Chris Lewis and eventually Ilan Rubin – who would replace Fenix TX drummer DeLaPaz halfway through the tour – had to play two sets every night.
Denver Harbor finally went their separate ways in 2006. Drummer Ilan Rubin then went on to play for Welsh alternative metal band
Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh Rock music, rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins (Lostprophets singer), Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band ...
before becoming drummer for
Nine Inch Nails.
Members
* Will Salazar – vocals, guitar
* Chris Lewis – guitar
* Aaron Rubin – bass
*
Ilan Rubin
Ilan Rubin (born July 7, 1988) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He is known primarily for playing drums with bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, and Angels & Airwaves. In 2008 he formed The New Regime, in which he sings and ...
– drums
Discography
Albums
* ''
Scenic'' (2004)
EPs
* ''
Extended Play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. '' (2003)
Non-album tracks
* "
I'm with You" – released on ''Boys on Top: A Punk Rock Tribute to
Avril Lavigne'' (2004)
References
#
#
#
External links
Denver Harbor's profileat
MySpace
Denver Harbor's profileat
PureVolume
PureVolume (formerly Unborn Media) was a website for uploading and streaming of music files, the first independently run of its type. PureVolume was created by Unborn Media, Inc; Mitchell Pavao; Brett Woitunski; and Nate Hudson, all from the Univer ...
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Alternative rock groups from California
Musical groups from San Diego