blink-182 (formerly known as blink) is a Southern-Californian pop punk band that was formed in 1992 by Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus. Along with Green Day, they are credited for starting the post-grunge punk rock/pop punk revolution.

Contents

1 History 2 Discography 2.1 Albums 2.2 Demo tapes 2.3 Music Videos 2.4 Band-Related DVDs 3 Band 4 Side projects by band members 5 Companies owned by band members 6 External Links 7 See also

History

blink-182 is made up of three members: Thomas (Tom) Matthew DeLonge on guitar, Markus (Mark) Allan Hoppus on bass, and Travis Landon Barker on drums. The band is known for playing catchy melodies as well as for their satirical toilet humour. blink-182 are unusual amongst punk rock bands for playing up-tempo songs in a major key, with prominent major-chord harmonies that are usually digitally mixed to provide a much cleaner sound than most other punk/rock recordings, which generally employ distortion and a ragged analogue mix to achieve the opposite effect. The lyrical content of their songs is humorous and often uplifting.

In 1992, when Hoppus moved to San Diego, California and was thinking of starting a band, he was introduced to Delonge. They decided that they needed to look for a drummer, and DeLonge discovered Scott Raynor at his school who played drums. After considering a number of names (such as Duct Tape) the band agreed to call themselves just 'blink. This would later have the numbers 182 added onto the end to avoid legal conflicts with an existing Irish band called blink (see below).

Towards the end of 1992 blink released an EP known as Flyswatter. This demo was recorded using a boom box in Scott's bedroom, which explains the poor sound quality. Before the end of the year, the band released another demo cassette known as Buddha. Around 1,000 copies of this were produced by Cargo Filter Records . In early 1994, blink released their first full-length album, Cheshire Cat, released on Grilled Cheese Records . The album contained many new versions of songs that had appeared on the Buddha demo.

Shortly after the release of Cheshire Cat, blink were threatened with legal action by a techno band in Ireland of the same name. In order to avoid a lengthy lawsuit, blink added the numbers 182 to the end of their name. Although there are rumours as to why these numbers were chosen (for example, that it is the number of times Al Pacino utters the word “fuck” in Scarface, or that they represent Hoppus' ideal weight), all the band members but one have made it clear that the numbers were picked at random. In one interview, Travis stated that the '182' was the U.S radio codeword meaning 'homicide'.

During the pop punk boom of the 1990s, blink-182 were signed by MCA. After moving to Encinitas, California, the band recorded the album Dude Ranch with producer Mark Trombino . The album was a hit, and two singles from it ("Josie" and "Dammit") rose to the top of the U.S. airplay charts. In 1998, the band met a slight setback. Raynor, who had a serious drinking problem at the time, was reportedly asked to leave the band and go into rehab, although there are also reports that he decided to leave to go to college and earn a degree. Whatever the explanation, he left midway through a U.S. tour. He was replaced by Travis Barker, who had been playing with support band The Aquabats.

In 1999 the album Enema of the State was released. The CD was successful, propelling the band to pop punk fame, and gaining a large amount of airtime on MTV and Total Request Live. This was largely due to the commercial success of the songs "What's My Age Again?", "Adam's Song", and "All the Small Things". The sound on Enema of the State was rooted in the same genre as earlier punk-rock bands such as NOFX, Green Day, and The Offspring, but it was more accessible to the mainstream, with a punky-feel. Many original fans felt that the band had strayed from their punk rock roots.

2001 saw blink-182 continue their commercial success, recording Take off Your Pants & Jacket, which followed the same basic formulas as "Enema of the State". In 2001, blink-182 appeared on the cover of CosmoGirl, and won a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award. Tom Delonge and Travis Barker were involved in side-projects The Transplants and Box Car Racer, bands which explored other musical styles.

In 2002, bands such as Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, and Simple Plan began following the same route as blink-182, marking the expansion of the pop-punk genre. The band released their next album in 2003. Described as a self-meditation on romantic decay, their untitled fifth record featured the hit singles "Feeling This", "I Miss You", "Down", and the 80s-influenced "Always". Travis Barker has confirmed that the band left the album untitled (rather than self-titled) to represent a whole new blink-182. It showcased a style of music deeper than anything blink-182 had done previously, but still got a good deal of play on pop stations and MTV. Critics have deemed their sound similar to that of The Police and U2, although members of the band claim they took most of their influence from The Cure, whose front man Robert Smith had appeared on "All of This". Listeners called the riffs heavier and the lyrics profound. A tour with No Doubt was very successful in the summer of 2004.

On February 21 2005, the band announced that they would not be able to play at the "Music For Relief" Tsunami benefit show in Anaheim, California due to 'unexpected circumstances'. The following day it was stated on the band's official website that they would take an indefinite break in order to spend more time with their close friends and loved ones. The statement has since been removed. Band member Travis Barker confirmed during a recent interview on KROQ that they are taking a rest from their normal activities, and that they are focusing on some alternative projects: DeLonge will continue directing music videos, Hoppus will be producing records, and Barker will be busy with the Transplants and this summer's Warped Tour. In an interview held with MTV News, Mark Hoppus announced that he and Travis Barker were working on a side-project called Plus 44, and that a female singer would be on the band.

Discography

Albums

1. Buddha (1994)
2. Cheshire Cat (1995)
3. Dude Ranch (1997)
4. Enema of the State (1999)
5. (2000) (live album)
6. Take off Your Pants and Jacket (2001)
7. blink-182 (2003)

Demo tapes

• Flyswatter (1993)
• 2nd Demo (1993)
• Buddha (1994)

Music Videos

• M&M's (1995)
• Dammit (1997)
• Josie (1997)
• What's My Age Again? (1999)
• All the Small Things (1999)
• Adam's Song (2000)
• Man Overboard (2000)
• The Rock Show (2001)
• Stay Together for the Kids (2001)
• First Date (2002)
• Feeling This (2003)
• I Miss You (2004)
• Down (2004)
• Always (2004)

Band-Related DVDs

• The Urethra Chronicles (2000) (Label: MCA)
• Man Overboard/Adam's Song (2001) (Label: MCA)
• The Urethra Chronicles II: Harder Faster Faster Harder (2002) (Label: MCA)
• Riding In Vans With Boys (2004) (Label: Resting Bird Entertainment)

Band

• Tom Delonge – Guitars, Vocals (1992–present)
• Mark Hoppus – Bass, Vocals (1992–present)
• Travis Barker – Drums (1998–present)
  • Scott Raynor – Drums (1992-1998)

Side projects by band members

• Box Car Racer
• The Transplants
• Plus 44

Companies owned by band members

• Atticus Clothing (Co-owned by Mark and Tom)
• Loserkids (Apparel Store)
• Macbeth Shoe Co. (Co-owned by Mark and Tom)
• Famous Stars and Straps Apparel Store (Owned by Travis)
• La Salle Records (Owned by Travis)
• Wahoo's Fish Tacos (one store in Northern California owned by Travis)
• Resting Bird Entertainment (Co-owned by Mark and Tom)

External Links

• blink-182 Lyrics
• blink-net.com
• PunkDisasters (Punk-related spanish site)
• blink-182 at allmusic.com

See also

• Punk rock
• Pop punk