311

Years before Saddle Creek Records exposed the world to Omaha’s ultra-coolness, 311 played its first show there in 1990 opening for the purveyors of indie hipness, Fugazi. (No kidding.) But it wasn’t until a handful of albums into 311’s career that the Nebraska band’s fusion of hip-hop, rock, and reggae broke through to the mainstream with a self-titled sixth release that yielded hits like “Don’t Stay Home,” “Down,” and “All Mixed Up.” Two decades after forming, the act’s sound and lineup remains mostly unchanged: 2011’s Universal Pulse, the second consecutive album produced by Bob Rock, spaces vocalist Nick Hexum’s mildly sardonic cadence between 311’s signature punchy, happy rhythms and rap-rockish bass and drum lines.

Updated 07/04/2012