!!! (or ‘chk chk chk’ if you need to say it) got its start in Sacramento, California, cooking up a unique brew of psychedelic funk, dub and disco rhythms punctuated by a decidedly punk spirit. The band’s self-titled debut LP appeared on Gold Standard Laboratories in 2000, and while the record contained more than its fair share of infectious tunes, it was the band’s over-the-top, jam-filled live shows—and its dedication to a heavy touring schedule—that truly sprouted a legion of !!! followers. After switching coasts, the group offered up 2003’s Me And Giuliani Down By The School Yard, a song that both exploded !!!’s profile and directly challenged the regressive politics governing NYC at the time.
