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Hepcat
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385,097 plays
35,018 listeners
(1989 – present)
Hepcat are a third wave ska band formed in southern California in 1989.
Their soulful harmonies and mellow rhythms were unlike those of contemporaries and more akin to musicians from the heyday of 1960s jamaican ska, also referred to as the first wave.
Hepcat’s debut album, “Out of Nowhere” was released in 1994 on New York-based ska label Moon Records. Two years later, they followed it up with “Scientific” on BYO Records. In 1998, after signing with Epitaph Records subsidiary Hellcat Records, they released “Right on Time,” scoring a modest hit with the swinging “No Worries” and scored a spot on the Vans Warped Tour. 2000 saw the release of “Push n’ Shove,” their first album without founding members Raul Talavera and Alex Désert, although the latter appears as a guest vocalist on two tracks.
The band went on indefinite hiatus after 2000, and no new material has surfaced since. Trumpeter Kincaid Smith formed Soul Traffic, a five-piece funk band. Drummer Scott Abels has played with the Rancid side project Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the southern California reggae act The Aggrolites. Vocalist Alex Desert has had a successful career in film and television, appearing in the movies PCU, Swingers, and High Fidelity; and the television show Becker.
In early 2004, a remastered version of Out of Nowhere was released with two additional bonus tracks, an early version of “Nigel” and “Club Meditation,” both of which appeared on their first single. Occasionally, Hepcat reconvenes to play a few shows a year in the California area. Often, this lineup is that which performed on “Scientific.”
Their soulful harmonies and mellow rhythms were unlike those of contemporaries and more akin to musicians from the heyday of 1960s jamaican ska, also referred to as the first wave.
Hepcat’s debut album, “Out of Nowhere” was released in 1994 on New York-based ska label Moon Records. Two years later, they followed it up with “Scientific” on BYO Records. In 1998, after signing with Epitaph Records subsidiary Hellcat Records, they released “Right on Time,” scoring a modest hit with the swinging “No Worries” and scored a spot on the Vans Warped Tour. 2000 saw the release of “Push n’ Shove,” their first album without founding members Raul Talavera and Alex Désert, although the latter appears as a guest vocalist on two tracks.
The band went on indefinite hiatus after 2000, and no new material has surfaced since. Trumpeter Kincaid Smith formed Soul Traffic, a five-piece funk band. Drummer Scott Abels has played with the Rancid side project Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards and the southern California reggae act The Aggrolites. Vocalist Alex Desert has had a successful career in film and television, appearing in the movies PCU, Swingers, and High Fidelity; and the television show Becker.
In early 2004, a remastered version of Out of Nowhere was released with two additional bonus tracks, an early version of “Nigel” and “Club Meditation,” both of which appeared on their first single. Occasionally, Hepcat reconvenes to play a few shows a year in the California area. Often, this lineup is that which performed on “Scientific.”
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Marcus Garvey
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Dollar Dance
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Black Sky
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Country Time
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Keep On
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Shoutbox
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talkloud wrote:
1 across on yesterday's USA Today crossword: "Jazz Fan", 6 letters. :)
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UeberseeRecords wrote:
Hi everybody! In Oct/Nov Los Kung-Fu Monkeys (MEX) and Wisecräcker (D) shared the stages across European venues. Read what Bernie (singer of LKFM) has to say about his first trip to the old world...
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Luuttuaja wrote:
Rest in peace, Dave.
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RoboHoboX wrote:
RIP Dave Fuentes.
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Jkw777 wrote:
I love Hepcat! I saw them play in LA in Dec 06 and they were great. I can't wait is my fave, followed by dance wid me. Nice happy music that I can chill out to in miserable England...
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Luuttuaja wrote:
Greatest contemporary ska band. I hope they will release their next record soon.
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DrPaua wrote:
Yeah, Baby!
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misturgrieves wrote:
mmmmmmm, ska. push n' shove is my favorite session album. start to finish, a piece of art!
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dancetoska wrote:
Amazing!
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silentTrev wrote:
great band that i can chill out too
Events
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Dec
20
Hepcat
El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, United States
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Recent Activity
- bringthebeet, Namasinviet, Nookie_Sixx and 32 other people added Hepcat to their libraries. yesterday evening
- SkidmarkCharlie tagged Hepcat with ‘ska’. last week
- InfernalTinman, SaNNKa, duffgirl1986 and 10 other people added Hepcat to their libraries. last week
- phillipglass added Hepcat to the lineup of Hepcat at El Rey Theatre. 15 days ago
- dubulubulobe, TomasHW, WastedYears82 and 3 other people added Hepcat to their libraries. August 2008
- 1mayflower7 tagged Hepcat with ‘ska’. August 2008
- jasmintownsvill, skaintheworld, Pysa1000 and 2 other people added Hepcat to their libraries. August 2008
- MAGT1976 tagged Hepcat with rocksteady and reggae. August 2008
- End_The tagged Hepcat with ‘ska’. August 2008
- QueentakesRook added Hepcat to QueentakesRook’s library. August 2008
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