Suburban Rhythm (S.R.) was a ska/punk band from Long Beach, California. For… Read Full Bio ↴Suburban Rhythm (S.R.) was a ska/punk band from Long Beach, California. Formed in 1990, the band had a short-lived career. In their prime, they played in small-venue clubs with many now famous O.C. bands opening their performances, including Sublime, No Doubt, and Reel Big Fish. Suburban Rhythm met with many internal band conflicts and band roster changes in their short years. The band broke up in 1994 after releasing their only full-length album, Almost There. Despite their very limited exposure and short career, Suburban Rhythm remains one of ska/punk's most legendary bands.
Contents
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* 1 History
o 1.1 Height of career
o 1.2 Breakup
o 1.3 Compilation
* 2 Musical style
* 3 Trivia
* 4 Members
* 5 Discography

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History

In August of 1989, vocalist Dennis Owens, guitarist Jake Kline, keyboardist Rodi DelGadillo, bassist Deryke Cardenaz, and drummer Christine Tasche formed a band called The Silent Invasion. After a few months of rehearsal, the band played their one and only show just after Christmas in Tasche's back house in front of a few friends. Shortly after, Tasche left the band.

Several months later, John Gamba responded to their "Drummer Wanted" flyer and was soon added to the band roster. The band soon decided to change their name to Suburban Rhythm. Kline hated the name, but due to him having missed that particular meeting in which the name was changed, the others decided Kline would have no say in the matter. Eight months later and after playing several shows, Gamba was ousted due to "personality conflicts", leaving the band once again without a drummer.

Carlos De La Garza, drummer for another O.C. band, The Trenchtown Invaders, took Gamba's spot as drummer. One month later, Cardenaz quit for unknown reasons. Through an "acquaintance of an acquaintance", the band found Ed Kampwirth to replace Cardenaz. With the addition of Kampwirth, the band's sound began to solidify.
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Height of career

In October of 1992, the band released their first (and only) demo, Hose. After this, the size of Suburban Rhythm's fanbase grew dramatically.

In April of 1993, Kline quit the band for reasons known only to him. Kline's departure left the band with Dennis Owens and Rodi DelGadillo as the only two original members remaining. The band vowed to break up if any more of the core members (including Kampwirth and De La Garza) decided to quit, fearing replacing any more members might "water things down to the point of embarrassment."

Despite depression within the band, they decided they would stick together and find a new guitarist. After several try-outs, the band "settled" with Scott Moran. Soon after this, Chris Siglin was hired as the band's manager.
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Breakup

In late October or early November of 1993, Suburban Rhythm started to record their first album. At this point, band member relations were becoming unstable. According to Owens, more and more arguments ensued between band members about "this-that-and-the-other's problem with this-that-and-the-other"

The initial recording sessions proved unsatisfactory. After several more arguments, it was decided to re-record the album at another studio. Friction among the band members grew worse as the band continued to argue. Finally, in the middle of the sessions, Kampwirth and Moran announced they were quitting the band.

The band kept the promise they made after Kline left and put the band to rest. S.R. played its last show on April 2, 1994 in Costa Mesa, CA.
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Compilation

In 1997, three years after the band's breakup, a 16-song "obituary" CD was released from Long Beach record label Solid Recordings. The album contains all three tracks from the Hose demo cassette, all four tracks from the Almost There 7" vinyl, plus nine previously unreleased tracks. The album also includes five tracks recorded live from the Big Black Room in Santa Ana, CA in 1993, as well as a hidden garage-recorded track entitled "Uniform of Destruction".
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Musical style

Suburban Rhythm ran the gamut of musical styles. While primarily labeled a ska/punk band, some of their recordings displayed styles from funk (e.g. "18 Inch Ruler"), to metal, jazz, blues, and even country (e.g. "Blue Hawaii"). Their tone also had range, from dark and moody styles, such as "Coming Out Of The Woodwork" and "Tension", to playful, fast-driven songs like "Game Show", "Bixville" and their cover of Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting".
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Trivia

Popular O.C. ska band Reel Big Fish has paid homage to Suburban Rhythm on many occasions. Their debut CD, Turn the Radio Off, includes a tribute song to Suburban Rhythm entitled "S.R". They also covered Suburban Rhythm's "Uniform of Destruction" for the Ska Parade's compilation album, Runnin' Naked thru the Cornfield. (Suburban Rhythm's "Coming out of the Woodwork" is featured on the same album.)
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Members

* Dennis Owens (vocals)
* Rodi DelGadillo (keyboard)
* Deryke Cardenaz (bass guitar) (1990–1992)
* Ed Kempwirth (bass guitar (1992–1994)
* Jake Kline (guitar) (1990–1993)
* Scott Moran (guitar) (1993–1994)
* Christine Tasche (drums) (1990, with The Silent Invasion)
* John Gamba (drums) (1990–1991)
* Carlos de la Garza (drums) (1991–1994)

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Discography
Year Title Format Details
1992 Hose Cassette Out of print
1994 Almost There 7″ Vinyl Out of print
1997 Suburban Rhythm CD 16-song compilation released through Solid Recordings

Blue Hawaii
Suburban Rhythm Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yee-Haw! I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land of never ending sun. I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land all hope comes from. I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land of the hula in the sand. I wanna go to blue Hawaii! To Kahanwana lei bay!

I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land of never ending fun. I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land where I came from! I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Where the waves crash down upon the sand. I wanna go to blue Hawaii. To the hula-hula coconut, hula coconut, hula-hula coconut land!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Suburban Rhythm's song Blue Hawaii express a longing to escape to the idyllic paradise of Hawaii, specifically its blue waters and sandy beaches. The repeated use of "I wanna go-o" emphasizes the desire for this escape and the opening "Yee-Haw!" sets the tone for the excitement to come. The lyrics evoke the idea of Hawaii as a land of endless sunshine, hope, and fun - a place where worries can be left behind. The mention of "the land where I came from" suggests a personal connection to Hawaii, perhaps as a place of origin or a cherished memory.

Line by Line Meaning

Yee-Haw! I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii.
Excitedly express a desire to visit Blue Hawaii

Oh the land of never ending sun.
Describing Blue Hawaii as a place that boasts an abundance of sunshine

I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land all hope comes from.
Describing Blue Hawaii as a place that provides a sense of hope and optimism

I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land of the hula in the sand.
Portraying Blue Hawaii as a place with a rich cultural tradition centered around hula dancing

I wanna go to blue Hawaii! To Kahanwana lei bay!
Expressing a yearning to travel to Blue Hawaii and visit popular landmarks such as Kahanwana lei bay

Oh the land of never ending fun.
Highlighting Blue Hawaii as a place that offers an abundance of exciting activities

I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Oh the land where I came from!
Expressing a sense of nostalgia and desire to return to one's roots in Blue Hawaii

I wanna go-o to blue-ew Hawaii. Where the waves crash down upon the sand.
Painting a picture of the picturesque beaches in Blue Hawaii where waves crash onto the sand

I wanna go to blue Hawaii. To the hula-hula coconut, hula coconut, hula-hula coconut land!
Emphasizing the cultural significance of hula and coconuts in Blue Hawaii and the desire to experience it firsthand

Contributed by Ava L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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