Inspired by the lurching riffs of Helmet and the soft/loud vocal styling of Tool, Chicago-based trio Chevelle's aggressive, heavy sound is all about mounting tension exploding into raw guitar bursts. Formed in 1995, Chevelle comprised brothers Sam (drums), Pete (vocals, guitar), and Joe Loeffler (bass), the last of whom joining up after he played better than the gang's original bassist. They started out playing parties and outdoor events, which quickly led to bookings at Chicago clubs when youngest member Joe was just 14. In 1999, Chevelle released their Steve Albini-produced debut album, Point #1, on Squint Entertainment. Three years later -- and following tours with bands like Filter, Sevendust, Powerman 5000, and Machine Head -- the band had inked a deal with Epic and issued Wonder What's Next, released in August 2002. The album went platinum by the next summer and their second single, "Send the Pain Below," was a number one hit on modern rock and mainstream radio. Main stage dates with the annual Ozzfest tour followed that summer, and 2003 brought a concert album, Live from the Road. Chevelle returned in the fall of 2004 with their third full-length, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), and with it came another hit song, "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)." Joe parted ways with his brothers in July 2005, and though he was replaced on bass a month later by Dean Bernardini, Chevelle remained a family affair, since Bernardini was their brother-in-law. With the new member came a newfound energy and optimism that replaced the internal bickering of the past, and the guys carried that spirit into the recording of their next album, April 2007's Vena Sera. ~ Tracy Frey, All Music Guide
With a name like Sick Puppies, you wouldn't think hugs would play a major role in the gutsy indie crew's rise to fame, but they do, along with malls and the video-sharing site /YouTube. When they met in 1997, singer/lead guitarist Shimon Moore and bassist Emma Anzai were both fans of Silverchair and the Living End plus many of the other angst rock/punk rock bands from their native Australia. Soon Chris Mileski joined on drums and a series of live gigs led to some local recognition and the 1999 EP Dog's Breakfast. Two years later, their song "Nothing Really Matters" won the Unearthed competition, which Australia's Triple J radio network held to find homegrown and undiscovered talent. Tours across the country followed and an unreleased and aggressive cover version of Destiny's Child's "Say My Name" was soon burning up P2P networks, but when the bandmembers set their sights on America they took a break to plan. They also took days jobs. Moore's was at an outdoor shopping mall, where he would soon meet performance artist Juan Mann, who would carry a "Free Hugs" sign around the mall and oblige anyone who took him up on it. Moore filmed the positive and negative reactions and eventually compiled them, adding the Sick Puppies song "All the Same" as the musical bed. He sent it as video sympathy card when he learned Mann had just lost his grandmother. Mann was touched, posted it to /YouTube, and by December 2006 the heartwarming video had ten million views. Meanwhile, the band had landed in America -- with Mileski replaced by new drummer Mark Goodwin -- and worked a deal with the indie label Roadshow, which released a self-titled EP by the band at the end of 2006. Given those ten million video views, it didn't take long for the majors to come calling. Virgin wooed them and released the album Dressed Up as Life in April of 2007, just as the views had reached the 12.5 million mark. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
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