!!!

Following a titillating tour in summer '95 between Popesmashers and Black Liquorice, !!! officially formed upon their return at one of the famously ultra-hot, all-night Sacramento, CA dance parties. The tour had provided the attendees - and a few of the band members - with plenty to think about. Black Liquorice came with disco covers without the kitsch, and Popesmashers followed with loud, propulsive noise. The combination of these styles seemed odd to some, but it worked in the most primal sense, leading the aforementioned band members and others to wonder - Why NOT feel this? All the fucking time.

The eight members of !!! had grown up playing various breeds of punk and experimental music (!!! frontman Nic was vocalist for the infamous hardcore band, Yah Mos), and increasingly found themselves wanting to play music in the vein of the stuff they were dancing to. Which is not to say !!! are a punk band, nor a funk band, for that matter. They are both. And neither.

The !!! symbol was chosen, rather than a conventional band name, because it reflects the excitement shared by the band members, mixed with an intense desire to shake things up. They have toured the U.S. repeatedly, amassing a sizeable following thanks to their cathartic live shows. The years spent train-hopping, hitch-hiking and touring DIY style have forged a desire to take !!! everywhere, fast.

!!! shares three of its members with Out Hud, including Tyler Pope, who is also in LCD Soundsystem. !!! has released a 12" split EP with Out Hud, as well as a seven-inch on Hopscotch called "Dis-ease". A self-titled debut came out on GSL in 2000, which included the nine minute manifesto, "There's No Fucking Rules, Dude" - an exhortation to forget your worries and just shake your ass... dude. Got it?

!!! is John Pugh (drums), Nic Offer (vocals), Allan Wilson (percussion, horns), Mario Andreoni (guitar), Tyler Pope (guitar, keys), Justin Vandervolgen (bass, sound engineering tweaks), Dan Gorman (percussion, horns), and Jason Racine (percussion).