Buck-O-Nine

Two indie releases on Taang! Records (1994’s Songs In The Key Of Bree and 1995’s Barfly) Buck-O-Nine solidified their place in the SoCal scene with vigorous dedication to their fans, their love of music and kinetic live shows.

After signing to TVT Records and releasing 28 Teeth in 1997, Buck-O-Nine began to move beyond their established punk and ska roots while playing a part in opening new ears to the contemporary sound of ska and punk music America. In 1997, when ska became the next big thing, Buck-O-Nine found 28 Teeth charting all over Billboard’s Top 200 and the album’s first single “My Town” becoming an instant radio hit. While the attention was well deserved, Buck-O-Nine is ready to stand on their own.

Experimenting with different types of sounds and grooves, Buck-O-Nine’s latest record Libido shows signs of maturing without losing their sense of balls-out fun. From the toe-tapping pop rock of “Something Funny,” to the bounce of “Tell It Like It Was,” it’s clear Buck-O-Nine ventured into new musical territories and expanding on their ska, punk and reggae roots.

“We hold a deep respect for our musical forefathers, like The Clash and The Specials as well as the pioneers of this genre such as Operation Ivy, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Voodoo Glow Skulls,” says sax player Craig Yarnold. “Being a part of this whole musical history brings a satisfaction that words can not describe”

“We’ve done those records full of those fast little ska punk songs,” says lead singer Jon Pebsworth. “We were ready for something new and Libido was the perfect challenge for us. We weren’t thinking that we had to be like a ska band or not like a ska band. We come from the school of whatever sticks, sticks and experimenting with our sound a bit this is what we came up with.”

Since the release of Libido Buck-O-Nine have been around the world in back making stops in Japan, Australia and this summer’s very successful Vans Warped tour ’99. As far as breaking out of any media-developed ska pack or topping the radio success of their last album, the guys in Buck-O-Nine figure that will all follow the music. Remember that this is a band that sold over 75,000 copies of each of their indie releases with little-to-no radio play and only miles of touring to back it up. To them it’s the music and the fans that are important.