AltScene

operation ivy

One of the first bands to fuse revivalist ska with the energy and aggression of post-hardcore punk rock (after the Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Operation Ivy were also one of the few ska-punk bands to earn critical acclaim. Part of the reason was that they were one of the genre's innovators, possessed of a freshness that many of their imitators lacked, but their lyrics were often more intelligent and substantive as well. Thanks to their early breakup (the group was only together for two years), Operation Ivy became an enduring, even legendary influence in the neo-punk underground, especially after half of the band went on to hit it big in a new group, Rancid.
Operation Ivy were formed in Berkeley, CA, in May 1987 out of the ashes of several local bands. Lead singer Jesse Michaels, guitarist Lint (born Tim Armstrong), bassist Matt McCall (born Matt Freeman, renamed after the hero of the TV series The Equalizer), and drummer Dave Mello began playing extensively at the famed Gilman Street club, a center of the Bay Area's burgeoning punk revival scene. (Initially, they had no horn section, though sax player Paul Bae would later join them on selected recordings.) They quickly signed with the local punk label Lookout, and appeared on two compilations by the end of the year: the label sampler The Thing That Ate Floyd, and the Maximum Rock'n'Roll magazine sampler Turn It Around. In 1988, they released an EP titled Hectic and toured the country, playing small-scale punk venues.
With a budding reputation as an excellent live band, EMI offered Operation Ivy a major-label deal. Unsure of how to react to the prospect of success -- both because of their independent politics and local-mindedness -- the band chose to break up rather than compromise their intentions, playing their last show in May 1989. Their debut full-length album, Energy, was released on Lookout several months later, and became a touchstone of the third wave ska revival largely through word of mouth. Michaels went on to sing with Big Rig before leaving music; varying accounts hold that he became either a Buddhist monk or a Central American missionary, and may have returned to the U.S. to work for Lookout. Mello joined Schlong and then reunited briefly with Armstrong and Freeman in Downfall, which released an album on Lookout in 1995. Armstrong and Freeman, reverting to their real names, formed Rancid in 1991; their Clash-inspired punk and ska helped make them one of the most popular bands of the '90s punk revival, after Green Day and the Offspring. ~ Steve Huey, Rov

PEOPLE WHO LIKE OPERATION IVY

Dvjq476

Oregon
United States

Apr 1, 2025 12:55

Anarchy al

Tennessee
United States

Apr 1, 2025 12:13

Thยฃ 6Evil"Ju66ling" ๐Ÿผ

New Mexico
United States

Apr 1, 2025 08:49

Allystar

Ohio
United States

Apr 1, 2025 05:36

LilyTiger13

Florida
United States

Apr 1, 2025 03:31

Misfits1313

California
United States

Apr 1, 2025 01:17

Mav

Cleveland
United Kingdom

Mar 31, 2025 23:39

Vargr80

New York
United States

Mar 31, 2025 22:04

HeathenBiker

North Yorkshire
United Kingdom

Mar 31, 2025 16:30

anarchy veggie burger

California
United States

Mar 31, 2025 00:58

{Mat}

North Yorkshire
United Kingdom

Mar 30, 2025 23:08

๐“ฆ๐“ฎ๐“ญ๐“ท๐“ฎ๐“ผ๐“ญ๐“ช๐”‚๐“๐“ญ๐“ญ๐“ช๐“ถ๐“ผ

Olongapo City
Philippines

Mar 30, 2025 18:43

EastBayRay110

Louisiana
United States

Mar 30, 2025 17:19

Shoe

California
United States

Mar 29, 2025 19:27

rancpunx85

Dorset
United Kingdom

Mar 28, 2025 19:38

Jay Bleed

West Midlands
United Kingdom

Mar 28, 2025 18:11

loz bb

London
United Kingdom

Mar 28, 2025 02:30

SDGemini619

California
United States

Mar 27, 2025 08:45

CorazonesIntoxicados

California
United States

Mar 26, 2025 06:58

journeytotheend13

Michigan
United States

Mar 25, 2025 04:00

RVortex

Merseyside
United Kingdom

Mar 24, 2025 23:28

RHeldmann

Texas
United States

Mar 24, 2025 10:56

Faete

California
United States

Mar 24, 2025 07:42

Michellerikochan

California
United States

Mar 21, 2025 20:23

Leftalone

Hampshire
United Kingdom

Mar 21, 2025 20:06

Zombie

Illinois
United States

Mar 21, 2025 14:06

The f**kin Reject 1312

Nevada
United States

Mar 21, 2025 05:33

Beretta

Ohio
United States

Mar 20, 2025 07:02

ApexRed

Wisconsin
United States

Mar 18, 2025 05:49

GatoValdez

North Carolina
United States

Mar 17, 2025 21:45

Beardydan

Leicestershire
United Kingdom

Mar 15, 2025 07:26

Bones

Oregon
United States

Mar 13, 2025 22:36

Spacerawk

Pennsylvania
United States

Mar 11, 2025 14:18

Josh/Blade

Connecticut
United States

Mar 8, 2025 08:46

Brokenstring

New Jersey
United States

Mar 6, 2025 02:15

pushkin

Suffolk
United Kingdom

Mar 3, 2025 18:27

Neonsun

Texas
United States

Mar 3, 2025 00:50

Reckless

California
United States

Mar 2, 2025 23:26

Ollie432

Herefordshire
United Kingdom

Feb 28, 2025 01:39

SueQ013

Ohio
United States

Feb 25, 2025 17:38

Chris

Oxfordshire
United Kingdom

Jan 25, 2025 19:45

Franzjosefiii

Illinois
United States

Jan 25, 2025 14:40

Dontgivemesharpobjects

Virginia
United States

Jan 21, 2025 02:45

SinkOrSwim

Kent
United Kingdom

Jan 19, 2025 00:09

Mixtec

Pennsylvania
United States

Jan 18, 2025 15:38

graveydavey

Shropshire
United Kingdom

Jan 17, 2025 14:54

Mrs.Manson

New Hampshire
United States

Jan 14, 2025 23:50

Budda G

Lancashire
United Kingdom

Jan 13, 2025 03:12

Adam28

Somerset
United Kingdom

Jan 4, 2025 22:15

Noiseannoys

Michigan
United States

Jan 1, 2025 15:42

NandoSparza

Illinois
United States

Dec 26, 2024 19:47

DFL138

New Jersey
United States

Dec 19, 2024 09:42

bluevelvet333

Kentucky
United States

Dec 9, 2024 02:36

SurfPunkBK

Ohio
United States

Dec 5, 2024 20:33

Loz

QLD
Australia

Nov 19, 2024 01:23

Sivwave

Colorado
United States

Nov 16, 2024 12:05

mad444medusa

New Jersey
United States

Oct 27, 2024 00:06

Baslaven

Indiana
United States

Oct 26, 2024 18:09

Malissa

Georgia
United States

Sep 20, 2024 19:58

Indiana Jones.

Hertfordshire
United Kingdom

Aug 31, 2024 19:35

TheRealRLB3

Massachusetts
United States

Aug 30, 2024 17:00

Porkchop

Oregon
United States

Aug 26, 2024 01:20

RandyGY

Pennsylvania
United States

Aug 19, 2024 00:54

Unholy1

West Midlands
United Kingdom

Aug 11, 2024 13:14

orrin

Arizona
United States

Aug 11, 2024 02:31

SpookyJungle

Michigan
United States

Jul 30, 2024 21:23

Fernandanibau

Mรฉxico City
Mexico

Jul 9, 2024 23:44

Trance

New York
United States

Jul 2, 2024 04:57

whatinspiresu

Illinois
United States

Jun 10, 2024 02:02

Just Panda

Kent
United Kingdom

Jun 3, 2024 21:57

Gadget

Oklahoma
United States

Apr 28, 2024 23:19

StultusVictus

New York
United States

Apr 17, 2024 00:37

Jacksussy

Washington
United States

Apr 8, 2024 07:02

Punk-Paul

Arizona
United States

Apr 6, 2024 14:06

SeroSaint

Wisconsin
United States

Apr 5, 2024 05:37

jessquire

New York
United States

Mar 28, 2024 14:23

Flatcapmunki

Greater Manchester
United Kingdom

Mar 27, 2024 20:10

RXR Crustybilly

California
United States

Mar 17, 2024 16:32

soia1979

Pennsylvania
United States

Mar 17, 2024 00:48

Corazon De Oro

Malaga
Spain

Mar 5, 2024 23:38