by MacKenzie Wilson
Sick of the cheeky pop sounds of Green Day and the monumental success of mid-'90s post-grunge, the indie punk trio Frodus wanted to revisit the attitude that went with the punk of the '70s. The guys -- vocalist/guitarist Shelby Cinca, drummer Jason Hamacher, and bassist Howard Pyle (going through several bassists over the years) -- yearned to gloss over the mainstream stylings that had pop kids raging for the Offspring, Smash Mouth, and blink-182, and their chaotic musical approach labeled as the chief purveyors of "spazzcore" (which they termed themselves). Motivation charged the band; playing over 500 shows between the U.S. and Europe, selling 33,000 records, and issuing 12 releases while being compared to the likes of Fugazi, Snapcase, and Sleepy Time Trio. Frodus finally had enough of the road and settled down in the new millennium to release and record the full-length And We Washed Our Weapons in the Sea with new bassist Nathan Burke, which was distributed by Fueled by Ramen in February 2001. The record was their most accomplished to date, allowing Frodus (who broke up soon after its recording) to go out on top.