Yellowcard

The band Yellowcard was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997. Although considered an Alternative Rock band, their sound isn't that easy to group with other bands. Many consider them Pop Punk mixed with Alternative, though they offer a unique take on the Alternative genre with their use of a violin.

Yellowcard is made up of six band members, including lead singer Ben Dobson, Todd Clarry, who sings backup and plays guitar, guitarist Ben Harper, Violinist Sean Mackin, Warren Cooke on bass and Longineu Parsons III on drums. The six members met at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and have been playing ever since.

The name Yellowcard comes from a phrase the group used to use in high school. Considered a 'party foul', Yellowcard was said when someone did something stupid, such as spilling a drink. The name comes from the yellow cards that are thrown down when fouls occur in soccer. In the beginning, it was debated whether or not the band's name would have a space between yellow and card, and eventually it was understood that it would go without a space.

The band's first album, Midget Tossing, was released in 1997. Sean Mackin was featured on some of the songs but at that time he wasn't a permanent band member, stating he objected to the band's message.

Yellowcard's second album, Where We Stand, saw Mackin in a more prominent position within the band that cemented his placement as a permanent member. However, after Where We Stand was released, some members left the band and were replaced.

One For The Kids, the band's third album and The Underdog, their fourth, did very well and were well received by fans. It wasn't until the release of their fifth album, however, that the band finally saw the success they were seeking.

The Success Of Ocean Avenue

When Ocean Avenue, their fifth album, was released in 2003, Yellowcard was finally flung into the mainstream. Fans loved Ocean Avenue due to the lyrics and the unique musical style. The single from the album of the same name debuted on MTV's TRL and shot to #1 almost immediately. When radio stations picked up the song, The Billboard Hot 100 placed it at #37. Yellowcard was suddenly everywhere, on countless magazine covers, and they even played at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards.

During the MTV awards, Yellowcard played Ocean Avenue and won an MTV2 award. They also performed during the MTV Real World/Road Rules Challenge, where cast members trashed a hotel room.

Ocean Avenue's next single, Breathing, appeared in EA's video game Burnout 3: Takedown. The success of Ocean Avenue and Breathing helped Ocean Avenue, the album, sell over two million copies in the United States alone.

When the hype over Ocean Avenue died down, Yellowcard continued to push forward. They contributed two soundtracks to movies, including one to the hit sequel Spiderman 2.

In 2006, Yellowcard released a sixth album titled Lights And Sounds. While Lights and Sounds didn't fare as well as Ocean Avenue, it proved the band was evolving. They had moved their violin sound to the background and had moved onto more of a rock sound.

Yellowcard still keeps in touch with fans via their Myspace page, which is constantly updated with videos of their progress in the studio, blogs, photos and even music clips from new songs not yet released. They have announced that they are releasing a new album on July 27th, 2007 titled Paper Walls and fans and critics alike hope that this one will repeat the success of their most famous album Ocean Avenue.