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Weezer

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Biography

About|the American rock band|the Our Gang character whose name is spelled 'Wheezer'|Bobby HutchinsUse mdy dates|date=June 2011Infobox musical artist| name = Weezer| image = Weezer 2005.jpg| Img_width = 275| caption = From left to right: Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell , Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson and Scott G. Shriner|Scott Shriner | background = group_or_band| associatedem_acts = Avant Garde band)|Avant Garde , Space Twins , Goat Punishment , The Special Goodness , The Relationship , The Rentals e| origin = Los Angeles , California, United States| genre = Alternative rock , power pop , emo , indie rock | years_active = 1992–present| label = DGC Records|DGC , Interscope Records|Interscope , Epitaph Records|Epitaph | website = URL| http://www.weezer.com/| current_members = Rivers Cuomo
Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson
Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell
Scott G. Shriner|Scott Shriner | past_members = Matt Sharp
Jason Cropper
Mikey Welsh
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band's lineup consists of Rivers Cuomo (lead vocals, guitar), Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson (drums, guitar, backing vocals), Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell (guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), and Scott G. Shriner|Scott Shriner (bass, backing vocals, keyboards). The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992.cite web|url= http://www.weezer-online.com/history.html/ |title=weezer – history |publisher=Weezer-online.com |accessdate=2010-09-26 |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20080108104019/ http://www.weezer-online.com/history.html/ |archivedate=January 8, 2008 They have released ninecite web | url = http://kroq.radio.com/2010/10/12/weezer-set-to-release-hurley-follow-up-album-in-november/ | title = Weezer Set To Release "Hurley" Follow-up Album In November | publisher= KROQ-FM | accessdate = 2010-12-06 "'Together, they are the album that should logically follow Hurley,' says Weezer front-man Rivers Cuomo."cite web | url = http://www.avclub.com/articles/rivers-cuomo,45071/ | title = Rivers Cuomo Music Interview| publisher=The A.V. Club | accessdate = 2010-12-06 RC: ... we just started working on our 10th record. (In reference to an upcoming album, with Hurley being their 8th album and Death to False Metal being their 9th) full-length albums, six Extended play|EPs , and a DVD. Weezer has sold over nine million records in the United States to date.cite web|url= http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php? resultpage=1& table=SEARCH_RESULTS& action=& title=& artist=Weezer& format=ALBUM& debutLP=& category=& sex=& releaseDate=& requestNo=& type=& level=& label=& company=& certificationDate=& awardDescription=& catalogNo=& aSex=& rec_id=& charField=& gold=& platinum=& multiPlat=& level2=& certDate=& album=& id=& after=& before=& startMonth=1& endMonth=1& startYear=1958& endYear=2008& sort=Artist& perPage=25|title=Gold & Platinum Search Results: Weezer|publisher=RIAA.com|accessdate=2008-08-20

The band is best known for their successful Single (music)|singles " Buddy Holly (song)|Buddy Holly ",cite web|url= http://btoe.com/lists/best-weezer-song-on-earth |title=Best Weezer Song On Earth |publisher=Btoe.com |date=2008-04-24 |accessdate=2011-10-31 " Undone - The Sweater Song ", " Say It Ain't So ", " Perfect Situation ", " Island in the Sun (song)|Island in the Sun ", " Beverly Hills (song)|Beverly Hills " and " Pork and Beans (song)|Pork and Beans ". The band's eighth studio album, Hurley (album)|Hurley , was released on September 14, 2010 on Epitaph Records .cite web|author=stereokill.net |url= http://stereokill.net/news/10042-weezer |title=Weezer confirm new album & label |publisher=stereokill.net |accessdate=2010-09-26 Additionally, a deluxe release of their 1996 album Pinkerton (album)|Pinkerton and a compilation of rare and unreleased songs titled Death to False Metal were released on November 2, 2010.(2010-08-26). http://weezer.com/profiles/blogs/20100826-the-inexorable-return The Inexorable Return To Old Blighty Weezer.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.

History


Formation and debut album (1992–1995)


Main|Weezer (1994 album)Weezer, consisting of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Matt Sharp , and Jason Cropper , formed in 1992, had their first practice on February 14 of that year,cite web|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20100324143728/ http://www.weezer.com/info/bios/bio.html |title=weezer bio |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=2011-12-13 and their first gig was opening for Keanu Reeves ' band Dogstar (band)|Dogstar shortly thereafter. Weezer signed with Geffen Records on June 25, 1993 and recorded their debut album with producer Ric Ocasek at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. During the recording, guitarist Jason Cropper left the band and was replaced by Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell . The band released Weezer (1994 album)|Weezer (also referred to as "The Blue Album") in May 1994. The record label originally did not wish to release a single, to see what sales could be generated by word-of-mouth alone. Soon after the release of Weezer (1994 album)|Weezer , DJ Marco Collins of the Seattle radio station KNDD|The End started playing " Undone – The Sweater Song ", leading Geffen to release " Undone – The Sweater Song " as the first official single. The music video was directed by Spike Jonze ." http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019717/bio movies.yahoo.com Spike Jonze Biography", Yahoo& #33; Movies . Retrieved on September 5, 2006 Filmed in an Long take|unbroken take , it featured Weezer performing on a sound stage with little action, bar a pack of dogs swarming the set.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 120 The video became an instant hit on MTV.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 121

Spike Jonze also directed the band's second video, for " Buddy Holly (song)|Buddy Holly ". The video featured footage from the television sitcom Happy Days spliced with the band performing in a remade "Arnold's Drive-In", a familiar setting from the series. Pixelbox: Television "Buddy Holly" Music Video Description at http://web.archive.org/web/20061130214036/ http://wanadoo.typepad.com/pixelbox/television/index.html The video achieved heavy rotation on MTVLuerssen D., John, 2004 p. 132 and went on to win Jonze and the band four MTV Video Music Award s, including Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Music Video, and two Billboard magazine|Billboard Music Video Awards.''LA Times Past Winners Database-VMA's 1995 '' at http://theenvelope.latimes.com/factsheets/awardsdb/ Theenvelope.latimes.com;retrieved on September 5, 2006 The clip was also featured on the companion CD for the Microsoft Windows 95 computer operating system. A third single, " Say It Ain't So ", followed. Weezer is certified triple RIAA certification|platinum in the United States, making it Weezer's all-time best seller. It is certified double platinum in Canada.

Pinkerton (1996–1997)


Main|Pinkerton (album)In late December 1994, Weezer took a break from touring for the Christmas holidays.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 137 Cuomo traveled back east to his home state of Connecticut, and using an Multitrack recording|eight-track recorder , he began piecing together demo material for Weezer's next album. The original concept for Weezer's second album was to be a space-themed rock opera , Songs from the Black Hole . http://web.archive.org/web/20100207151556/ http://www.weezer.com/info/recording/WeezRecHist7.htm Weezer.com; retrieved on September 6, 2006 The album was intended to feature songs that flowed together seamlessly and end with a special coda (music)|coda that briefly revisited the major musical elements of the piece. The band began demoing and working on Cuomo's concept through intermittent recording sessions in the spring and summer of 1995.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 139 Ultimately, the Songs from the Black Hole album concept was dropped. The album would instead feature songs composed before the band's first album (which had briefly been incorporated into the space opera) as well as some new ones written while Cuomo was at Harvard.

Weezer's second album, Pinkerton (album)| Pinkerton , was released on September 24, 1996. Pinkerton Album Overview at Allmusic|class=album|id=r241030|pure_url=yes Allmusic.com;retrieved on September 6, 2006 Three singles were taken from the album: " El Scorcho ", " The Good Life (Weezer song)|The Good Life ", and " Pink Triangle (song)|Pink Triangle ". The album's title sparked a legal challenge. Pinkerton National Detective Agency|Pinkerton Securities of Encino, Calif., filed a temporary injunction against the band and its Geffen record label for trademark infringement two days before the album was to be released on September 24, 1996.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 203 A judge ruled for Weezer, and the album was finally released.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 205 This injunction caused Geffen to hold back some of the initial advertising and promotion for the album, possibly contributing to the album's slow initial sales. Due to initial weak sales (it peaked at #19 in the U.S.), Weezer Album Chart Positions at http://billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do? model.chartFomatGroupName=Albums& model.vnuArtistId=36614& model.vnuAlbumId=678014 Billboard.comdead link|date=September 2010;retrieved on September 1, 2006 the album was, at first, viewed as a commercial failure, Anticipated return has Weezer in the Green at http://web.archive.org/web/20070313132216/ http://www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2001/05/14/Arts/Anticipated.Return.Has.Weezer.In.The.green-1408671.shtml Michigandaily.com; retrieved on September 18, 2006 especially when viewed in light of the multi-platinum success of their debut album. The album failed to gain traction in the mainstream music world, perhaps due to its darker, more abrasive sound. Pinkerton was labeled "one of the worst albums of 1996" by a Rolling Stone reader poll.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 228 However, word of mouth kept the trickle of sales going and eventually the record achieved cult status. In the book ''The '90s (2010), Rolling Stone ranked Pinkerton number 48 in the 100 Best Albums of the Nineties. Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums of the Nineties at http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-albums-of-the-nineties-20110427

On hiatus (1997–2000)


Weezer completed their touring for Pinkerton in the summer of 1997. The members of the band took a break, with drummer Patrick Wilson returning to his home in Portland, Oregon to work on his side project, The Special Goodness ; Matt Sharp left to complete the follow-up album for his group The Rentals ; and Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell went to work on his group, Space Twins .

Rivers Cuomo returned to Boston, Massachusetts , but took a break from Harvard to focus on songwriting. Cuomo gathered Boston-area musicians and rehearsed new material, including possible songs for the next Weezer album. The group, referred to by fans as the Rivers Cuomo Band, had several different lineups and played several shows at local clubs, including their first show at T.T. the Bear's on October 8, 1997. Future Weezer bassist Mikey Welsh was a constant of the group's evolving lineups. Pat Wilson eventually flew to Boston to sit in on drums. The Boston songs were later abandoned and not used on the next Weezer album, but live recordings of the Boston shows are openly traded on the internet. In February 1998, Rivers left Boston and returned to Los Angeles.

Pat Wilson and Brian Bell joined Cuomo in Los Angeles to start work on the next album. Matt Sharp did not rejoin the band and officially left the group in April 1998.cite web | url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1453586/20020424/weezer.jhtml | title=Former Weezer Bassist Matt Sharp Sues Band Over Royalties |publisher=MTV | date=April 24, 2002 | accessdate=June 26, 2009 The group decided on Mikey Welsh as Sharp's replacement. Weezer continued rehearsing and cut demos until the fall of 1998. Frustration and creative disagreements led to a decline in rehearsals, and in late fall of 1998, drummer Pat Wilson left for his home in Portland pending renewed productivity from Cuomo. In November 1998, the band (with a substitute drummer) played two club shows in California under the name Goat Punishment . The shows consisted entirely of Nirvana and Oasis cover songs, respectively. In the months following, Rivers Cuomo went into a period of admitted depression, painting the walls of his home black and putting "fiberglass insulation all over the windows and then black sheets of fiberglass so that no light could get through.Luerssen D., John, 2004 p. 266

The band would not reunite until April 2000, when the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan offered Weezer a high-paying gig to play in August 2000. The festival served as a catalyst for Weezer's productivity, and from April to May 2000, the band rehearsed and demoed new songs in Los Angeles. The band returned to live shows in June 2000, playing small unpromoted concerts under the pseudonym Goat Punishment. In June 2000, the band joined the Warped Tour for eight dates.

Renewed popularity and The Green Album (2000–2001)


Main|Weezer (2001 album)In the summer of 2000, Weezer (now consisting of Rivers Cuomo, Mikey Welsh, Pat Wilson, and Brian Bell) went on tour (including dates on the popular Vans Warped Tour ). Weezer's set-list consisted of 14 new songs that fans have labeled the Summer Songs of 2000 (commonly abbreviated, SS2K ). When 13 of these songs did not appear on Weezer's next album, fans of the songs started a petition demanding the release of studio versions.

Eventually, the band went back into the studio to produce a third album. They chose the title, Weezer (2001 album)|Weezer (2001), to repeat the self-titled name of their first release. This album quickly became known as "The Green Album" due to its distinctive bright green coloring. Shortly after the release of the album, Weezer went on another American tour. They attracted a new generation of fans thanks to heavy MTV rotation for the videos of their hit singles " Hash Pipe " and " Island in the Sun (song)|Island in the Sun ".

As reported on August 16, 2001, by MTV, bassist Mikey Welsh was checked into a psychiatric hospital. His whereabouts were previously unknown, as he mysteriously went missing before the filming of the second video for "Island in the Sun". Weezer was prompted to find a temporary replacement for Welsh. Through a mutual friend, Cuomo received Scott G. Shriner|Scott Shriner 's number and asked if he was interested in filling in for Welsh. Shriner accepted the invitation.cite web|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20070608051816/ http://www.weezer.com/info/bios/index.html |title=Weezer Bios |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=2007-06-08 |accessdate=2011-10-31

Maladroit (2002–2003)


Main|MaladroitThe band took an experimental approach for the recording process of their fourth album by allowing fans to download demos from their official website in return for feedback. After the release of the album, the band said that this process was something of a failure, as the fans did not supply them with coherent, constructive advice. Cuomo eventually delegated song selection for the album to the band's original A& R rep, Todd Sullivan, saying that Weezer fans chose the "wackest songs." Only the song "Slob" was included on the album due to general fan advice.Citation needed|date=September 2008
The recording was also done without input from Weezer's record label, Interscope . Cuomo had what he then described as a "massive falling out" with the label. In early 2002, well before the official release of the album, the label sent out a letter to radio stations requesting the song be pulled until an official, sanctioned single was released. Interscope also briefly shut down Weezer's audio/video download webpage, removing all the MP3 demos. Online Weezer fans staged a brief protest, with several websites proclaiming "Free Maladroit ".Citation needed|date=September 2008
In April 2002, former bassist Matt Sharp sued the band, alleging, among several accusations, that he was owed money for cowriting several Weezer songs. The suit was later settled out of court.cite web|last=Thomas |first=Stephen |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p44726|pure_url=yes |title=Weezer – Biography|publisher=allmusic |accessdate=2010-09-26

The fourth album, Maladroit , was released on May 14, 2002, only one year after its predecessor. The album served as a harder-edged version of the band's trademark catchy pop-influenced music, and was replete with busy 1980s-style guitar solos. Although met with generally positive critical reviews, its sales were not as strong as those for "The Green Album". Two singles were released from the album. The music video for " Dope Nose " featured an obscure Bosozoku|Japanese motorcycle gang , and was put into regular rotation. The music video for " Keep Fishin' " combined Weezer with The Muppets , and had heavy rotation on MTV. Both videos were directed by Marcos Siega.

As soon as Maladroit had wrapped up, the band immediately began work on their fifth album, recording numerous demos between tours (often recording as many as 24 songs in a day)Citation needed|date=December 2008. These songs were eventually scrapped, and Weezer took a break after the release of two albums in quick succession. During this break, Bell and Wilson released LPs from their respective side projects Space Twins and The Special Goodness .

Weezer released their much-delayed first DVD on March 23, 2004. The Video Capture Device DVD chronicles the band from its beginnings through Maladroit s Enlightenment Tour. Compiled by Karl Koch, the DVD features home video footage, music videos, commercials, rehearsals, concert performances, television performances, and band commentary. The DVD was certified "gold" on November 8, 2004.

Make Believe (2003–2006)


Main|Make Believe (Weezer album)From December 2003 to the fall of 2004, the members of Weezer recorded a large amount of material intended for a new album to be released in the spring of 2005 with producer Rick Rubin . The band's early recording efforts became available to the public through the band's website. The demos were a big hit, but none of the songs recorded at this time were included on the finished album. That album, titled Make Believe (Weezer album)|Make Believe , was released on May 10, 2005. Despite commercial success, Make Believe got a mixed reception from critics, receiving an average score of 52 on review collator Metacritic .cite web|url= http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/weezer/makebelieve? q=Make%20Believe |title=Weezer: Make Believe |accessdate=2007-05-30 |work=metacritic |publisher=metacritic Although some reviews, such as AMG's, compared it favorably to Pinkerton ,cite web|url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r738466|pure_url=yes |title=Make Believe: Review |accessdate=2007-05-30 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen |publisher=allmusic |publisher=AMG others, among them Pitchfork Media 's score of 0.4 out of 10, panned the album as predictable and lyrically poor.

The album's first single, " Beverly Hills (song)|Beverly Hills ", became a hit in the U.S. and worldwide, staying on the charts for several months after its release. It became the first Weezer song to hit #1 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. "Beverly Hills" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards , the first ever Grammy nomination for the band. The video was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards. The second single off Make Believe was "We Are All on Drugs". MTV refused to play the song, so Weezer re-recorded the lyrics by replacing "on drugs" with "in love" and renaming the song "We Are All in Love". In early 2006, it was announced that Make Believe was RIAA certification|certified platinum , and "Beverly Hills" was the second most popular song download on iTunes for 2005, finishing just behind " Hollaback Girl " by Gwen Stefani .cite web
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| title = breadfan, take it all away, never give an inch
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Make Believe 's third single, "Perfect Situation", spent four weeks in a row at number one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. "This Is Such a Pity" was the band's fourth single from the album, but no music video was made for its release. The Make Believe tour also found the band using additional instruments onstage, adding piano, synthesizers, pseudophones, and guitarist Bobby Schneck .

The band has announced the possible release of a live DVD composed of footage from the 2005 Japan tour. It will consist of a two-day, seven-camera shoot of the shows in Japan, plus material that will be drawn from various behind-the-scenes footage. The DVD was announced in late 2005, but in a 2006 update on the band's Web site, Karl Koch noted it was "apparently edited, but has been put on hold for now."cite web
| last = Koch
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| title = i want people to be afraid of how much they love me
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The Red Album (2007–2008)


Main|Weezer (2008 album)Weezer's Weezer (2008 album)|Weezer (also referred to as "The Red Album") was released in June 2008. Rick Rubin produced the albumcite web | last = Thompson | first = Paul | url = http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/46465-rivers-cuomo-dishes-on-new-weezer-lp-ialonei-demos | title = Rivers Cuomo Dishes on New Weezer LP, Alone Demos | publisher= Pitchfork Media | accessdate = 2007-10-25 and Rich Costey mixed it. The record is being described as "experimental", and according to Cuomo, includes longer and non-traditional songs, Roland TR-808|TR-808 drum machines , synthesizers, Southern rap , baroque music|baroque counterpoint , and band members other than Cuomo writing, singing, and switching instruments.cite web|url= http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48163-interview-rivers-cuomo |title=Pitchfork Feature: Interview: Rivers Cuomo |publisher=Pitchforkmedia.com |date=2008-01-28 |accessdate=2010-09-26 Pat Wilson said that the album cost about a million dollars to make, contrasting it with the $150,000 budget of "The Blue Album".cite web|author=Running time: 1:48:42 |url= http://twit.tv/mbw82 |title=The TWiT Netcast Network with Leo Laporte |publisher=Twit.tv |accessdate=2010-09-26 The album's singles were produced by Jacknife Lee . Its lead single, " Pork and Beans (song)|Pork and Beans ", topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts for 11 weeks, and its music video won a Grammy for Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video|Best Short Form Music Video . The album's second single, " Troublemaker (Weezer song)|Troublemaker ", debuted at #39 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart and peaked at #2. In October 2008, the group announced that the third single would be " The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn) ".

On May 30, 2008, the Toledo Free Press revealed in an interview with Scott G. Shriner|Scott Shriner that Weezer would be unveiling the "Hootenanny Tour", in which fans would be invited to bring their own instruments to play along with the band. Said Shriner: "They can bring whatever they want... oboes, keyboards, drums, violins, and play the songs with us as opposed to us performing for them."cite web|url= http://www.toledofreepress.com/? id=7947 |title=Toledoan still ‘freaks out' over being in Weezer |publisher=Toledofreepress.com |accessdate=2010-09-26

The band performed five dates in Japan at the beginning of September and then embarked on what was dubbed the 'Troublemaker' tour, consisting of 21 dates around North America, including two in Canada. Angels and Airwaves and Tokyo Police Club joined them as support at each show and Brian Bell's 'other' band The Relationship also performed at a handful of dates. Shortly before the encore at each show, the band would bring on fans with various instruments and perform Island in the Sun (Weezer)|Island in the Sun and Beverly Hills with them. At a show in Austin, after Tokyo Police Club had played their set, Rivers was wheeled out in a box and mimed to a recording of rare Weezer demo, 'My Brain', dressed in pajamas and with puppets on his hands, before being wheeled off again. This bizarre event later surfaced as the climax to a promo video for Cuomo's second demo album, Alone 2 .

Rivers Cuomo also wrote a song with pop duo Aly & AJ , and was very pleased with the way the girls worked. It is unknown if the song will be made public on an album. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/the-billboard-q-a-rivers-cuomo-1003919936.story? pn=3 "The Billboard Q& A: Rivers Cuomo". Billboard . December 7, 2008.

On December 4, iOS developer Tapulous released the game Christmas With Weezer , featuring gameplay similar to Tap Tap Revenge and six Christmas carols performed by the band. A digital EP featuring the songs, titled "Christmas with Weezer", was also released on December 16, 2008.cite web|author=Karlophone |url= http://web.archive.org/web/20090130030414/ http://weezer.com/blog/default.aspx? nid=18690 |title=Weezer : News : 12/10/08 Christmas With Weezer EP + Video Game Awards& #33; |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=2011-12-13

Raditude (2009–2010)


Main|RaditudeWeezer toured with Blink-182 in 2009, including an August 30 stop at the Virgin Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland . Drummer Josh Freese joined Weezer on a temporary basis to play drums on the Blink-182/Weezer tour while Pat Wilson switched to guitar. Wilson said in an interview for Yahoo& #33; Music that Cuomo wanted "to be active and more free on stage and him having guitar on was an impediment." Freese stated he was a Weezer fan and did not want to pass up the opportunity to play with them.cite web|url= http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/live/3112/weezer-guitar-hero-5-fridays-on-yahoo-music/ |title=Weezer: Guitar Hero 5 Fridays on Yahoo& #33; Music - Maximum Performance |publisher=New.music.yahoo.com |date=2009-09-25 |accessdate=2010-09-26

Raditude 's album artwork was revealed on September 11, featuring a National Geographic contest-winning photograph of a jumping dog named Sidney.cite web|last=Lindsay |first=Andrew |url= http://stereokill.net/2009/09/11/weezer-unveil-album-cover/ |title=Weezer unveil album cover |publisher=stereokill.net |accessdate=2010-09-26 The record's release was pushed to November 3, 2009, where it debuted as the seventh best-selling album of the week on the Billboard 200 chart. The band scheduled tour dates in December 2009 extending into early 2010 to coincide with the new album's release. On December 6, 2009, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo was injured when his tour bus crashed in upstate New York due to black ice . Cuomo suffered three broken ribs, and his assistant broke two ribs. His wife, baby daughter, and their nanny were also on the bus; however, they escaped injury. Weezer cancelled tour dates the following day.(2009-12-07). http://www.nme.com/news/weezer/48758 "Weezer cancel tour following 'severe' bus crash" NME.com. Retrieved 2010-03-11. The band resumed touring on January 20, 2010.D'Aliesio, Valentina. (2010-01-18). http://www.chartattack.com/news/78591/weezer-set-to-resume-tour "Weezer Set To Resume Tour" ChartAttack. Retrieved 2010-03-11.

In December 2009, it was revealed that the band was no longer with Geffen Records . The band stated that they would still release new material, but they are unsure of the means, whether it be self-released, released online, or getting signed by another label.cite web | last = Lindsay | first = Andrew | title = Weezer become free agents | publisher=Stereo Kill | date = 2009-12-17 | url = http://stereokill.net/2009/12/weezer-become-free-agents/ | accessdate = 2010-09-09 Eventually, the band was signed to the independent label Epitaph Records|Epitaph .

The band also recorded a cover of " I'm a Believer " for the movie Shrek Forever After .cite web|last=Lindsay |first=Andrew |url= http://stereokill.net/2010/01/weezer-record-new-track-for-shrek-4/ |title=Weezer record new track for Shrek 4 |publisher=stereokill.net |accessdate=2010-09-26

Weezer co-headlined The Bamboozle in May, 2010,Lustig, Justin. (2010-01-19). http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2010/01/mgmt_added_to_bamboozle_festiv.html "MGMT added to Bamboozle Festival, as co-headliner" nj.com. Retrieved 2010-03-09. and performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee in June.(2010-02-09) http://web.archive.org/web/20100413161217/ http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2010/02/09/bonnaroo-2010-lineup-rolls-out-weezer-jeff-beck-the-flaming-lips-and-more/ "Bonnaroo 2010 Lineup Rolls Out: Jay-Z, Weezer, Jeff Beck, The Flaming Lips and More" Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2010-02-09. In August, 2010, Weezer performed at the Reading and Leeds Festival ,(2010-03-29) http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/entertainment/music/s/2068490_2010_reading_festival_lineup_announced "2010 Reading Festival line-up announced" getbracknell.com. Retrieved 2010-03-29. and performed at the Voodoo Experience|Voodoo Experience festiva in New Orleans, LA in October 2010.pera, Kevin. (2010-06-17). http://www.nola.com/voodoofest/index.ssf/2010/06/ozzy_osbourne_muse_mgmt_weezer.html Ozzy Osbourne, Muse, MGMT, Drake coming to Voodoo Fest in New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved 2010-06-17.

On June 11, 2010, the band released a new single, "Represent". The song is said to be an "unofficial United States men's national soccer team|US anthem" to coincide with the 2010 FIFA World Cup .cite web|last=Lindsay |first=Andrew |url= http://stereokill.net/2010/06/weezer-release-world-cup-anthem/ |title=Weezer release World Cup anthem |publisher=stereokill.net |accessdate=2010-09-26

Hurley and Death to False Metal (2010–present)


Main|Hurley (album)|Death to False MetalThe album Hurley (album)|Hurley was released in September 2010 through Epitaph Records . The name comes from the character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes from the television show Lost (TV Series)|Lost . Jorge Garcia , the actor who portrayed Hurley, stated that being featured on the album cover is "one of the biggest honors of his career." cite web |url= http://www.drivenfaroff.com/2010/08/04/weezer-signs-to-epitaph-new-album-in-september/|title=Weezer Signs To Epitaph, New Album in September |publisher=Drivenfaroff.com|date=2010-08-04 |accessdate=2010-08-05cite web|author=Posted 8/11/10 |url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1645570/20100811/weezer.jhtml |title=What Does 'Lost' 's Hurley Think Of Weezer's Hurley? We Asked Him& #33; - Music, Celebrity, Artist News |publisher=MTV |date=2010-08-11 |accessdate=2010-09-26 Weezer used internet streaming service YouTube as a way to promote the album. Weezer loaned itself to 15 amateur online video producers, "going along with whatever plans the creator could execute in about 30 minutes." They have used many of the popular channels to promote themselves, such as Barely Political , Ray William Johnson and Fred Figglehorn . The Gregory Brothers solicited musical and vocal contributions from the band on one of its compositions built around speeches by Charlie Rangel|Rep. Charles Rangel and Barack Obama|President Barack Obama . Weezer calls the promotion "The YouTube Invasion".Smith, Ethan. (2010-09-13). http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/09/13/weezer-the-youtube-infestation-begins/ Weezer: The “YouTube Invasion” Begins Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-09-14.

In November 2010, Weezer released a compilation album composed of re-recorded versions of unused recordings spanning various years, Death to False Metal .cite web | url = http://kroq.radio.com/2010/10/12/weezer-set-to-release-hurley-follow-up-album-in-november/ | title = Weezer Set To Release "Hurley" Follow-up Album In November | publisher= KROQ-FM | accessdate = 2010-12-06 "'Together, they are the album that should logically follow Hurley,' says Weezer front-man Rivers Cuomo."cite web | url = http://www.avclub.com/articles/rivers-cuomo,45071/ | title = Rivers Cuomo Music Interview
| publisher=The A.V. Club | accessdate = 2010-12-06
RC: ... we just started working on our 10th record. (In reference to an upcoming album, with Hurley being their 8th album and Death to False Metal being their 9th)
On the same day a deluxe version of Pinkerton (album)|Pinkerton , which includes "25 demos, outtakes and live tracks" was also released.Graff, Gary. (2010-10-30). http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2010/10/30/entertainment/doc4ccae19243728608191628.txt? viewmode=fullstory Weezer sets out to rewrite legacy of ‘Pinkerton’ The Macomb Daily. Retrieved 2010-11-02. A third volume of Rivers Cuomo's solo Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo|Alone series, titled The Pinkerton Years is also planned for release.Sterdan, Darryl. (2010-09-03) http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/music/2010/09/03/15239346.html Weezer album title causes stir The Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2010-09-24. They also contributed a cover of The Cars ' " You Might Think " for the Walt Disney Pictures|Disney - Pixar film Cars 2 .cite news|title=Weezer record song for Cars 2 soundtrack|work=Kerrang!|date=June 14, 2011|url= http://www.kerrang.com/blog/2011/06/weezer_record_song_for_cars_2.html|accessdate=September 17, 2011

On October 8, 2011 former bassist Mikey Welsh was found dead in a Chicago, Illinois hotel room. Weezer performed in Chicago the very next day, and dedicated the concert to Welsh (Welsh was supposed to be a surprise guest at that concert).cite news|last=Nickeas|first=Peter|title=Drug overdose suspected in death of former Weezer bass player|date=October 9, 2011|work= The Chicago Tribune |url= http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-weezer-bass-player-dies-in-chicago-20111009,0,2187723.story|accessdate=October 9, 2011

The band began working on their tenth studio album in September 2010 with the intent of a 2011 release(2010-09-14). http://www.nme.com/news/weezer/52975 Weezer start work on 'Hurley' follow-up NME.com. Retrieved 2010-09-15. although the year ended without seeing a release. The band headlined a four-day rock-themed Carnival Cruise from Miami to Cozumel that set sail on January 19, 2012.cite web |url= http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/8052293-421/weezer-still-sailing-own-way-including-cruise-concert.html|title=Weezer still sailing own way, including cruise concert |date=2011-10-05|accessdate=2012-01-14cite web |url= http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/07/13/the-weezer-cruise-awkwardness-ahoy/|title=The Weezer Cruise Promises Awkwardness Ahoy|date=2011-07-13|accessdate=2012-01-14cite web |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/weezer-announce-caribbean-cruise-20110712|title=Weezer Announce Caribbean Cruise|date=2011-07-12|accessdate=2012-01-14

Musical style and influences


While Weezer are most commonly an alternative rock cite web|url= http://www.cnbc.com/id/33621328/Rock_Band_Weezer_Uses_Snuggie_to_Promote_New_Album |title=News Headlines |publisher=Cnbc.com |date=2009-11-04 |accessdate=2011-12-13cite web|last=Hogan |first=Marc |url= http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/weezer-bluedeluxe/ |title=Weezer: Weezer (Blue Album) Deluxe Edition& #93; < PopMatters |publisher=Popmatters.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-13 and power pop cite web|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20090423133617/ http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/20949199/review/20961611/weezer |title=Album Reviews |work=Rolling Stone |accessdate=2010-09-26cite web|url= http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/w/weezer-st.shtml |title=Weezer: Weezer ("The Green Album") - PopMatters Music Review |publisher=Popmatters.com |accessdate=2010-09-26cite web|author=JR |url= http://au.music.ign.com/articles/878/878741p1.html |title=Weezer – Weezer (The Red Album) Review – Music Review at IGN |publisher=Au.music.ign.com |date=2008-06-03 |accessdate=2010-09-26 band, they have also been associated with other genres, such as pop punk cite web|last=Garrett |first=Jon |url= http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/ash-020814 |title=World Domination . . . Almost: An Interview with Ash < PopMatters |publisher=Popmatters.com |date= |accessdate=2011-12-13, emo cite web |url= http://www.mtv.com/bands/w/weezer/news_feature_102504 |title=Weezer Are The Most Important Band Of The Last 10 Years |last1=Montgomery |first1=James |work= MTV|MTV.com |publisher= MTV Networks |accessdate=2011-04-06 and indie rock cite web|author=Justin Ward |url= http://www.livemusicblog.com/2010/04/26/tour-dates-weezer-is-indie-rock-again/ |title=Tour Dates: Weezer is Indie Rock Again |publisher=Livemusicblog.com |date=2010-04-26 |accessdate=2011-10-31cite web|url= http://web.archive.org/web/20100102184148/ http://livedaily.com/news/4415.html|title=Weezer to Bring Geek Rock to the Masses on Summer Tour |publisher=Livedaily.com |date=2002-05-28 |accessdate=2010-09-26.

Many modern bands, such as Dinosaur Pile-Up http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/11654560, Cymbals Eat Guitars cite web|last=Ball |first=Billy |url= http://www.indyweekblogs.com/scan/2009/09/tonight-cymbals-eat-guitars-talk-follow-up-wilco-and-longevity/ |title=Tonight: Cymbals Eat Guitars talk follow-up, Wilco and longevity & #124; Scan & #124; Independent Weekly |publisher=Indyweekblogs.com |date=2009-09-29 |accessdate=2010-09-26 and The Fall of Troy cite web|url= http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/fall_of_troys_thomas_erak_i_cant_honestly_say_im_a_guitar_player.html |title=Fall Of Troy's Thomas Erak: 'I Can't Honestly Say I'm A Guitar Player' & #124; Interviews @ |publisher=Ultimate-guitar.com |accessdate=2010-09-26 list Weezer as an influence. Weezer themselves have listed several influences, among them Kiss (band)|KISS (with direct references in the song "In the Garage"), Nirvana (band)|Nirvana (who were their labelmates at DGC for a very brief time before Kurt Cobain's death), Pixies (especially early on in their career), Sonic Youth , Oasis (band)|Oasis , and Wax (rock band)|Wax .cite web|last=Brown |first=Lane |url= http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/10/weezers_rivers_cuomo_on.html |title=Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo on Flubbing Lil Wayne’s Lyrics - Vulture |publisher=Nymag.com |date=2009-10-20 |accessdate=2010-09-26 Early Weezer demos, such as "Paperface", have very obvious musical ties to the Pixies and Nirvana. Also, the song "Susanne" originally contained the lyrics, "Even Kurt Cobain and Axl Rose ", before being changed to "Even Izzy Stradlin|Izzy , Slash (musician)|Slash , and Axl Rose " after Cobain's death. There is also a direct reference to Nevermind in "Heart Songs", a track found on The Red Album . As a side project, Weezer also briefly played Nirvana and Oasis (band)|Oasis covers under the stage moniker "Goat Punishment". In 1998, Weezer covered "Velouria" by the Pixies for a Pixies tribute album, and in 2005 briefly got to tour with their idols for a few dates. Green Day has also been said to be an influence (there is a direct lyric about Green Day in the song "El Scorcho"), and it has been acknowledged that the two bands are friends and enjoy each other's music. Weezer contributed the song "Worry Rock" to A Different Shade of Green: Tribute to Green Day . Rivers Cuomo also covered "Brain Stew" in a 2009 AOL Sessions set.

Solo work


Lead singer Rivers Cuomo released a demo-compilation album titled Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo on December 18, 2007. The album contains demos of Cuomo's that span from 1992 to 2007, including songs from Weezer's abandoned second album, Songs from the Black Hole .cite web|url= http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/10/17/rivers-cuomo-talks-solo-work-new-weezer-album-ice-cube/ |title=Rivers Cuomo Talks Solo Work, New Weezer Album, Ice Cube |work=Rolling Stone |date=2010-09-22 |accessdate=2010-09-26

Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell has been working on a solo project called The Relationship, and did not write any songs for Raditude in order to save more material for his solo work.Kaufman, Gil. (2009-08-31). http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1619822/20090828/weezer.jhtml Weezer's New Album Will Get 'Back To The Rock Element' MTV.com. Retrieved 2010-08-27.

Cuomo's second demo album, Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo , was released on November 25, 2008. The album includes further tracks from the scrapped Songs from the Black Hole , early versions of songs later released as full-band demos, amongst various other demo tracks.

Many members of Weezer have bands of their own. Brian Bell has collaborated with Space Twins and The Relationship, Mikey Welsh was in Juliana Hatfield , The Kickovers , Heretix and Jocobono Patrick Wilson was in The Special Goodness , and Matt Sharp was in The Rentals as well as performing alone under Matt Sharp|his own name .

Band members


Current members


  • Rivers Cuomo – lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards, drums, harmonica (1992–present)

  • Patrick Wilson (musician)|Patrick Wilson – drums, percussion, guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (1992–present)

  • Brian Bell (musician)|Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, harmonica (1993–present)

  • Scott G. Shriner|Scott Shriner – bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards (2001–present)


  • Former members


  • Matt Sharp – bass guitar, backing vocals (1992–1998)

  • Jason Cropper – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1992–1993)

  • Mikey Welsh – bass guitar, backing vocals (1998–2001)


  • Touring members


  • Bobby Schneck – guitar, percussion (2005)

  • Karl Koch – keyboards, percussion (2008, 2010–present)

  • Josh Freese – drums, percussion (2009–present)


  • Discography


    Main|Weezer discography

    Studio albums


  • Weezer (1994 album)|Weezer (The Blue Album) (1994)

  • Pinkerton (album)|Pinkerton (1996)

  • Weezer (2001 album)|Weezer (The Green Album) (2001)

  • Maladroit (2002)

  • Make Believe (Weezer album)|Make Believe (2005)

  • Weezer (2008 album)|Weezer (The Red Album) (2008)

  • Raditude (2009)

  • Hurley (album)|Hurley (2010)

  • * Death to False Metal (2010)

    References


    reflist|colwidth=30em

    External links


  • Official website| http://www.weezer.com/


  • Related information


    Weezer
    Category:Weezer|
    Category:Alternative rock groups from California
    Category:American power pop groups
    Category:Grammy Award winners
    Category:Musical groups established in 1992
    Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles, California
    Category:Musical quartets

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