Slightly Stoopid

You don't need a major label record deal to be a successful band; just ask Slightly Stoopid. The six-member Ocean, Beach California reggae/rock outfit has been playing together for over 12 years, releasing five full-length albums and headlining shows across the globe from New York to Denmark in the process. Recently named by a major industry magazine as a top 50 United States band based on domestic ticket sales, Slightly Stoopid has gotten to where they are with a combination of hard work, relentless self-promotion, and incredibly catchy tunes.

The band - comprised of vocalist/guitarist Miles Doughty, vocalist/guitarist Kyle McDonald, drummer Ryan "RyMo" Moran, percussionist Oguer "OG" Ocon, saxophonist DeLa, and multi-instrumentalist C-Money - formed way back when in 1995, while its members were still in high school. The band members quickly became friends with fellow SoCal musician Bradley Nowell - the now-deceased lead singer and songwriter for famed ska-punk band Sublime - who signed Slightly Stoopid to his Skunk Records (Long Beach Dub Allstars, Volcano) label in early 1996. Slightly Stoopid released two albums on Skunk Records, 1996's Slightly Stoopid and 1998's The Longest Barrel Ride, firmly establishing themselves as one of the most prominent bands in Southern California's laid-back surf rock scene.

Both Slightly Stoopid and The Longest Barrel Ride remain out of print in their original format with Skunk Records, and have been known to fetch a hefty price on online auction sites due to their rarity. Though the band's self-titled album features a largely punk-influenced sound, Slightly Stoopid quickly left that behind on The Longest Barrel Roll for a more melodic acoustic sound, blending elements of acoustic rock with blues, reggae, and hip-hop influences. The band left Skunk Records after Bradley Nowell's death in 1997, signing to Encitinas, California indie label Surfdog Records (The Butthole Surfers, Stray Cats) in 2000.

Slightly Stoopid released one record on Surfdog before leaving, 2003's Everything You Need. The album proved to quickly become their most popular yet, selling thousands of copies and introducing the band to a wider audience across the United States - no doubt due at least in part to the band's tangential association with Sublime, who achieved widespread popularity in the late 1990's and early 2000's after Nowell's death. Standout tracks from Everything You Need include "Perfect Gentleman", "Everything You Need", and "Mellow Mood", the last of which features G. Love of G. Love and the Special Sauce.

Hot on the heels of Everything You Need, Slightly Stoopid released their fourth album Closer to the Sun in early 2005. They opted to record the album independently, releasing it themselves on CD, Vinyl, and on Apple iTunes. Their fifth album, 2007's Chronchitis, followed a similar release pattern under the fictitious Controlled Substance Sound Labs label - a nod to the Slightly Stoopid's affinity for marijuana, also echoed in the album's title and in many of its tracks. Standout tracks from Chronchitis include "Anywhere I Go", "Blood of my Blood", and "Ever Really Wanted". Slightly Stoopid continues to tour aggressively in support of Chronchitis, playing an average of 150 shows a year.

From Lastfm:

Slightly Stoopid are a rock band which formed in Ocean Beach, California, United States in 1995. The band consists of Miles Doughty (vocals, guitar, bass), Kyle McDonald (vocals, bass, guitar), Ryan Moran (drums), Oguer "OG" Ocon (percussion, harp), DeLa (saxophone) and C-Money (keyboards, trumpet). Since their formation they have released seven albums: "Slightly $toopid" (1996), "The Longest Barrel Ride" (1998), "Everything You Need" (2003), "Closer to the Sun" (2005), "Chronchitis" (2007), "Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid" (2008) and "Top of the World" (2012).

Read more about Slightly Stoopid on Last.fm.

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From Wikipedia:

Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk." As a band, they have released eight albums (two live) with their seventh studio album entitled "Top of the World" on August 14, 2012. The band was originally signed by Bradley Nowell from the band Sublime to his label Skunk Records while still in high school.