Post-grunge quartet Hoobastank
formed in the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills in early 1994, after
vocalist Doug Robb met guitarist Dan Estrin at a high-school battle of the
bands competition. The two chose to join forces, and after adding bassist
Markku Lappalainen and drummer Chris Hesse, Hoobastank was born. While the
heavy alternative sounds of acts like Tool and Alice in Chains were primary
influences, Hoobastank tempered the gloomier elements of that music with a
suburban California groove and an eye for accessibility. The self-released,
clumsily titled They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To
generated strong local buzz upon its 1998 release, and soon the band had
moved from backyard gigs to shows up and down the Cali coast. Island took
notice and put Hoobastank on the payroll in August 2000, and tours with the
like-minded Incubus and flavor-of-the-moment Alien Ant Farm followed.
Hoobastank's eponymous debut dropped in November 2001, and the singles
"Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away" were hits at radio and MTV. The LP
went gold, and the quartet supported it with a jaunt through Asia and Europe
that summer. By early 2003, the band was back in the studio, laying down
tracks for its sophomore effort. They then played a few dates in June and
July, but were forced to cancel the remainder of the club tour when Estrin
was injured in a freak minibike accident. The guitarist was back on his feet
by October, and Hoobastank headed out with the All-American Rejects and
Ozomatli for the Nokia Unwired tour. With their follow-up slated for
December release, the quartet offered the lead single "Out of Control" as a
free download from their Web site. It showcased a harder-edged vocal
performance from Robb. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide.
