The 88

Southern California's pop band the 88 merges British Invasion melodies with an understated yet forceful instrumental style that evokes David Bowie and additional icons of 1970s rock. Pianist Adam Merrin and guitarist Keith Slettedahl first connected as high school students in Calabasas, CA, where shared musical interests led them to begin recording material together during their senior year; once they graduated, they launched a project called the Freeloaders. Guitarist Brandon Jay's arrival prompted the group to adopt the name the 88, drawn from a French Kicks song and the standard 88 keys of a piano, after which bassist Carlos Torres and drummer Mark Vasapolli completed the lineup and the band began performing regularly across California. The independent EMK/Mootron label issued the debut album Kind of Light in 2003. Enthusiastic reviews followed, and the 88 backed the record through heavy touring that covered the West Coast repeatedly while extending to occasional dates elsewhere in America and Canada. Mark Vasapolli had departed by the time recording began on the second album, with Anthony Zimmitti stepping in on drums. Over and Over arrived in fall 2005, and the band's increasing visibility gained further traction through television appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Last Call with Carson Daly, and How I Met Your Mother. Their songs also appeared in the films You, Me and Dupree, Failure to Launch, and Surviving Christmas, on the series The O.C., One Tree Hill, and Grey's Anatomy, and in commercials for Sears, Target, and Microsoft. Brandon Jay left by 2007, shifting the band to a four-piece configuration when Todd O'Keefe joined after Carlos Torres stepped away to devote more time to his growing family. The revised lineup maintained the group's popularity, leading to a recording contract with Island Records signed in spring of that year. The label released Not Only... But Also in 2008, which featured the single "Go Go Go," and the 88 now operated as the trio of Merrin, Slettedahl, and Zimmitti.