Representative Albums: "Limbeck," "Let Me Come Home," "Hi, Everything's Great"
Biography
Hailing from Laguna Niguel, CA, the power pop melodies of Limbeck formed at the turn of the new millennium, anxious to deliver sweet pop hooks and a solid, energetic performance. Signed to Utility Records, Limbeck issued an early 2000 split EP titled Connection, sharing props with Cali pop-punkers Home Grown. Around the same time, the guys -- singer/guitarist Robb MacLean, guitarist/singer Patrick Carrie, bassist Justin Entsminger, and drummer Matt Stephens -- were also featured in an Apple iMac commercial, playing their song "Stop Internet Romance" as the fictional band the Garage Monkeys. A year later, the full-length This Chapter Is Called Titles was released. Limbeck signed on to the roster at Doghouse Records in late 2002, and when their label debut, Hi, Everything's Great, appeared in the first half of the next year, they were found to be evolving from emo into alternative country terrain. Limbeck continued to bring their organic sunny pop almost nonstop around the country over the following year, sharing dates along the way with acts like Rocky Votolato, the Early November, and Sleep Station. Their next offering, Let Me Come Home, was issued in August 2005, boasting a sound that tapped more fully into influences like Wilco, Old 97's, and the Replacements. Stephens left the band that same year and was replaced in September by Jon Phillip, a Milwaukee native who'd formerly drummed with the Benjamins and the Obsoletes. Ever on the road, more touring followed before Limbeck entered a Kansas studio in the summer of 2006 to work again with longtime producer and friend Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids). The quartet's resulting eponymous album surfaced in April 2007. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
While classified as indie rock due to their relatively small niche in Southern California, the band's musical style is most often described as alternative country music. Their original sound was very power pop and emo inspired, as heard in their early releases, including This Chapter Is Called Titles. Slowly, the band became more and more alt. country influenced and changed their sound almost entirely with their release of "Hi, Everything's Great." Limbeck has all but abandoned their early songs, rarely playing this material live, if ever.
Geography appears to play a primary role in the band's recordings, both in musical arrangement as well as in lyrical content.
Many songs actually name interstate highways which are known primarily to Orange County and San Diego County residents, such as the 8, 22, and 15. Musical intellectuals argue that this could both hinder a band's marketability to other regions of the United States for obvious reasons, but others point to the international success of media powerhouses such as The O.C. and pop-punkers Something Corporate, which capitalize on the current American fascination with the Orange County lifestyle.
In 2000, the band was featured in an iMac commercial. The commercial featured the iMac video editing software in which the band created a music video under the name Garage Monkeys.
