Transplants

:For the surgical procedure, see Organ transplant.

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The Transplants are an American punk rock supergroup. They formed in 1999 when Tim Armstrong of the band Rancid played his friend and roadie Rob Aston some beats he had made using Pro Tools and asked Rob if he would consider contributing lyrics. Initially, Tim played all the instruments himself but as the project grew, he invited musician friends such as Matt Freeman (Rancid), Lars Frederiksen(Rancid), and Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers) to add to the sound. Before long, Tim and Rob decided to officially form a band, but to make things complete, they wanted a drummer, so Travis Barker from blink-182 was asked to join in 2002.

Related Topics:
American - Punk rock - Supergroup - 1999 - Tim Armstrong - Rancid - Rob Aston - Pro Tools - Matt Freeman - Lars Frederiksen - The Slackers - Travis Barker - Blink-182

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Tim first became inspired to work with loops and samples after being introduced to London's speed/garage scene by Kerrang! magazine writer Morat in the mid-90s.

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The group's music is a combination of hip hop, reggae, drum n bass, dub, and punk, but not necessarily all at once. Although many are used sparingly throughout the album, punk and rap remain as the prominent styles. Lyrically, Rob Aston describes their songs as ranging from topics such as murder ("Quick Death") to the passing of a loved one ("Sad But True") to failed friendships ("We Trusted You").

Related Topics:
Hip hop - Reggae - Drum n bass - Dub - Punk

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After two years of recording, they released their debut album Transplants on Hellcat Records in October 2002. In the end, the album was recorded and mixed entirely in Tim's basement. Special guest vocalists included Eric Ozenne (Nerve Agents), Davey Havok (AFI), Danny Diablo, Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) and Brody Dalle (The Distillers, ex-wife of Tim). Brody sings on the track "Weigh On My Mind", which Tim then described as "their song".

Related Topics:
Transplants - Hellcat Records - October 2002 - Nerve Agents - AFI - Rancid - Brody Dalle - The Distillers

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The singles, "Diamonds and Guns" and "D.J. D.J.", quickly became MTV favorites and earned the band critical and commercial success. "Diamonds and Guns" and its unmistakable piano hook played by co-producer Dave Carlock continues to win new fans through TV commercials for Garnier Fructis shampoo. The band followed up the record's success by touring with the Foo Fighters.

Related Topics:
MTV - Dave Carlock - Garnier Fructis - Foo Fighters

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After the 2005 blink-182 hiatus Travis Barker has said that he is returning to working with Transplants and Plus 44, a side project with blink's Mark Hoppus. A second album, titled Haunted Cities, was released in June 2005.

Related Topics:
Blink-182 - Travis Barker - Plus 44 - Mark Hoppus - Haunted Cities - June 2005

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