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!!! ( ), also known as Chk Chk Chk, is an American band from
Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
. Formed in 1996 by lead singer Nic Offer, members of !!! came from other local bands such as the Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Pope Smashers. They are currently based in New York City. The band's ninth album, ''Let It Be Blue'', was released in May 2022.


History

!!! was formed in the fall of 1996 by the merger of members of the groups Black Liquorice and Pope Smashers, while on tour. After a successful joint tour, the two bands decided to mix the disco-funk with more aggressive sounds and integrate the hardcore singer Nic Offer from the Yah Mos. Offer has cited
Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
and OMD as influences. The band's name was inspired by the subtitles of the movie ''
The Gods Must Be Crazy ''The Gods Must Be Crazy'' is a 1980 comedy film written, produced, edited and directed by Jamie Uys. An international co-production of South Africa and Botswana, it is the first film in ''The Gods Must Be Crazy'' series. Set in Southern Afri ...
'', in which the clicking sounds of the
San people The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are the members of any of the indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures of southern Africa, and the oldest surviving cultures of the region. They are thought to have diverged from other humans 100,000 to 200 ...
's
Juǀʼhoan language Juǀʼhoan ( , ), also known as Southern or Southeastern ǃKung or ǃXun, is the southern variety of the ǃKung dialect continuum, spoken in northeastern Namibia and the Northwest District of Botswana by San Bushmen who largely identify themse ...
were represented as "!". However, as the bandmembers themselves say, !!! is pronounced by repeating thrice any monosyllabic sound. "Chk Chk Chk" is the most common pronunciation, and the URL of their official website and the title of their
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
page suggest it is the preferred pronunciation. The band's full-length debut record came out in 2000 as a self-titled album on the label Gold Standard Laboratories. This was followed in 2003 by the single "Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard", a lengthy track combining
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
beats with sinewy
bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, and classical music, for the low-pitched P ...
s,
psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...
guitars, and simple lyrics which quote the title song of the musical ''
Footloose ''Footloose'' is a 1984 American musical drama film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Dean Pitchford. It tells the story of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), a teenager from Chicago who moves to a small town, where he attempts to overturn a b ...
''. A second full-length, ''
Louden Up Now ''Louden Up Now'' is the second studio album by American dance-punk band !!!. Released on July 27, 2004, through Touch and Go Records in the United States and Warp Records in the rest of the world, the album was greeted by mainly positive review ...
'', was released on Touch and Go in America and on
Warp Records Warp Records is a British independent record label that specialises in Electronic music, electronic, indie rock and experimental music. It was founded in Sheffield in 1989 by Steve Beckett, Robert Mitchell and Robert Gordon. It has released recor ...
in Europe in June 2004. In June 2005 !!! released a new EP covering " Take Ecstasy with Me" by
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, and "Get Up" by
Nate Dogg Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (August 19, 1969 – March 15, 2011), known professionally as Nate Dogg, was an American rapper and singer. He gained recognition for providing guest vocals on several hit rap songs between 1992 and 2007, earning him the ...
. The following December, the original drummer for the band, Mikel Gius, was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike. They released their third album, ''
Myth Takes ''Myth Takes'' is the third album by !!!. The album was released on March 5, 2007. It was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, United States, and features drummer Jerry Fuchs. Early limited edition copies of the CD version of ...
'' in 2007. !!! is composed of Mario Andreoni (guitar), Dan Gorman ( horns/percussion/
keys Key, Keys, The Key or The Keys may refer to: Common uses * Key (cryptography), a piece of information needed to encode or decode a message * Key (instrument), a component of a musical instrument * Key (lock), a device used to operate a lock * ...
), Nic Offer (vocals), Rafael Cohen (bass/various electronic devices), Chris Egan (drums) and Meah Pace (vocals). Vocalist and drummer John Pugh officially left the band in 2007 to concentrate on his new band Free Blood. Vocalist Shannon Funchess stood in for Pugh during much of their 2007 tour. The band also shared membership with the similar, defunct group
Out Hud Out Hud was an American electronic music, electronic band formed in 1996 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area of California and later based in New York City. The band consisted of guitarist Nic Offer, bass guitar, bassist Tyler Pope, cello, ...
(including Tyler Pope, who has played with
LCD Soundsystem LCD Soundsystem is an American Dance-punk#Contemporary dance-punk, dance-punk revival band from Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy (electronic musician), James Murphy, of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals ...
and written music for
Cake Cake is a flour confection usually made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elabor ...
).


Discography


Albums


EPs

* ''Lab Series Vol. 2 SL26' (Split with
Out Hud Out Hud was an American electronic music, electronic band formed in 1996 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area of California and later based in New York City. The band consisted of guitarist Nic Offer, bass guitar, bassist Tyler Pope, cello, ...
, 1999, Gold Standard Labs) * ''Live! Live! Live!'' (November 20, 2004, Beat Records, Japan only) * ''Yadnus'' (2007) * ''Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass E.P.'' (November 2010) * ''Daytrotter Session'' (May 29, 2013, Daytrotter Studio ock Island, IL * ''R!M!X!S'' (January 8, 2014, Japanese Import, WAP359D) * ''MEGAM!!!X Vol.1: Shake Shake Shake'' (March 21, 2018) * ''Certified Heavy Kats'' (July 31, 2020)


Singles


Other projects

* ''!!!'' (1997, tour cassette)


Footnotes


References

* * * * * * * * * * *


External links

* * {{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from California Musical groups established in 1996 American dance-punk musical groups American post-punk revival music groups Warp (record label) artists Musical groups from Sacramento, California 1996 establishments in California Touch and Go Records artists