Search results
Mar 11, 2016 · 311 is a band so chill they called their first album Music and closed it out with a song called “Fuck the Bullshit.”
- Amber
- Down
- Beautiful Disaster
- Love Song
- Reggae Got Soul
- All Mixed Up
- 8:16 A.M.
- I’ll Be Here Awhile
- Champagne
- Come Original
The first track on this list simply had to be Amber – it’s one of those tunes that everybody seems to know, yet nobody can put their finger on who performed it. The song really reminds me of a cooler and more down-to-earth version of Peter Andre’s reggae classic Mysterious Girl– even the video follows a similar kind of vibe. Someday I plan to take ...
As I mentioned in my introduction, 311 has always kept things interesting and versatile. Just take a look at the contrast between the last track and Down. This track, released in 1995, is a little bit heavier and ridiculously ahead of its time in my opinion. It combines hard rock, DJing, and hip-hop vocals in a way that is synonymous with nu-metal,...
Ska-rock, alternative rock, and nu-metal were all huge genres in 1997 when 311 released Beautiful Disaster, yet something about the band really stands out amongst the crowd. I was trying to put my finger on it earlier, and I think it comes down to two things – Nick Hexum’s uniquely harmonic vocal style, and the guitar scales being used. Ultimately ...
Next on my list of the best 311 songs is Love Song, and the sound of this track could not reflect the name any better. The band threw away the nu-metal riffs and the metallic snare drum for this one, going for something even more chilled thanAmber(if that’s even possible!). This is a very slow, romantic, and smooth ballad, glistening with Santana-e...
In case you hadn’t already noticed, 311 love reggae – so much in fact that they made possible THE most reggae track I have ever heard, Reggae Got Soul. In fact, this track is so synonymous with reggae and surf vibes that it was written specifically to be included in the major animated motion picture film ‘Surfs Up’. I couldn’t think of a better son...
Moving away from motion picture soundtracks, let’s have a listen to one of the best 311 songs, All Mixed Up. This track features the band’s signature ska guitar strumming patterns in the verses, but what really stands out is Nick Hexum’s outstanding vocal performance throughout the track. Some might call it cultural appropriation, but I call it mus...
Next up is the oldest track by 311 that has been mentioned so far, 8:16 A.M. It’s featured on the album Grassrootswhich was recorded back in 1993, and was supposedly intended to have a ‘muddy tone’. Hmm, that kind of sounds like a textbook excuse for bad production, but I’ll let them off as the composition totally makes up for it. It has a really u...
Remember when every rock band in the early ’00s seemed to be going crazy with the CGI in their music videos? 311 was no exception to this trend, with the bonus music video for I’ll Be Here Awhileclearly having a pretty high CGI budget. I never saw this video at the time, so it’s great to experience it with a fresh mindset exactly 20 years later. It...
Next up I’ve chosen Champagne from the 2001 album From Chaos. The band was clearly going visual-mad this year because the artwork for this album really is something. There are some really nice jazz influences thrown in on this track, particularly in the guitar progressions and organ accompaniment. I particularly like the way that for chilled tracks...
We’re about halfway through this list now, so it’s time to mention what is easily one of the best 311 songs and in my opinion, THE best – Come Original. I absolutely love this track – it fills me with pure nostalgia when I listen to it as I used to listen to it on repeat, over and over every day after school. It’s catchy as hell and features a litt...
Jul 9, 2017 · But after 27 years of 311's hard-to-peg sound — a meld of rock, reggae, metal, funk, rap and ska — hordes of fans are as in love with the band as ever.
Jul 10, 2024 · On this episode of In Defense of Ska, 311 frontman Nick Hexum chats about the band’s legacy, playing with Fugazi, and the infamous Eric Andre Show bit.
311 (pronounced "three eleven") is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist and guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson, bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills, and drummer Chad Sexton. Watson was replaced by Tim Mahoney in 1990.
Very interesting conversation. Though they weren't a ska band, 311 had prominent reggae/ska influences. They even had a straight-up ska song (I'll Be Here Awhile) chart in the early 2000s. We talk about those elements and what it was like to be lumped in with the 90s ska scene (They even headlined the 2018 ska festival Back To The Beach)
People also ask
Where can I listen to 311 ska & reggae music?
Where can I listen to 311 bass on 'in defense of ska'?
What kind of music does 311 have?
Are 311 a good band?
Jul 10, 2024 · Of all the ’90s bands that incorporated ska and reggae influences into their music, you don’t get much bigger than 311. On this episode of In Defense of Ska , 311 frontman Nick Hexum chats about the band’s legacy, playing with Fugazi, and the infamous Eric Andre Show bit .
