nofx

NOFX is a California punk band. They were formed in 1982 by "Fat Mike" (real name Mike Burkett), Erik Sandin and Eric Melvin. Their name is 'borrowed' from an old Boston punk band called Negative FX. Their version of the name has been attributed to the phrase "No Fucking Straight Edge" but the band insists that there is no actual meaning.

Background

They released their debut EP NOFX on Mystic Records in 1984, which then surfaced in 1992 on the Maximum Rock and Roll C.D. (1992) They recorded Liberal Animation in 1988 with Brett from Bad Religion. The album was re-released in 1991 on Brett's label Epitaph Records. NOFX had signed to Epitaph by 1989, bringing out the album S&M Airlines. By 1991 there had been a lot of changes to the band however the original three members had reunited and El Hefe joined to round out the present line-up. It was not until the 1994 release of Punk in Drublic that the band had a popular breakthrough. The album went gold in the same year punk broke into mainstream with The Offspring's Smash and Green Day's Dookie. NOFX never matched the popularity of other punk bands, and are among those who achieved popular acclaim in the mid-1990s and still kept their hardcore punk fanbase who reviled other bands that they perceive as sell-outs. Since 1994 they have not consented to interviews and have made few music videos. However, Fat Mike once did an interview for Guitar World in 2003 giving his opinion on the pop punk bands rising at that time. Their official website features a Q&A section, where they answer questions sent in by fans. Updates have not occurred to the Q&A section, but the archives can still be browsed. NOFX has continued to release independent records throughout their career. In 2003, NOFX realeased a CD entitled War on Errorism, an album of snarky political songs, which became the start of their anti-Bush campaign, and a rallying point for liberal punks. Since the CD's release, Fat Mike organized the website Punkvoter.com, compiled two chart topping "Rock Against Bush" CDs on the Fat Wreck label, and kicked off a Rock Against Bush nationwide tour. Their emergance on the political scene has not faded after the election. The band has also released many EPs (Fuck the Kids, The Longest Line) on Fat Mike's own label Fat Wreck Chords. In February of 2005 they will launch the NOFX 7" of the Month Club, a subscription based service which will see the release of one new EP every month from February 2005 to January 2006 (a total of 12 releases.) Billed as "A year long documentation of their songwriting process," the first 3000 subscribers to the club will receive all of their records on coloured vinyl.