Better Than Ezra
Encyclopedia
Better Than Ezra is an American alternative rock
trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana
.
; Joel Rundell
, the lead guitarist; bassist Tom Drummond
; and drummer, Cary Bonnecaze. All four members were attending Louisiana State University
at the time of Better Than Ezra's formation. Better Than Ezra's first public performance was at Murphy's in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
, also in 1988. Though many theories abound, the band refuses to disclose the origin of its name. Fans of the group often refer to themselves as Ezralites.
Better Than Ezra circulated a demo cassette tape later in 1988, the Chimes Street Demo. While not an official release, this demo is sought-after by the band's fans, and traded by collectors. In 1990 the band released a cassette-only album, Surprise.
Joel Rundell, the band's lead guitarist, committed suicide on August 8, 1990. The remaining three members of the band took some time off to reassess its future following Rundell's death. However, Griffin, Drummond and Bonnecaze reunited Better Than Ezra as a trio
by the end of 1990. The trio continued playing house parties and fraternity shows across southern United States during the early 1990s.
The band released its first nationally-distributed album Deluxe in 1993 on its own indie label, Swell Records, which caught the attention of major record labels and radio. Better Than Ezra signed with Elektra Records in 1995. Elektra Records
rereleased Deluxe in 1995 and the single, "Good
", reached the #1 position on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart which helped push the album to platinum record
status by the end of 1995.
Success came quickly to Better Than Ezra. Tom Drummond commented later in a 1998 interview with CNN
, "It took us seven years to get signed, and then seven weeks to get to No. 1." when describing the overnight success of Deluxe and its single "Good
".
, who was tapped to play on the band's upcoming album, Friction Baby. Bonnecaze's departure set off a series of lawsuits and counter-suits between Bonnecaze and Better Than Ezra. Bonnecaze, who brought his suit to the United States District Court
in New Orleans, argued that the band owed him money "based on his role in fortifying the band's reputation
," according to Rolling Stone
. He asked for approximately $1 million dollars in damages. A settlement was reached between the band and Bonnecaze on August 5, 1999. The exact terms of the settlement were not released at the time, though Better Than Ezra's manager John Isbell was quoted as saying that Bonnecaze received "way less" than the one million dollars he had originally requested.
Better Than Ezra released their second major label album, Friction, Baby
, in 1996 through Elektra Records. Friction, Baby produced the hits "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans". Their sophomore release was not as commercially successful as Deluxe, but, as of 1999, sold almost 500,000 units.
The trio began work on their third major release, How Does Your Garden Grow?
, soon after the end of touring for Friction, Baby. The album was recorded between mid-January and late-April at a studio in New Orleans. The album was produced by record producer
Malcolm Burn
and released on August 25, 1998. The album was described as "experimental" and a significant departure from their previous two albums. Griffin described the album in 1998 as "guitar driven ... rhythmic." Likewise, Tom Drummond described the band's thinking on its third major album, "We thought the third album was a very important record, because generally a band either makes or breaks on the third record. We wanted it to be a record that didn't necessarily sound like what people expected." Despite the emphasis on guitar experimentation, two tracks, "One More Murder" and "Je ne m'en souviens pas" contain no guitars.
The single
"At the Stars" debuted, and peaked, at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The band was dropped by Elektra Records following the release of How Does Your Garden Grow?
in 1999.
Subsequent album releases from Better Than Ezra include Closer
, (Beyond Records, 2001), Before the Robots
, (Artemis Records, 2005) and Paper Empire
.
and rarities collection Artifakt on its own "Ezra Dry Goods/Fudge" label in 2000. Artifakt was only sold online. Tom Drummond, the band's bassist, noted in 2002, "It's basically an album full of rarities."
Better Than Ezra, now no longer with Elektra Records, signed with the Beyond Records label and began work on new material. Drummond explained the reasoning for choosing a smaller label, "We decided we wanted to be big fish in a small pond instead of a little fish in a big pond. We just wanted to be with a label who wanted success as much as we did."
Griffin, Drummond and McNabb spent 18 months working on Closer
, their follow-up album to 1998's How Does Your Garden Grow?
and their first new material since being dropped by Elektra Records. The album was recorded in New Orleans in the band's own studio, which allowed the members to focus on creating music rather than rental costs per day. Closer was mixed in Los Angeles by Better Than Ezra and the album's producer, Brad Wood
. However, the band felt that some tracks needed scratching. Producer Brad Wood's management company recommended DJ Swamp
, who had previously worked with Beck
, to mix several tracks. The use of a DJ for two of the album's tracks, the first single "Extra Ordinary" and "Recognize," marked a departure for the band, who hadn't previously employed a DJ before.
Closer was released on August 7, 2001. Better Than Ezra launched a tour in support of the album on July 26, 2001. The first single off the album, "Extra Ordinary," which had been mixed by DJ Swamp, was inspired by an AC/DC
song. The album's promotion hit a snag after its record label, Beyond Records, went out of business in 2002 shortly after Closers release. Beyond Record's bankruptcy left Closer out of print for several years. In June 2009, Better Than Ezra announced that it had acquired the rights to Closer and would re-release it in the Fall of 2009 with two new previously unreleased tracks, "Simple Song" and "Screwed Up and Beautiful."
In June 2001, Better Than Ezra filmed a series of commercials for ESPN
's College GameDay
. The promo features the band while sports analyst Lee Corso
crowd surfs
to the stage, where he continues his sports reporting.
On September 28, 2004, the band simultaneously released their first live concert DVD, as well as an official live album, both entitled Live at the House of Blues New Orleans
through Sanctuary Records
. The DVD and album were filmed and recorded at two separate shows at the House of Blues
in New Orleans during the summer of 2004.
A Greatest Hits
collection was released on March 15, 2005, through Rhino Entertainment
, a division of the Warner Music Group
.
Better Than Ezra's sixth studio album entitled Before the Robots
(Artemis Records), was released on May 31, 2005. In 2005, Desperate Housewives
creator Marc Cherry
used the band's song "Juicy
" as the background music for the second season of the show's promotional advertisements, which Griffin credited with bringing attention to the album. The song "Juicy" has also been heard in the background in commercials for Applebee's restaurants.
. The primary reason given for his departure was the demand on his time by country
and bluegrass
group, Sugarland, with whom McNabb had previously been touring for some time. The split was amicable, with bassist Tom Drummond saying, "It's bittersweet. He's fantastic. We're still good friends, and there are no hard feelings. We'll miss him. But this is an opportunity he needed to take."
Announced at the same time was McNabb's replacement, New Orleans-based drummer Michael Jerome
, formerly of the band Pleasure Club. In addition, Better Than Ezra announced the May 12, 2009 release date for their seventh studio album, entitled Paper Empire
, which is produced by Warren Huart
and singer Kevin Griffin. The first single, "Absolutely Still
" was released for iTunes
purchase on March 17.
On January 22, 2010, American country-pop singer Taylor Swift
covered "Breathless" at a performance on Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief
, a charity telethon to benefit the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
trio based in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
.
Formation and early success
Better Than Ezra was formed in 1988 by its four original members - vocalist and guitarist Kevin GriffinKevin Griffin
Kevin Griffin is an American guitarist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter.Griffin formed the alternative rock band Better Than Ezra in 1988. The band had great success in the 1990s with hits such as "Good", "In the Blood", and "Desperately Wanting", and has continued in the 2000s with hits such...
; Joel Rundell
Joel Rundell
Joel Rundell was one of the four original members of the Louisiana- based alternative rock band Better Than Ezra. He formed the group, along with the other original members, while attending Louisiana State University....
, the lead guitarist; bassist Tom Drummond
Tom Drummond (musician)
Tom Melville Drummond is an American musician. He is currently the bassist and background vocalist for the band, Better Than Ezra....
; and drummer, Cary Bonnecaze. All four members were attending Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
at the time of Better Than Ezra's formation. Better Than Ezra's first public performance was at Murphy's in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
, also in 1988. Though many theories abound, the band refuses to disclose the origin of its name. Fans of the group often refer to themselves as Ezralites.
Better Than Ezra circulated a demo cassette tape later in 1988, the Chimes Street Demo. While not an official release, this demo is sought-after by the band's fans, and traded by collectors. In 1990 the band released a cassette-only album, Surprise.
Joel Rundell, the band's lead guitarist, committed suicide on August 8, 1990. The remaining three members of the band took some time off to reassess its future following Rundell's death. However, Griffin, Drummond and Bonnecaze reunited Better Than Ezra as a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
by the end of 1990. The trio continued playing house parties and fraternity shows across southern United States during the early 1990s.
The band released its first nationally-distributed album Deluxe in 1993 on its own indie label, Swell Records, which caught the attention of major record labels and radio. Better Than Ezra signed with Elektra Records in 1995. Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
rereleased Deluxe in 1995 and the single, "Good
Good (song)
"Good" is a 1995 song by Better Than Ezra, released as the first single from their major-label debut album, Deluxe. The song would prove to be one of the biggest alternative rock songs of the year...
", reached the #1 position on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart which helped push the album to platinum record
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
status by the end of 1995.
Success came quickly to Better Than Ezra. Tom Drummond commented later in a 1998 interview with CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, "It took us seven years to get signed, and then seven weeks to get to No. 1." when describing the overnight success of Deluxe and its single "Good
Good (song)
"Good" is a 1995 song by Better Than Ezra, released as the first single from their major-label debut album, Deluxe. The song would prove to be one of the biggest alternative rock songs of the year...
".
1996–2000
After Deluxes major label release, original drummer Cary Bonnecaze left the band in 1996. He was replaced by drummer Travis McNabb, formerly of the band Vigilantes of LoveVigilantes of Love
Vigilantes of Love is a rock band fronted by Bill Mallonee with a large number of secondary players drawn from the musician pool in and around Athens, Georgia...
, who was tapped to play on the band's upcoming album, Friction Baby. Bonnecaze's departure set off a series of lawsuits and counter-suits between Bonnecaze and Better Than Ezra. Bonnecaze, who brought his suit to the United States District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
in New Orleans, argued that the band owed him money "based on his role in fortifying the band's reputation
Reputation
Reputation of a social entity is an opinion about that entity, typically a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria...
," according to Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. He asked for approximately $1 million dollars in damages. A settlement was reached between the band and Bonnecaze on August 5, 1999. The exact terms of the settlement were not released at the time, though Better Than Ezra's manager John Isbell was quoted as saying that Bonnecaze received "way less" than the one million dollars he had originally requested.
Better Than Ezra released their second major label album, Friction, Baby
Friction, Baby
Friction, Baby is Better Than Ezra's third album. It was released on August 13, 1996. After this album was released, they took the year off in 1997 after touring.The album's title comes from a television interview with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones...
, in 1996 through Elektra Records. Friction, Baby produced the hits "Desperately Wanting" and "King of New Orleans". Their sophomore release was not as commercially successful as Deluxe, but, as of 1999, sold almost 500,000 units.
The trio began work on their third major release, How Does Your Garden Grow?
How Does Your Garden Grow?
How Does Your Garden Grow? is a 1998 album by American alternative rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was the band's fourth album, and their second with drummer Travis Aaron McNabb. It was released on August 25, 1998 by Elektra Records....
, soon after the end of touring for Friction, Baby. The album was recorded between mid-January and late-April at a studio in New Orleans. The album was produced by record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Malcolm Burn
Malcolm Burn
Malcolm Burn is a Canadian-born music producer, recording engineer and musician. In 2001, he won a Grammy Award with Jim Watts and Emmylou Harris for his work on Harris's Red Dirt Girl. -Biography:...
and released on August 25, 1998. The album was described as "experimental" and a significant departure from their previous two albums. Griffin described the album in 1998 as "guitar driven ... rhythmic." Likewise, Tom Drummond described the band's thinking on its third major album, "We thought the third album was a very important record, because generally a band either makes or breaks on the third record. We wanted it to be a record that didn't necessarily sound like what people expected." Despite the emphasis on guitar experimentation, two tracks, "One More Murder" and "Je ne m'en souviens pas" contain no guitars.
The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"At the Stars" debuted, and peaked, at number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The band was dropped by Elektra Records following the release of How Does Your Garden Grow?
How Does Your Garden Grow?
How Does Your Garden Grow? is a 1998 album by American alternative rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was the band's fourth album, and their second with drummer Travis Aaron McNabb. It was released on August 25, 1998 by Elektra Records....
in 1999.
Subsequent album releases from Better Than Ezra include Closer
Closer (Better Than Ezra album)
Closer is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans-based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on August 7, 2001 by Beyond Records. Closer initially performed better than its predecessor, How Does Your Garden Grow?, peaking at #110 on the Billboard charts...
, (Beyond Records, 2001), Before the Robots
Before the Robots
Before the Robots is the studio follow-up album to Better Than Ezra's 2001 studio release Closer and debut album on Artemis Records. It was released on April 4, 2005, internationally and a day later in North America....
, (Artemis Records, 2005) and Paper Empire
Paper Empire
Paper Empire is the seventh studio album by the New Orleans-based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on May 12, 2009 by Red Distribution. It is the first album to feature new drummer Michael Jerome following the departure of former drummer Travis McNabb in February 2009 after 13 years...
.
2000–2008
The band released the B-SidesA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
and rarities collection Artifakt on its own "Ezra Dry Goods/Fudge" label in 2000. Artifakt was only sold online. Tom Drummond, the band's bassist, noted in 2002, "It's basically an album full of rarities."
Better Than Ezra, now no longer with Elektra Records, signed with the Beyond Records label and began work on new material. Drummond explained the reasoning for choosing a smaller label, "We decided we wanted to be big fish in a small pond instead of a little fish in a big pond. We just wanted to be with a label who wanted success as much as we did."
Griffin, Drummond and McNabb spent 18 months working on Closer
Closer (Better Than Ezra album)
Closer is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans-based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on August 7, 2001 by Beyond Records. Closer initially performed better than its predecessor, How Does Your Garden Grow?, peaking at #110 on the Billboard charts...
, their follow-up album to 1998's How Does Your Garden Grow?
How Does Your Garden Grow?
How Does Your Garden Grow? is a 1998 album by American alternative rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was the band's fourth album, and their second with drummer Travis Aaron McNabb. It was released on August 25, 1998 by Elektra Records....
and their first new material since being dropped by Elektra Records. The album was recorded in New Orleans in the band's own studio, which allowed the members to focus on creating music rather than rental costs per day. Closer was mixed in Los Angeles by Better Than Ezra and the album's producer, Brad Wood
Brad Wood
Brad Wood is a record producer from Rockford, Illinois. He served as a drummer for the band Shrimp Boat. Brad records, mixes and produces records and is based in Los Angeles, California. He began his career in earnest in 1988 with the construction of Idful Music Corporation- a recording studio in...
. However, the band felt that some tracks needed scratching. Producer Brad Wood's management company recommended DJ Swamp
DJ Swamp
Ronald K. Keys Jr. aka DJ Swamp is an American hip hop DJ/turntablist and hip hop producer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. In 1996, he took the title of US DMC Champion, his first year entering the tournament. Swamp toured with Beck for four years and later broke away into a solo career with...
, who had previously worked with Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, to mix several tracks. The use of a DJ for two of the album's tracks, the first single "Extra Ordinary" and "Recognize," marked a departure for the band, who hadn't previously employed a DJ before.
Closer was released on August 7, 2001. Better Than Ezra launched a tour in support of the album on July 26, 2001. The first single off the album, "Extra Ordinary," which had been mixed by DJ Swamp, was inspired by an AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
song. The album's promotion hit a snag after its record label, Beyond Records, went out of business in 2002 shortly after Closers release. Beyond Record's bankruptcy left Closer out of print for several years. In June 2009, Better Than Ezra announced that it had acquired the rights to Closer and would re-release it in the Fall of 2009 with two new previously unreleased tracks, "Simple Song" and "Screwed Up and Beautiful."
In June 2001, Better Than Ezra filmed a series of commercials for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's College GameDay
College GameDay
College GameDay is an ESPN entertainment show previewing college football games. It first aired in 1987 with Tim Brando as host and Lee Corso and Beano Cook as commentators. Beginning more-or-less as a report on college football games, the show would undergo a radical transformation beginning in...
. The promo features the band while sports analyst Lee Corso
Lee Corso
Leland "Lee" Corso is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football through NCAA Football 11...
crowd surfs
Crowd surfing
Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person during a concert, transferring the person from one part of the venue to another...
to the stage, where he continues his sports reporting.
On September 28, 2004, the band simultaneously released their first live concert DVD, as well as an official live album, both entitled Live at the House of Blues New Orleans
Live at the House of Blues New Orleans (Better Than Ezra album)
Live at House of Blues New Orleans is a live album and DVD released by the band Better Than Ezra on September 28, 2004. The album and DVD were recorded and filmed at two separate shows at the House of Blues in New Orleans during the summer of 2004....
through Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records
Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest independent music management company in the world...
. The DVD and album were filmed and recorded at two separate shows at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
in New Orleans during the summer of 2004.
A Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Better Than Ezra album)
Greatest Hits is a 2005 greatest-hits album by Better Than Ezra, released by Rhino Records.-Track listing:# "King of New Orleans" # "Good"...
collection was released on March 15, 2005, through Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
, a division of the Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
.
Better Than Ezra's sixth studio album entitled Before the Robots
Before the Robots
Before the Robots is the studio follow-up album to Better Than Ezra's 2001 studio release Closer and debut album on Artemis Records. It was released on April 4, 2005, internationally and a day later in North America....
(Artemis Records), was released on May 31, 2005. In 2005, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
creator Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry
Marc Cherry is an American writer and producer, best known for creating the show Desperate Housewives.-Early life and career:...
used the band's song "Juicy
Juicy (Better Than Ezra song)
"Juicy" was the third hit single from Better Than Ezra's 2005 album Before the Robots.The song was the follow-up single to 2005's "A Lifetime", which was the band's highest-charting single in four years...
" as the background music for the second season of the show's promotional advertisements, which Griffin credited with bringing attention to the album. The song "Juicy" has also been heard in the background in commercials for Applebee's restaurants.
2009–2010
Longtime drummer Travis McNabb left Better Than Ezra in February 2009, and their last performance together was Family Gras in Metairie, LouisianaMetairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
. The primary reason given for his departure was the demand on his time by country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
group, Sugarland, with whom McNabb had previously been touring for some time. The split was amicable, with bassist Tom Drummond saying, "It's bittersweet. He's fantastic. We're still good friends, and there are no hard feelings. We'll miss him. But this is an opportunity he needed to take."
Announced at the same time was McNabb's replacement, New Orleans-based drummer Michael Jerome
Michael Jerome
Michael Jerome Moore, born in Wichita, Kansas, is an American rock musician and drummer. Jerome is a former member of the Toadies , Course of Empire and James Hall's band Pleasure Club, which was formed in 2002. He was also a member of the Saginaw, Texas band Pop Poppins...
, formerly of the band Pleasure Club. In addition, Better Than Ezra announced the May 12, 2009 release date for their seventh studio album, entitled Paper Empire
Paper Empire
Paper Empire is the seventh studio album by the New Orleans-based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on May 12, 2009 by Red Distribution. It is the first album to feature new drummer Michael Jerome following the departure of former drummer Travis McNabb in February 2009 after 13 years...
, which is produced by Warren Huart
Warren Huart
Warren Huart is an English record producer/musician/composer and recording engineer based in Los Angeles, California. He currently lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, California with his wife and son.- Biography :...
and singer Kevin Griffin. The first single, "Absolutely Still
Absolutely Still
"Absolutely Still" is the first single from Better Than Ezra's seventh studio album, Paper Empire, Produced by Warren Huart and Better Than Ezra lead Singer Kevin Griffin....
" was released for iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
purchase on March 17.
On January 22, 2010, American country-pop singer Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
covered "Breathless" at a performance on Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief
Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief
Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief was a charity telethon held on January 22, 2010 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time . The telethon was the most widely distributed telethon in history...
, a charity telethon to benefit the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
Current members
In addition to vocalist, chief songwriter and guitarist Kevin Griffin, the other current members of Better Than Ezra as of February 2009 are bassist and backing vocalist Tom Drummond and drummer Michael Jerome, who joined the band in 2009. In addition, James Arthur Payne accompanies the band on tour, singing background vocals and playing supplemental guitar and keyboard accompaniment.Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales threshold) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Rock | US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
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| 1990 | Surprise
|
— | — | — | — | ||||
| 1993 | Deluxe
|
35 | — | — | 3 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Platinum Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... : Gold |
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| 1996 | Friction, Baby Friction, Baby Friction, Baby is Better Than Ezra's third album. It was released on August 13, 1996. After this album was released, they took the year off in 1997 after touring.The album's title comes from a television interview with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones...
|
64 | — | — | — | ||||
| 1998 | How Does Your Garden Grow? How Does Your Garden Grow? How Does Your Garden Grow? is a 1998 album by American alternative rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was the band's fourth album, and their second with drummer Travis Aaron McNabb. It was released on August 25, 1998 by Elektra Records....
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129 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2001 | Closer Closer (Better Than Ezra album) Closer is the fifth studio album by the New Orleans-based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on August 7, 2001 by Beyond Records. Closer initially performed better than its predecessor, How Does Your Garden Grow?, peaking at #110 on the Billboard charts...
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110 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2005 | Before the Robots Before the Robots Before the Robots is the studio follow-up album to Better Than Ezra's 2001 studio release Closer and debut album on Artemis Records. It was released on April 4, 2005, internationally and a day later in North America....
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84 | — | 3 | — | ||||
| 2009 | Paper Empire Paper Empire Paper Empire is the seventh studio album by the New Orleans-based rock trio Better Than Ezra. It was released on May 12, 2009 by Red Distribution. It is the first album to feature new drummer Michael Jerome following the departure of former drummer Travis McNabb in February 2009 after 13 years...
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62 | 17 | 7 | — | ||||
| 2011 | Death Valley ep
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— | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Artifakt
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| 2005 | Greatest Hits Greatest Hits (Better Than Ezra album) Greatest Hits is a 2005 greatest-hits album by Better Than Ezra, released by Rhino Records.-Track listing:# "King of New Orleans" # "Good"...
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Live albums/DVDs
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2004 | Live at the House of Blues, New Orleans
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Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Mod | US Main | US Pop | US Adult Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks Adult Top 40 is a variation on the United States Billboard charts... |
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| 1995 | "Good Good (song) "Good" is a 1995 song by Better Than Ezra, released as the first single from their major-label debut album, Deluxe. The song would prove to be one of the biggest alternative rock songs of the year... " |
30 | 1 | 3 | 17 | — | Deluxe | ||
| "In the Blood In the Blood (song) "In the Blood" is a song by Better Than Ezra, released in 1995 as the second radio single from the band's major-label debut album Deluxe. The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, and reached number six on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was not eligible to... " |
— | 4 | 6 | — | — | ||||
| "Rosealia" | 71 | 24 | — | 39 | — | ||||
| 1996 | "King of New Orleans" | — | 5 | 7 | — | — | Friction, Baby | ||
| 1997 | "Desperately Wanting" | 48 | 11 | 10 | 37 | 37 | |||
| 1998 | "One More Murder" | — | 32 | — | — | — | How Does Your Garden Grow? | ||
| 1999 | "At the Stars" | 78 | 17 | — | 25 | 23 | |||
| 2001 | "Extra Ordinary" | — | 35 | — | — | 13 | Closer | ||
| 2005 | "A Lifetime A Lifetime "A Lifetime" is a 2005 single by the American alternative rock band Better Than Ezra. It was originally released on the band's 2001 album Closer. However, a new, re-recorded version , appeared on the 2005 album Before the Robots.-Content:On the surface, the song is about how a group of friends... " |
— | — | — | — | 13 | Before the Robots | ||
| "Our Last Night" | — | — | — | — | 28 | ||||
| 2006 | "Juicy Juicy (Better Than Ezra song) "Juicy" was the third hit single from Better Than Ezra's 2005 album Before the Robots.The song was the follow-up single to 2005's "A Lifetime", which was the band's highest-charting single in four years... " |
— | — | — | — | 19 | |||
| 2009 | "Absolutely Still Absolutely Still "Absolutely Still" is the first single from Better Than Ezra's seventh studio album, Paper Empire, Produced by Warren Huart and Better Than Ezra lead Singer Kevin Griffin.... " |
— | — | — | — | — | Paper Empire | ||
| "Just One Day" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
B-sides and rare tracks
- "Circle of Friends" (1995) (Empire Records soundtrackEmpire RecordsEmpire Records is a 1995 coming of age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. The employees of this independent music store try to fight off a large chain, all while learning about each other...
/Surprise) - "Know You Better" (1995) ("Good" B-Side)
- "Merry Christmas Eve" (1996) ("Rosealia" B-side)
- "Palace Hotel" (1996) ("Desperately Wanting" B-side)
- "Road Trip to Athens" (1996) ("King of New Orleans" B-side)
- "Revolver"
- "Imperfect" (Streamed on website)
- "Cars Crash" (Website download)
- "Dirty Work" (Steely DanSteely DanSteely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
cover) (Website download) - "Tom Collins" ("One More Murder" B-side)
- "Simple Song" (Streamed on both Better Than Ezra and Kevin Griffin's MySpace profiles)
- "Stall" (Better Than Ezra Live @ New Orleans House of Blues)
- "Cold Year" (Better Than Ezra Live @ New Orleans House of Blues)
- "False River" (played live on the air at KLSU in 1993)
- "Chain Smokin'" (bonus song on Christmas cassingle)
- "Conjunction Junction" (Schoolhouse Rock! RocksSchoolhouse Rock! RocksSchoolhouse Rock! Rocks is a tribute album based on the Emmy Award-winning animated TV series, Schoolhouse Rock!. It was released by Atlantic/Hollywood Records in 1996 and contains 15 tracks, the original "Schoolhouse Rocky" theme and covers of 14 songs from the series performed by popular music...
tribute album)