Paloalto is a rock band formed in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. The band is not named after the city
Palo Alto
Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto.
The city was estab ...
, but rather the lead singer and frontman James Grundler's preschool. Their debut album was released on
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records.
Rubin helped popula ...
's
American Recordings label and was produced by Rubin. Their second album, ''Heroes and Villains'', reached #14 on the
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Heatseekers chart in 2003,
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
on the strength of the song "Breathe In", which had been featured on
The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seaso ...
The song "Try" was the theme song on the 2003 Warner Brothers show "Tarzan".
After the band dissolved, Grundler formed a new band called
Golden State. As of 2021, Grundler is still actively releasing new material under Golden State.
Paloalto has occasionally played a few reunion shows in the 2010s. On August 15, 2014, the band performed a reunion show at
The Viper Room
The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. It was established as The Viper Room in 1993 and was partly owned by actor Johnny Depp. The other part owner was Sal J ...
in
West Hollywood, California
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
. To commemorate the event, Grundler released the single “Don’t Give Up Before You Start”, the first release under the Paloalto name in over ten years. In 2018, the band performed live again supporting
Walking Papers.
Members
*James Grundler –
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
(previously lead singer of
The Din Pedals)
*Marc Boggio –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*Tommy Black –
bass
*Steve Clark –
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...
Previous members
*Jason Johnson –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
*Alex Parnell –
bass
*Andy Blunda –
lead guitar
Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...
s, keyboards
*Florian Reinert –
drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
s
*Jason Goodhue –
bass
Discography
Albums
* ''
Paloalto'' (CD) –
American Recordings – 2000
* ''
Heroes and Villains
"Heroes and Villains" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album ''Smiley Smile'' and their unfinished ''Smile'' project. Written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Wilson envisioned the song as an Old West-themed ...
'' (CD) – American Recordings – 2003
Singles
*"Sonny" (CD) – American Recordings – 2000
*"Fade Out/In" (CD) – American Recordings – 2002
*"Breathe In" (CD) – American Recordings – 2003
*"Don’t Give Up Before You Start" (Digital) – State Champ Records – August 11, 2014
*"Misery" (Digital) – State Champ Records – December 8, 2014
In popular culture
* Paloalto's single "Breathe In" was used in the movie ''
Hellboy
Hellboy is a fictional superhero created by writer-artist Mike Mignola. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various eponymous miniseries, one-shots and intercompany crossovers ...
''.
* "Breathe In" was also used in the TV show ''
Life As We Know It'' - Episode 3 - "The Best Laid Plans".
* The songs "Last Way Out of Here" and "The World Outside" was used in the movie ''
The Perfect Score
''The Perfect Score'' is a 2004 American Teen film, teen comedy-heist film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Chris Evans (actor), Chris Evans, Erika Christensen, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, and Leonardo Nam.
The film ...
''.
* The song "Fade Out/In" was used in the soundtrack for movie ''
Daredevil'' but wasn't included in the film.
* The song "Going Going Gone" was used in the movie ''
Shallow Hal
''Shallow Hal'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black about a shallow man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman after being hypnotized into only seeing a person's inner beauty. Directed by the Farrell ...
''.
* The song "Throwing Stones" was used in the TV show ''
John Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
'' - Episode 19 - "Shock to the System".
References
{{Authority control
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Alternative rock groups from California