Nerf Herder

Last updated
Nerf Herder
Nerf Herder Press Photo 2016.jpg
(L–R) Ben Pringle (bass); Linus of Hollywood (guitar, keyboard); Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar); Steve Sherlock (drums)
Background information
Origin Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Genres Pop punk, geek rock, alternative rock
Years active1994–2003, 2006–present
Members
Past members
Website nerfherder.com

Nerf Herder is an American rock band from Santa Barbara, California, [1] formed in 1994 [2] by Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass) and Steve Sherlock (drums). They describe themselves as a "geek rock" band, and are known for simple modern punk-style songs with frequently humorous, [1] juvenile, and pop-culture-referencing lyrics. [3]

Contents

The band's name is a reference to a line of dialogue between Princess Leia and Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. [4]

Their 1997 single "Van Halen", a tribute to the band of the same name, [1] [5] received significant radio airplay and led to their first major record deal with Arista Records. [6] [7] They also composed and performed the theme music to the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. [2] [5]

History

Nerf Herder was formed in Santa Barbara in 1994 by Parry Gripp (vocals, guitar), Charlie Dennis (bass), and Steve Sherlock (drums). Dennis left the band after the release of their debut self-titled album, and was replaced first by Pete Newbury, with Dave Ehrlich also joining as a second guitarist. [7] Newbury's tenure touring with the band was, however, short-lived. He was briefly replaced in 1999 by bassist Marko 72, [8] and then by Justin Fisher, [7] who played bass and keyboards on two albums (How To Meet Girls & American Cheese).

In 1999, Nerf Herder asked Arista to release them from their contract, so they could move forward with a new record, How to Meet Girls , with Honest Don's Records, a subsidiary of Fat Wreck Chords. A special EP for My Records (run by Joey Cape from Lagwagon) entitled My EP was released in 2001, and was followed in 2002 by their album American Cheese .

The band wrote and performed the theme song for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). In April 2003, Nerf Herder appeared as the musical guest in the final-season Buffy episode "Empty Places" – the very last band to play at The Bronze. Their special connection to the series was further acknowledged by a bit of dialogue, as "Rock City News" played in the background:

Kennedy: What kind of band plays during an apocalypse?
Dawn: I think this band might actually be one of the signs.

By 2003, after the final American Cheese tour dates—during which time Ben Pringle (also of The Rentals during 2005–2008) had replaced Fisher (who had left amicably to front his own band, Psoma)—the band disintegrated. No official split was announced, but a post by Gripp on the band's website some time afterwards detailed how most of the former band members had gone on to get normal jobs. [9] Gripp did some work as a jingle writer, which led to his 2005 solo album For Those About to Shop, We Salute You, a 51-track concept album mimicking various musical styles and focusing on product commercialization. [10]

In late 2006, Nerf Herder made a surprise comeback, announcing on their website that they were playing a handful of gigs with the original lineup of Gripp, Dennis, and Sherlock. For Gripp's May 7, 2007 review of the day, he announced that the original lineup had finally finished recording their 4th album, which did not have a title at that time. Gripp stated that he wanted the title to be Brownerton, but that idea was shot down. He also stated that of the 13 songs recorded, they would probably pick 10 to be on the album. In June 2007, the band decided on the title Nerf Herder IV, and the album was released through Oglio Records on April 29, 2008. Pringle returned, and Former Size 14 singer Linus of Hollywood joined the live band (playing guitar and keyboard) in early 2008 for a series of West Coast shows and a short tour of Japan.

In 2014, Nerf Herder began working on album number five, entitled Rockingham , which was released on March 11, 2016. [11]

As of 2019, Nerf Herder has continued to perform live and is currently writing and recording new material. [12]

Band members

Timeline

Nerf Herder

Discography

Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles [13] [14] [15] [16]
YearSongUS Alt
[17] 		Album
1996"Van Halen"35Nerf Herder
1997"Sorry"—
2000"Courtney"—How To Meet Girls
2002"Mr Spock"—American Cheese
2007"Led Zeppelin Rules"—IV
2016"At The Con"—Rockingham
2016"Ghostbusters III"—Rockingham
2016"Doctor Who"—Rockingham
2022"Born Weird"—Born Weird
Compilation album appearances

The following are songs that have been featured on compilations that have not been released on any of the band's albums or EPs

Related Research Articles

<i>Nerf Herder</i> (album) 1996 studio album by Nerf Herder

Nerf Herder is the debut album by Nerf Herder, originally released in November 1996 and produced by Joey Cape and Ryan Greene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Real McKenzies</span> Canadian Celtic punk band

The Real McKenzies is a Canadian Celtic punk band founded in 1992 and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. They are one of the founders of the Celtic punk movement, albeit 10 years after The Pogues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat Wreck Chords</span> American independent record label

Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California-based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by NOFX lead singer Michael Burkett, and his wife at the time, Erin Burkett in 1990.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale – Music from the TV Series</i> 2003 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale – Music from the TV Series is the second Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack album, following on from Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album</i> 1999 soundtrack album by Various Artists

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Album is a soundtrack album featuring music from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series.

The use of music was a key component in the fictional Buffyverse established by the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Many actors of both series are professional singers/musicians, including Anthony Head, James Marsters, Amber Benson, Andy Hallett and Christian Kane.

<i>American Cheese</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Nerf Herder

American Cheese is the third album by Nerf Herder, released in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parry Gripp</span> American musician

Parry P. Gripp is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the pop punk band Nerf Herder from its formation in 1994. Gripp writes novelty songs for children, and has been featured on Disney television shows.

DÖF, , was a 1980s Austrian-German Neue Deutsche Welle pop band, best known for their 1983 single "Codo".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaret Reddick</span> American singer, songwriter and actor

Jaret Ray Reddick is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, podcaster and actor, best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Bowling for Soup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Son of Three</span> 2002 single by the Breeders

"Son of Three" is a song by the American group the Breeders. Composed and sung by Kim Deal, its original version was recorded at Grandmaster Recording Ltd. in Hollywood, and was released in May 2002 on the album Title TK. The Breeders—then consisting of Deal, Kelley Deal, Jose Medeles, Richard Presley, and Mando Lopez—later re-recorded "Son of Three" at a different Hollywood studio as Title TK's third European single. This subsequent recording is shorter and faster than the album track, and matches how they were playing the song in concert in 2002.

Honest Don's Records was a subsidiary label based in San Francisco, California, set up along with Pink & Black Records by Fat Wreck Chords to release material by bands that didn't fit within the roster at Fat.

Kevin Dotson, better known by his stage name Linus of Hollywood, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. The stage name comes from his early days in Los Angeles, where he would frequently wear striped shirts similar to the Peanuts character Linus van Pelt. He is currently a member of Nerf Herder and comedy duo Jarinus.

Oglio Records is an American record company started in 1993 by Carl Caprioglio. The label issues compilations of rare 1980s modern rock and new wave songs, many previously unreleased on CD. In addition to releasing new material by artists such as BigBang, Nerf Herder and Wesley Willis, the label has also re-released albums by artists such as Brian Wilson and Barnes & Barnes. Oglio Entertainment has also released stand-up comedy CDs by the likes of Jackie Martling and George Lopez.

<i>How to Meet Girls</i> 2000 studio album by Nerf Herder

How to Meet Girls is the second album by Nerf Herder. It was released in 2000 on Honest Don's Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Baker (musician)</span> American singer

Kurt Milton Baker is an American musician, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known for his work in the Pop-Punk group The Leftovers and his own band The Kurt Baker Band.

Ryan Greene is an American record producer, sound engineer, former owner of Crush Recording Studios in Scottsdale, Arizona and founder of Area 52 Entertainment in Los Angeles, California. He has worked with many artists including Jay-Z, Lita Ford, Tonic, Mr. Big, Wilson Phillips, Megadeth, NOFX, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Usher, Patti LaBelle, Dishwalla and Gladys Knight. He has worked on over 250 musical projects and has been described as an "A-list producer".

<i>Rockingham</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Nerf Herder

Rockingham is the fifth album by Nerf Herder, released in March 2016.

<i>Buffering the Vampire Slayer</i> Podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffering the Vampire Slayer is a podcast about the TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Hosted by fans Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo. Each podcast episode analyzes one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and concludes with an original song created by Youngs and Russo recapping their analysis. There are also notable interviews featuring actors and collaborators from the series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parry Gripp discography</span> Albums released by Parry Gripp

As a solo artist, American singer-songwriter Parry Gripp has released three original studio albums, one reissue, one collaborative studio album, two compilation albums, one mixtape, and three extended plays (EPs). Known for his novelty songs, he became an internet sensation after Nathan Magur's animated music video for "Do You Like Waffles?" went viral.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jenkins, Mark (Feb 21, 1997). "Nerf Herder: Rounding Up Humor". The Washington Post.
  2. 1 2 Miller, Michael (December 1, 2002). "Nerf Herder rides pop culture wave". The Buffalo News.
  3. ↑ "The MC Lars Podcast on Apple Podcasts". Podcasts.apple.com.
  4. ↑ Quote from The Empire Strikes Back.
  5. 1 2 Elfman, Doug (February 23, 2001). "Nerf Herder better at making enemies than money". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  6. ↑ Verna, Paul (December 7, 1996). "Nerf Herder Flies from My To Arista: Van Halen Lament Attracts Major-Label Attention". Billboard. p. 8.
  7. 1 2 3 Iwasaki, Scott (May 12, 2000). "Nerf Herder is coming to Fairpark". The Deseret News.
  8. ↑ "Nerf Herder: Information from". Answers.com. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  9. ↑ "Parry Gripp of Nerf Herder: The Nerd World Interview". Time.com. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 2013-03-14.
  10. ↑ "For Those About to Shop, We Salute You - Parry Gripp - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2017-11-03.
  11. ↑ "Nerf Herder: The New Album on PledgeMusic". Pledgemusic.com. Retrieved 2015-05-05.
  12. ↑ "Nerf Herder - Home". facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  13. ↑ "Nerf Herder". Discogs.
  14. ↑ "Nerf Herder Biography - ARTISTdirect Music".
  15. ↑ "Nerf Herder, Chumbawamba Release Love Songs". MTV News.
  16. ↑ "Led Zeppelin Rules - Nerf Herder | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic .
  17. ↑ "Nerf Herder - Chart history : Billboard". Billboard .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.