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

Mr. Smooth Guy
Suburban Rhythm Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I'm the one that they call Mr. Smooth Guy,
Cuz I get all the women that they try.
They can't resist my clean pants and new tie,
And that is why that they call me the Mr. Smooth Guy.

I'm the one that they want.
You haven't got a chance.
When I turn on my charm,

I've got your girl on my arm.

Handling girls has turned to profession,
Taken from my masculine obsession.
Shirt button open, you can see my reflection.
Both of my shoes are shined to perfection.

Yeah, I'm one hell of a guy.
I can do anything I want.
With my style and much grace,
I'm only tryin' to give face.

Here we go..

I'm the one that they want.
You haven't got a chance.

When I turn on my charm,
I've got your girl on my ... arm.

Overall Meaning

In Suburban Rhythm's song "Mr. Smooth Guy", the lyrics depict a confident and self-proclaimed ladies man who goes by the name Mr. Smooth Guy. He boasts about his clean pants and new tie that make the women unable to resist him. He considers handling women as his profession and a result of his masculine obsession. With his shirt button open, both his shoes shined to perfection, and his charming personality, he believes that he can do anything he wants. He further claims that once he turns on his charm, he has any girl he wants on his arm.

The lyrics of the song offer insight into the character of Mr. Smooth Guy, who portrays himself as a smooth-talking, stylish, and charismatic womanizer. The song exudes a sense of male dominance and objectification of women, painting them as mere objects to be won over through charm and appearance. The lyrics leave room for interpretation on whether Mr. Smooth Guy's character is to be celebrated or ridiculed, considering the attention given to his confidence and disregard for the emotions or feelings of the women he conquers.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I'm the one that they call Mr. Smooth Guy,
I am known as the suave and charming gentleman among my peers.

Cuz I get all the women that they try.
I have a knack for attracting the attention and affection of every woman that my peers attempt to pursue.

They can't resist my clean pants and new tie,
The combination of my immaculate attire, consisting of freshly-pressed pants and a recently-purchased tie, simply mesmerizes women.

And that is why that they call me the Mr. Smooth Guy.
My natural charm and impeccable fashion sense have earned me the nickname 'Mr. Smooth Guy' among my peers.

Handling girls has turned to profession,
I have honed my skill at charming and seducing women to such a degree that it has become a profession for me.

Taken from my masculine obsession.
My passion for attracting and pleasing women is derived from my masculine identity and desires.

Shirt button open, you can see my reflection.
I leave one of my shirt buttons undone to give women a glimpse of my toned chest, which adds to my irresistible charm and confidence.

Both of my shoes are shined to perfection.
I take great care and pride in my appearance, ensuring that every detail, including the shine of my shoes, is perfect.

Yeah, I'm one hell of a guy.
There is no doubt that I am an exceptional man with admirable qualities.

I can do anything I want.
My confidence and self-assurance, derived from my success with women, make me feel invincible.

With my style and much grace,
My impeccable sense of style and natural grace add to my charm and appeal.

I'm only tryin' to give face.
My aim is to make myself look good in front of others, particularly women, through my charm and seductive abilities.

Here we go..
I am about to unveil my charm and attract yet another woman.

I'm the one that they want.
Women are instinctively drawn to me and seek my attention and affection.

You haven't got a chance.
There is no competition when it comes to attracting women, as I am the clear winner with my charm and seductive abilities.

When I turn on my charm,
My natural charm is so potent that it causes women to be instantly attracted to me.

I've got your girl on my ... arm.
I am so successful at attracting and seducing women that I effortlessly win over the women that my peers are pursuing, leading to me walking away with her on my arm.

Contributed by Maya O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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