Sublime
Sublime Biopic in the Works With Sony, Director Francis Lawrence
The short-lived but influential California reggae-tinged rock trio Sublime is the latest group to receive the biopic treatment, this time from director Francis Lawrence, screenwriter Chris Mundy and Sony’s 3000 Pictures. The project will be executive produced by surviving Sublime members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, as well as late frontman Bradley Nowell’s widow Troy and son Jakob. “Wow — we can’t believe this is finally happening and we couldn’t be more honored and excited to have the great Francis Lawrence and Chris Mundy telling our story. We are so grateful to Peter Paterno and Dave Kaplan/Surfdog for their years of persistence and vision in getting this film going and thankful to Sony’s 3000 Pictures and Chernin Entertainment for believing in us and getting it on the big screen,” the b...
The 90 Greatest Albums of the ’90s
This article originally appeared in the September 1999 issue of SPIN. “You must be high.” We heard that a lot during the time we spent preparing this issue. Which is understandable. Pronouncing the 90 greatest albums of the ’90s is a somewhat presumptuous thing to do. When you’re measuring the music this decade is offering to history—the sounds we partied with, copulated to, fought about, and wept over—everyone has an opinion. That ours should be more valid than yours is debatable. But hey—it’s our magazine. What, then, you ask, constitutes “greatest”? Don’t even start. Suffice it to say that, after much heated discussion and countless veiled insults, it came down to the factors of both remarkable artistry and cultural shock value. Sometimes a record’s knock-you-off-your-Skechers impa...
Sublime Are Going All Out for the 25th Anniversary of Their Self-Titled Album
Sublime’s iconic self-titled album turns 25 on July 30, and the band’s celebrating in a big way. In the coming months, the reggae-rockers are publishing a graphic novel via Z2 Comics called Sublime: $5 at the Door; collaborating with AleSmith Brewing Company for limited edition Sublime Mexican Lager 19.2oz beer cans; sharing official music videos for “Garden Grove” and “Pawn Shop;” and releasing a covers and remixes project spearheaded by Travis Barker. The band members will also be presented with platinum plaques during a virtual ceremony. Drummer Bud Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson will be in attendance, and Bradley Nowell’s plaque will be accepted on his behalf by his widow Troy DenDekker and son Jakob Nowell. “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since self-titled album has come out,”...
Drug Bust: Our 1997 Sublime Feature
A version of this article originally appeared in the January 1997 issue of SPIN. On the 25th anniversary of Bradley Nowell’s death, we’re republishing the story here. The smog blows east from the coast and there’s nothing to obscure this rooftop Long Beach vantage. You can see the endless strip of sandy shoreline—which established Long Beach as a tourist mecca—and the nearby oil refineries—which helped foot the tab. Facing away from the beach, there’s a hint of LBC, the ghettosphere where gangstas plot revenge and their next hard-core hit. Look straight down in all directions, though, and you spot patches of backyard green, little plots punctuated by sprinklers, crabgrass, hibachis, and Evinrudes. This is the flagstone cradle that rocked Sublime into early prominence. “We were, like,...
Brad Nowell’s Family Keeps Hope Alive for Sublime Frontman’s Rehab Facility
Being the younger sibling of Sublime frontman Brad Nowell can be hard sometimes for Kellie Nowell, who never grew up wanting the spotlight. On his birthday and the anniversary of his death from an overdose in 1996, generations of fans mourn the loss of Long Beach’s influential frontman, but Kellie says she would opt to stay inside and keep her pain and sorrow to herself. “I think for about 15 years after he died, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I didn’t want to hear music I didn’t want to, you know, just, I just couldn’t handle it,” she tells SPIN. As years went by, the love shown by fans allowed her to open up little by little as emails, Facebook messages and the desire for a tangible connection to Brad showed Kellie the importance of allowing herself to let people in for the sake of hon...
The Most Influential Artists: #34 Sublime
As part of our 35th-anniversary, we’re naming the most influential artists of the past 35 years. Today, we’re at #34. From Long Beach, California, here’s Sublime. CREDIT: Steve Eichner/WireImage They were a comet, a shooting star, fill in whatever cliche you want here. But there’s no mistaking that Sublime — love ‘em or hate ‘em — were an entire genre and subculture unto themselves. Over Caribbean-inspired reggae grooves, Bradley Nowell channeled personal pain (including his struggles with addiction) and sometimes tasteless humor into his laidback songwriting. Over 25 years later, it’s hard to find someone who hasn’t been infected by the Sublime party lifestyle. In fact, two and a half decades after Nowell’s death from a heroin overdose, Sublime remain a cultural touchstone. Just ask the w...
