Frodus

Disillusioned by the playful pop leanings of Green Day and the massive mid-'90s post-grunge wave, the indie punk trio Frodus set out to recapture the raw spirit of 1970s punk. Vocalist and guitarist Shelby Cinca, drummer Jason Hamacher, and bassist Howard Pyle—who cycled through multiple bassists across their run—sought to sidestep the polished mainstream sounds embraced by fans of the Offspring, Smash Mouth, and blink-182. Their frenetic style earned them recognition as leading figures of “spazzcore,” a label they embraced themselves. Driven by this drive, the group logged more than 500 performances across the United States and Europe, moved 33,000 records, and put out 12 releases while drawing comparisons to Fugazi, Snapcase, and Sleepy Time Trio. In the new millennium they stepped back from touring, recruiting bassist Nathan Burke to help track and issue the full-length And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea, which Fueled by Ramen released in February 2001. That album stood as their strongest work, enabling Frodus—who disbanded shortly after completing it—to end their run at a peak.