All you need to know about how Zebrahead came to be is that the guys
used to be in various other Orange County, CA, bands (that you've
probably never heard of), and something like fate brought all five of them
together a couple of years ago. Much more important than how they
formed is how infectious their music is.
Waste of Mind, Zebrahead's debut album for Columbia Records, is a
thirteen-song collection that spans the modern-music lexicon, fusing punk-
edged rock and hip-hop in exciting new ways. The band employs two
vocalists -- singer Justin "Goldtoof" Mauriello and rapper Ali Tabatabaee
-- whose distinct and powerful styles give Zebrahead a unique and
wonderful sound.
"Me and Ben and Ed started practicing together a couple years ago," say
Justin. "And then Greg came in. And we were thinking how great it would
be to not just have regular singing, but to have someone rapping, as well.
"Ali, who we all went to High School with, came on in and we tried to get a
new sound going, just get a different edge. Once we tried it out we all left
our other bands. It's got the best of both worlds."
Waste of Mind was recorded over two months in early 1998 in Sherman
Oaks, CA, and was produced by veteran studio ace Howard Benson,
who's also teamed in the past with Sepultura and Motorhead, and mixed
by legendary engineer Chris Lord-Alge, whose resume includes everyone
from Green Day to 10,000 Maniacs.
"There's so much talent in the band it just amazes me," says Justin.
"Everybody has such diverse influences, and when we all put in our parts it
turns out to be something pretty unique, and pretty special."
"Everybody brings in their own influences to the music," adds Ali. "I was
always more into the rap stuff. I used to listen to N.W.A, Ice Cube, A Tribe
Called Quest. But once I started hanging out with these guys I started also
listening to a lot of new stuff, like Superchunk."
"My taste ranges," adds Justin, "but I'm always a sucker for a good
melody. I was really into punk as a kid, bands like Descendents and
Green Day, that were punk yet had good melodies. It had a big effect on
me and my writing."
It didn't take long, once they had a few blowout club shows under their
belts, For Zebrahead to get noticed, both by O.C. kids and by the record
industry. A 10-song self-titled recording (known as the "Yellow" album)
was released in early 1998 by Orange County indie label Dr. Dream
Records, and contains early versions of some of the songs found on
Waste of Mind, as well as some live tunes.
One of the early believers in the band was Alanis Morissette's producer,
Glenn Ballard, who cast the guys in his upcoming "Clubland" film. Their
high-energy song "Check" will also be featured on the Java/Capital
Records soundtrack.
"Glenn's been great from the beginning," says Ali. "He saw us play a show
at the Viper Room in L.A., and he really dug our music. He got us into the
movie, had us filming for it and everything, playing in front of a hired crowd.
None of us had done anything like that before."
"'Check'" was actually the first song we ever wrote together as a band,"
recalls Justin. "We started out with that killer bass line, then wrote the
music around it. The chorus actually started out as 'take a bath, kid.' It
sounded pretty good, but that song has come a long way since then."
Another component that sets Zebrahead apart from most other groups is
the Overall positive attitude that's extolled in their melodic songs. "We try
to have a positive outlook on life," says Ali. "I notice that a lot of the music
that's out there lately is focused on the negative, and that's one of the
things about Zebrahead that I like. It's OK to be happy, and to look on the
positive side."
Among the highlights of Zebrahead's young career are slots on the
Warped Tour in the U.S., and of course the the guest appearance on
Waste of Mind by by one of their biggest fans, porno legend Ron Jeremy.
"I've always found the guy to be quite fascinating," laughs Justin. After one
of our LA shows he came backstage to eat the free pizza with us and we
decided to have a get- to-know-Ron session. We plan on calling the next
album "Ron's Greatest Hits."
update: The band's second Columbia Album "Playmate of the Year" - summer 2000 release..
