The Planet Smashers

The ska revivalists the Planet Smashers originated in Montreal, Quebec, when singer and guitarist Matt Collyer joined forces in 1994 with bassist Dave Cooper, saxophonist Leon Kingston, trombonist Kurt Ruzenisky, and drummer Tim Doyle. Their first release arrived in 1996 as a self-titled album on the band's own STOMP label, and before the year ended they also put out the EP Inflate to 45 RPM. Attack of the Planet Smashers followed in 1998, with Life of the Party arriving the next year. By then the roster had changed to Collyer, Cooper, saxophonist Neil "Lonestar" Johnson, trombonist Andrew Lattoni, and drummer Scott Russell. Steady touring alongside acts such as Mustard Plug, AFI, Samiam, and the Aquabats helped the group cultivate a solid audience across North America, while STOMP thrived as an independent outlet focused on ska and punk sounds. The Planet Smashers maintained a steady output with No Self Control in 2001, Fabricated in 2002, and Mighty in 2004. That same year the DVD Ten chronicled their initial decade through interviews, music videos, live performances, and additional material, and the band logged multiple weeks on the Vans Warped Tour. Unstoppable appeared in 2005.