Candlebox, Sponge, and American Blonde

Their music has removed much of the harsh edges heard in the early forms of grunge; however, it is still grounded in rock music, even stretching in more obscure forms such as black metal (ex. Danzig and Black Sabbath) and freak funk ruffian rock (ex. Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction).

The group formed in 1990 initially under the name Uncle Duke; however, they changed it to Candlebox upon receiving inspiration from the Midnight Oil song “Tin Legs and Tin Mines”. The band’s original lineup consisted of vocalist/lead guitarist Kevin Martin, drummer Scott Mercado, guitarist Peter Klett and bassist Bardi Martin. Within a year of the band’s formation they were playing in Seattle’s trendiest clubs and by 1992 they scored a record deal with Madonna’s Maverick label.

Their first official release, the 4 track EP “Change” was issued in 1993 as well as their self titled debut. Their self-titled LP acted as breakthrough to mainstream success for the band, peaking at No.7 on the charts and selling over 4 million copies worldwide. This album housed 4 singles including the top 20 Billboard hit “Far Behind”. Frequent air play, high profile concerts and frequent television appearances trailed behind this release. This endless stream of successes also earned them a headlining spot at the Woodstock ’94 festival.

The group’s ascent into stardom seemed to awaken a creative streak and by the Spring of 1994 they had composed a total of 36 songs. Their next album “Lucy” featured 12 of the songs. Though the album was overshadowed by the prosperity of their previous release it nevertheless received heavy rotation on the radio and reached gold status. The album produced three singles, all which were translated into music videos (acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant directed the video for “Understanding”).

The band’s 3rd studio album “Happy Pills” came out on 21 July 1998 and featured the hit “It’s Alright”. Also around this time they released the single “Glowing Soul”, which self-professed fan Adam Sandler specifically requested for the movie “The Waterboy”. “Happy Pills” marked the last album the band would release through Maverick and also the last they would release before disbanding. From 1999 to 2000, Candlebox lost two of it’s founding members, leaving Martin as the group’s sole originating member. The band imploded in 2000 and failed to satisfy their contractual agreement with Maverick, which required the band to output four studio albums through them.

Throughout the bulk of the 2000s Candlebox’s members pursued various side projects; however, they reformed in 2006 and issued a greatest hits compilation through Rhino later that year. The band’s 4th long waited studio album saw release in 2008 and cemented a 10 year gap between the release of their previous studio album. “Love Stories & Other Musings” came out on 3 April 2012 and entered the US Billboard 200 at No. 82 and the US Independent Chart at No. 17.

The story of Sponge begins, like so many other bands, with an earlier, failed attempt at rock-stardom. Loudhouse was formed in the mid-1980's by drummer Vinnie Dombrowski along with guitarists Mike Cross and Joey Mazzola, and they would go on to become a tried and tested almost famous story. They released a debut album on Virgin in 1988 before losing their record contract and splitting at the dawn of the 1990s, but Dombrowski, Cross and Mazzola weren't done. Deciding to form their own band, Dombrowski switched from drums to lead vocals, and the trio recruited Mike's brother Tim Cross on bass along with drummer Jimmy Paluzzi, christening the new group Sponge in 1992.

Previously playing a brand of gritty hard rock that most thought had been left dormant since the mid-70's, the new band incorporated influences cribbed from the fast exploding grunge movement, and struck gold very quickly as a result. By 1994, two years after they came together, they had signed a record deal with Columbia and released “Rotting Piñata”, their debut studio album. Thanks to the radio success of its singles “Plowed” and “Molly”, the album was a sleeper hit, eventually selling over half a million copies to be certified Gold by the RIAA. While the band were never able to match that record's commercial success, they quickly settled comfortably into their role as elder statesmen of alternative rock, remaining to this day a cult act still able to tear it up live and release records that are still as vital as they were in their commercial heyday. For that, they come highly recommended.