Zebrahead is an American rap-punk band from La Habra, California. Formed in 1996, the band has released thirteen studio albums to date.
History
1996–2001: Formation and early years
Zebrahead was formed in
La Habra, California
La Habra (archaic spelling of ''La Abra'', ) is a city in the northwestern corner of Orange County, California, United States. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 60,239. A related city, La Habra Heights, is located to the north of ...
in summer 1996 by guitarist Greg Bergdorf and drummer Ed Udhus, (both formerly of the band 409), bassist Ben Osmundson (formerly of 3-Ply) and singer/rhythm guitarist
Justin Mauriello
Justin Mauriello (born 1975) is the lead singer and guitarist for the alternative rock band Darling Thieves, and former guitarist and founding member of punk rock band Zebrahead.
Musical career
Zebrahead (1996–2004)
Mauriello was a foundi ...
(formerly of Once There). All four musicians, whose bands at the time shared the same practice space, became acquainted with one another after experimenting with different music styles together. This led to all four leaving their respective bands and forming their own and naming it Zebrahead. Inspired by bands such as
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...
and
Descendents
The Descendents are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in Manhattan Beach, California, by guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo and drummer Bill Stevenson. In 1979, they enlisted Stevenson's school friend Milo Aukerman as a s ...
and uninterested in the
local musical trends of the time, Zebrahead began experimenting and incorporating elements of
hip-hop into their sound, leading to the inclusion of rapper
Ali Tabatabaee
Ali Tabatabaee () is an Iranian-American musician who is one of two main vocalists in the American band Zebrahead.
Background
Before joining Zebrahead, Tabatabaee was a pre-med student at UC Irvine majoring in Biology and minoring in Theater. ...
as a co-vocalist.
The first song ever composed was "Check", which was later included on their first demo tape, ''One More Hit'', released shortly after.
The band issued their
self-titled debut album in April 1998 through indie label
Doctor Dream Records
Doctor Dream Records is an independent record label founded in 1982 by Dave Hayes that originated from Orange, California. During its time as an independent the company released over 100 records in punk rock, alternative rock, comedy, and heavy ...
, before signing with major label
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
to release their mainstream debut ''
Waste of Mind
''Waste of Mind'' is the second studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Zebrahead. The song "Check" was featured on the soundtrack of the video game ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3''.
Track listing
Singles
* " Get Back" ...
'' later that year. The album contains several re-recorded songs from their demo release alongside new tracks, including the minor radio hit "
Get Back
"Get Back" is a song recorded by the British rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, and written by Paul McCartney though credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to ...
", which charted at No. 32 on the U.S.
Hot Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
charts. The band's follow-up ''
Playmate of the Year
This is a list of models who were chosen as a Playboy Playmate of the Year for the American edition of ''Playboy'' magazine.
List of Playmates of the Year
*1953: Marilyn Monroe
*1954:
*1955:
*1956:
*1957:
*1958:
*1959:
*1960: Ellen Stratton ...
'' was released in August 2000 and charted at No.4 on the U.S.
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
chart. The extended play ''Stupid Fat Americans'' followed in February 2001 as a Japan-exclusive release.
2002–2005: ''MFZB'' and Mauriello's departure
Zebrahead recorded and released their fourth studio album, ''
MFZB
''MFZB'' (abbreviation of ''Motherfucking Zebrahead, Bitch'') is the fourth studio album released by American punk rock band Zebrahead. "Rescue Me" was released to radio on January 20, 2004.
The title of the album originally comes from the band' ...
'', in 2003; this was their last publication under Columbia Records. The album is noted for trading in the
hip-hop funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
elements of the band's previous releases in favor of a heavier
punk rock sound that would eventually carry over and develop in future releases. Zebrahead spent the majority of 2004 promoting the album at various festivals in Japan, including the
Summer Sonic Festival
The , also known as Supersonic, is an annual two- or three-day rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba, Japan. The majority of the bands playing in Osaka the first day go to Chiba the following day and vice versa. The line-up cont ...
.
The band's extensive touring earned them a sizeable fanbase in the country, leading ''MFZB'' to chart at No.9 on the
Japanese Charts and earn a
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
certification. A follow-up to ''MFZB'' titled ''
Waste of MFZB
''Waste of MFZB'' is the fifth studio album released by American punk rock band Zebrahead exclusively in Japan, it is also their final album with band member Justin Mauriello, who left the group shortly afterwards.
As the title suggests, the alb ...
'' – containing songs that didn't make the final cut of the former – was released exclusively in Japan in July 2004
where it topped the ''
Billboard Japan
''Billboard Japan'' is a sister organization of the U.S.-based music magazine ''Billboard''. It is operated by the Japanese Osaka-based company Hanshin Contents Link (a subsidiary of Hanshin Electric Railway), holding an exclusive licence from ''Bi ...
'' chart.
Shortly after Zebrahead's Japanese tour, co-vocalist/rhythm guitarist Justin Mauriello left the band due to creative differences.
As the singing/rapping dynamic between Mauriello and co-vocalist Ali Tabatabaee was crucial to Zebrahead's sound, the band immediately began the search for a replacement.
Matty Lewis
Matty Lewis is an American musician, primarily known for his work as the rhythm guitarist and vocalist of punk rock band Zebrahead from 2005 to 2021.
Jank 1000
Jank 1000 was a suburban pop punk band originally formed in late 1998, in the suburb ...
, a former member of the band
Jank 1000 that had previously toured with Zebrahead, was advised by Udhus and Osmundson to try out for the part in December 2004, to which he won. Lewis' inclusion was announced at a private concert at the Anaheim House of Blues, California on March 8, 2005, before the group started recording their next studio album.
2006–2012: ''Broadcast to the World'', ''Phoenix'', ''Panty Raid'' and ''Get Nice!''
![Zebrahead 2006](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Zebrahead_2006.jpg)
Zebrahead's sixth album ''
Broadcast to the World'' debuted in February 2006 in Japan, where it certified gold. It was later issued in other countries as the year progressed. During that time, the band toured the U.S. as part of the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
festival
and later Europe, notably playing at the UK's annual
Download Festival
Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 201 ...
. Ali Tabatabaee and Matty Lewis also performed the theme of
''Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)'', "His World".
Following a two-month hiatus after writing material for their seventh album, Zebrahead returned to Europe in May 2007 on a co-headline tour with
MxPx
MxPx () is an American pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington, founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass guitar, Yuri Ruley on drums and percussion, Tom Wisniewski on lead gui ...
and went on to tour the UK as part of the annual Get Happy Tour the following October.
Afterwards, the band continued writing and recorded demos with producers
Jason Freese
Jason Freese is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums, including for artists Green Day, Dr. Dre, Pitbull, Avenged Sevenfold, Goo Goo Dolls, and Jewel. He is the so ...
,
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008.
Early life and education
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...
and Cameron Webb.
The album, ''
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
'', was released in July 2008, preceded by the ''Not the New Album EP'' a day earlier. The band later returned to the UK and performed at the Download, Leeds Slam Dunk and Greenfield festivals, before going on to tour the rest of Europe and Japan for the remainder of the year. An American leg of the tour was originally planned to take place after, however, Lewis became ill, and in order to avoid permanent damage to his voice, the tour was cancelled.
In Spring 2009, Zebrahead announced the release of a
cover album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
featuring songs originally sung by female musicians from the 1990s–2000s for the following November. ''
Panty Raid
A panty raid was an American 1950s and early 1960s college prank in which large groups of male students attempted to invade the living quarters of female students and steal their panties (undergarments) as the trophies of a successful raid. The ...
'' is preceded by the single "
Girlfriend
A girlfriend is a female friend, acquaintance or partner, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved.
In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed relationship where the indi ...
" originally by
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...
.
To promote it, the band began the Less Than Jake tour in late 2009 and toured through Japan and Europe, eventually concluding in the U.S. in Spring 2010.
In the fall that followed, the band had started recording original material for the first time since the release of ''Phoenix''. Proceeded by the singles "Ricky Bobby" and the title track "Get Nice!", Zebrahead's ninth studio album ''
Get Nice!'' was released in July 2011, reaching No. 3 on the U.S.
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
chart. Promotion came in the form of the tour Get Nice! or Die Trying, where the band performed in venues and festivals throughout Europe, Japan and Australia and the United States between the album's release and the summer of 2012.
2013–2020: ''Call Your Friends'', ''Walk the Plank'' and ''Brain Invaders''
After recording in the first half of the year, Zebrahead's tenth studio album ''
Call Your Friends
''Call Your Friends'' is the tenth studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead released in Japan on August 7, 2013 and worldwide on August 13 and 16, 2013 respectively. The album is available in five different covers, each available in a ...
'' was released worldwide in August 2013. Around the same time, the band announced the departure of guitarist Greg Bergdorf, who chose to leave in order to spend more time with his family. Lead guitarist of
Death By Stereo
Death by Stereo (also referred to as D.B.S.) is an American hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1998 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work. Their name ...
,
Dan Palmer
Dan Palmer (born 13 September 1988) is a former Australian professional rugby union player. He played for the Waratahs and Brumbies in Super Rugby, before a short stint with French club Grenoble. He also earned one cap for Australia in 2012. ...
took his place as the band's new guitarist.
Zebrahead then toured in the U.S., Europe and Japan over the course of the following year, this time alongside acts MxPx and Allister. In October 2014, the band released their live DVD ''Way More Beer'', which was filmed and recorded during the band's tour of Germany earlier that year.
In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of Zebrahead's formation, the band released their first compilation album ''
Greatest Hits? – Volume 1
''Greatest Hits? – Volume 1'' is the first greatest hits album by American rock band Zebrahead, released March 11, 2015 exclusively in Japan. The album is followed by the lead single "Devil on My Shoulder", released March 26, 2015.
Background
...
'' on March 11, 2015, exclusively in Japan. As well as familiar material, the compilation features several re-recorded songs from the band's earlier albums with former lead singer/rhythm guitarist Justin Mauriello, this time featuring current lead Matty Lewis. The re-recorded songs were released separately outside Japan as the band's eleventh studio album under the title ''
The Early Years – Revisited
''The Early Years – Revisited'' is the eleventh studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead released on April 21, 2015. The album is made up of re-recorded tracks from the band's early years between 1998 and 2003 that feature then current ...
'' on April 21, 2015.
After recording earlier in the year, Zebrahead's twelfth album ''
Walk the Plank'' was issued on October 7, 2015. A continuation of their Walk the Plank/Out of Control tour that took place earlier that year ran between October 1 – December 11, 2015, in Japan and Europe. The band released a second compilation album on November 24, 2017, titled ''
The Bonus Brothers
''The Bonus Brothers'' is a compilation album by American rock band Zebrahead, released November 24, 2017.
Background
On October 13, 2017, Zebrahead announced the release of an album compiling of songs previously only available as bonus tracks o ...
'', featuring songs that were previously only available on the Japanese editions of their albums, while their thirteenth studio album ''
Brain Invaders
''Brain Invaders'' is the thirteenth studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2019, and globally on March 8, 2019. The band announced the album on January 9, 2019, along with a music video for the ...
'' was released in March 2019.
2021–present: Lewis's departure
In April 2021, Zebrahead announced the departure of co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Matty Lewis. Adrian Estrella was revealed as his replacement shortly after, on June 28, 2021. The band's first single with Estrella, "Lay Me to Rest", premiered the following month on July 30, 2021 while the EP ''III'', the band's first release with Estrella, followed on November 26, 2021. The band is currently producing a follow-up to the EP titled ''II'', due for a late 2022 release.
Musical style
Zebrahead has been classified under genres such as
punk rock,
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 pu ...
,
rap rock
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, resp ...
,
rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock and alternative metal music which combines hip hop with heavy metal. It usually consists of heavy metal guitar riffs, funk metal elements, rapped vocals and sometimes turntables.
History Origins and early ...
,
rapcore
Rap rock is a fusion genre that fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock's most popular subgenres include rap metal and rapcore, which include heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented influences, res ...
and
ska punk
Ska punk (also spelled ska-punk) is a fusion genre that mixes ska music and punk rock music together. (sometimes spelled skacore) is a subgenre of ska punk that mixes ska with hardcore punk. Early ska punk mixed both 2 tone and ska with hardc ...
.
Band members
Current members
*
Ali Tabatabaee
Ali Tabatabaee () is an Iranian-American musician who is one of two main vocalists in the American band Zebrahead.
Background
Before joining Zebrahead, Tabatabaee was a pre-med student at UC Irvine majoring in Biology and minoring in Theater. ...
– lead vocals
(1996–present)
* Ben Osmundson – bass guitar, backing vocals
(1996–present)
* Ed Udhus – drums, percussion
(1996–present)
*
Dan Palmer
Dan Palmer (born 13 September 1988) is a former Australian professional rugby union player. He played for the Waratahs and Brumbies in Super Rugby, before a short stint with French club Grenoble. He also earned one cap for Australia in 2012. ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals
(2013–present; 2010, 2012 touring substitute for Greg Bergdorf)
* Adrian Estrella – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
(2021–present)
Former members
*
Justin Mauriello
Justin Mauriello (born 1975) is the lead singer and guitarist for the alternative rock band Darling Thieves, and former guitarist and founding member of punk rock band Zebrahead.
Musical career
Zebrahead (1996–2004)
Mauriello was a foundi ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar
(1996–2004)
* Greg Bergdorf – lead guitar, backing vocals
(1996–2013)
*
Matty Lewis
Matty Lewis is an American musician, primarily known for his work as the rhythm guitarist and vocalist of punk rock band Zebrahead from 2005 to 2021.
Jank 1000
Jank 1000 was a suburban pop punk band originally formed in late 1998, in the suburb ...
– lead vocals, rhythm guitar
(2005–2021)
Touring and session members
*
Howard Benson
Howard Benson is an American music producer and multi-instrumentalist. He was nominated for the Producer of the Year Grammy Award in 2007 and 2008.
Early life and education
Benson was born and raised in a middle-class family in greater Philadel ...
– keyboards
(1998–2000, 2008)
*
Jason Freese
Jason Freese is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. As a professional studio musician he has performed on over 50 albums, including for artists Green Day, Dr. Dre, Pitbull, Avenged Sevenfold, Goo Goo Dolls, and Jewel. He is the so ...
– keyboards, piano
(2006–present)
* Dan Regan – trombone
(occasional live appearances performing "Anthem"; 2006–2014)
* John Christianson – trumpet
(occasional live appearances performing "Anthem"; 2006–present)
* Chris Dalley – drums
(filled in for Ed Udhus on 2008 summer UK tour)
Timeline
Discography
* ''
Zebrahead'' (1998)
* ''
Waste of Mind
''Waste of Mind'' is the second studio album and major label debut by American punk rock band Zebrahead. The song "Check" was featured on the soundtrack of the video game ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3''.
Track listing
Singles
* " Get Back" ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Playmate of the Year
This is a list of models who were chosen as a Playboy Playmate of the Year for the American edition of ''Playboy'' magazine.
List of Playmates of the Year
*1953: Marilyn Monroe
*1954:
*1955:
*1956:
*1957:
*1958:
*1959:
*1960: Ellen Stratton ...
'' (2000)
* ''
MFZB
''MFZB'' (abbreviation of ''Motherfucking Zebrahead, Bitch'') is the fourth studio album released by American punk rock band Zebrahead. "Rescue Me" was released to radio on January 20, 2004.
The title of the album originally comes from the band' ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Waste of MFZB
''Waste of MFZB'' is the fifth studio album released by American punk rock band Zebrahead exclusively in Japan, it is also their final album with band member Justin Mauriello, who left the group shortly afterwards.
As the title suggests, the alb ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Broadcast to the World'' (2006)
* ''
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
'' (2008)
* ''
Panty Raid
A panty raid was an American 1950s and early 1960s college prank in which large groups of male students attempted to invade the living quarters of female students and steal their panties (undergarments) as the trophies of a successful raid. The ...
'' (2009)
* ''
Get Nice!'' (2011)
* ''
Call Your Friends
''Call Your Friends'' is the tenth studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead released in Japan on August 7, 2013 and worldwide on August 13 and 16, 2013 respectively. The album is available in five different covers, each available in a ...
'' (2013)
* ''
The Early Years – Revisited
''The Early Years – Revisited'' is the eleventh studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead released on April 21, 2015. The album is made up of re-recorded tracks from the band's early years between 1998 and 2003 that feature then current ...
'' (2015)
* ''
Walk the Plank'' (2015)
* ''
Brain Invaders
''Brain Invaders'' is the thirteenth studio album by American punk rock band Zebrahead. It was released in Japan on March 6, 2019, and globally on March 8, 2019. The band announced the album on January 9, 2019, along with a music video for the ...
'' (2019)
* ''
III'' (2021)
References
External links
*
*
;Interviews
Interview on Up Load UK 2009Interview on More Than the Music 2011 (Tess Askew)Zebrahead interview on AWR 2013
{{Authority control
Punk rock groups from California
Rap rock groups
Rap metal musical groups
Rapcore groups
Alternative rock groups from California
Musical groups from Orange County, California
Musical quintets
Columbia Records artists
Musical groups established in 1996
Pop punk groups from California
1996 establishments in California
La Habra, California
American punk rock groups