No Doubt

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• Genre: 3rd Wave Ska
• Hometown: Anaheim
• No Doubt Website

About

Surfing high on the Ska Punk wave which raged in the 1990s, No Doubt found their ticket to ride in a watered-down, polished combination of 3rd Wave Ska and punk-pop. With success on the horizon, they quickly moved into more radio-friendly pop territory, launching a career that moved beyond alternative music festivals. As image-perfect as Disneyland, which sat in their backyard, No Doubt embraced a sound and look that countered the aggressive and raw aspects of grunge and punk. What little ska sound they had became buried under tightly crafted new wave currents. The group's appeal skyrocketed with the attention-grabbing centerpiece and vocalist, Gwen Stefani. In both sound and image, Stefani stood out like a forest fire in a snowstorm. Her lofty voice soared over easily digestible, bouncy guitars and took front stage both aurally and visually. Stefani went on to worldwide fame after the band went on hiatus in 2003.

- Mark Murrmann