Fluorescein

Fluorescein emerged as a punk-pop quartet based in Los Angeles’s Silverlake district, featuring singer/guitarist Greg Mora, bassist Mark Higa, guitarist Joey Rubenstein and drummer Rocco Bidlovski. Each musician had already participated in the city’s alternative-rock underground when the four united during the mid-’90s. Mora had served as bassist for Lutefisk, Higa had performed with the Space Twins, Rubenstein had played in 60 Cycle Hum, and Bidlovski had been a member of 100 Mona Lisas. The band’s first full-length release, High Contrast Comedown, contained solely original songs written by Mora and was co-produced by Mora and Tracy Chilsholm before appearing on No Name Recordings in January 1997. Throughout that year the quartet supported the album with nonstop road work. By December, “Cathy’s On Crank!” had gained substantial airplay on modern-rock outlets in multiple large cities. The mounting interest prompted DGC Records to sign the group late in 1997, leading the label to reissue High Contrast Comedown the following January.