Toadies
Hailing from Fort Worth, TX, the Toadies formed in 1989 and weathered the grunge-punk revival of the early '90s by playing shows and issuing homemade tapes. Three years later, the alternative rock quartet (which was originally comprised of vocalist/guitarist Todd Lewis, drummer Mark Reznicek, bassist Lisa Umbarger, and guitarist Darrel Herbert) issued an EP entitled Pleather and won the attention of Interscope Records, which signed the band soon after. The debut album Rubberneck arrived in mid-1995, and the Toadies quickly found a national audience thanks to "Possum Kingdom," a disturbing, catchy single that became a staple of modern rock radio. Tours with Bush, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Butthole Surfers helped the Toadies establish a temporary space in the post-grunge landscape; however, the band had trouble producing a worthy follow-up to Rubberneck.
The band returned to the studio in 1997 and recorded an album's worth of new material. Entitled Feeler, the record was slated for a 1998 release, but Interscope objected to the new songs and permanently shelved the project. Disenchanted, the Toadies took a break during the remainder of the decade. Herbert exited the lineup prior to the new millennium and was replaced by Clark Vogeler, signaling a new maturation within the band. By 2001, the Toadies had captured a fresh new sound on the long-awaited sophomore effort Hell Below/Stars Above, which featured several songs from the Feeler sessions. Before the year's end, however, the group had disbanded, with the release of Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise marking their official exit. Although the band sporadically reunited throughout the following years for one-off shows, the Toadies properly re-formed (with new bassist Doni Blair) for the release of 2008's No Deliverance.
~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
