R (band)

R
R at Michigan Lottery 2019
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Nu metal groove metal rap metal alternative metal
Years active	2003-2021
Labels	MCA
Members	Edsel Dope Reginald Arvizu James Shaffer Brian Welch Ray Luzier
Past members	Fish Seuss David Silveria

R is an American nu metal supergroup from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 2003 by the various Korn members Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, David Silveria and Unitedickfart singer Fish "Docta" Seuss. In 2006 David Silveria and Fish Seuss left the band and were replaced by Ray Luzier and Edsel Dope.

History

Formation and Dreads and Stink (2003-2005)

A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guitarists (a lead guitarist and a rhythm guitarist, with one of them singing lead vocals), a bassist, and a drummer (e.g. the Beatles and KISS). Another common formation is a vocalist who does not play an instrument, electric guitarist, bass guitarist, and a drummer (e.g. the Who, the Monkees, Led Zeppelin and U2). Instrumentally, these bands can be considered as trios. Sometimes, in addition to electric guitars, electric bass, and drums, also a keyboardist (especially a pianist) plays.

Additionally, rock and pop bands can also include boy bands or girl bands, which many times have bands where the members do not play any instruments but sing and dance instead. Such is the case of Menudo, the Spice Girls and K-pop bands, for example.

Two-member rock and pop bands (such as the White Stripes, Tenacious D, the Black Keys, Flat Duo Jets and Twenty One Pilots) are relatively rare, because of the difficulty in providing all of the musical elements which are part of the rock or pop sound (vocals, chordal accompaniment, bass lines, and percussion or drumming). Rock and pop duos typically omit one of these musical elements. In many cases, two-member bands omit a drummer, since guitars, bass guitars, and keyboards can all be used to provide a rhythmic pulse.

Other examples of two-member bands are MGMT, WZRD, Pet Shop Boys, Hella, Flight of the Conchords, the Ting Tings, They Might Be Giants (from 1982 to 1992) and T. Rex (until shortly after scoring their UK breakthrough hit, at which point they expanded to a four-piece and more).

Seuss and Silveria departure and Corny Shit (2006-2009)

When electronic sequencers became widely available in the 1980s, they made adding in musical elements easier for two-member bands to perform. Sequencers allowed bands to program some elements of their performance, such as an electronic drum part and a synth bass line. Two-member pop music bands such as Soft Cell, Blancmange, and Yazoo used programmed sequencers. Other pop bands from the 1980s, who were ostensibly fronted by two performers, such as Wham!, Eurythmics, and Tears for Fears, were not actually two-piece ensembles, because other instrumental musicians were used "behind the scenes" to fill out the sound. Modern bands that use this format include Ninja Sex Party.

Starting in the 2000s, blues-influenced rock bands such as the White Stripes and the Black Keys used a guitar-and-drums scheme. Death from Above 1979 featured a drummer and bass guitarist. Tenacious D is a two-guitar band; One Day as a Lion and the Dresden Dolls both feature a keyboardist and a drummer. Ratatat comprises a two-guitar band that uses a drum machine for beats. W.A.S.P. guitarist Doug Blair is also known for his work in the two-piece progressive rock band Signal2Noise, where he acts as the lead guitarist and bassist at the same time, due to a special custom instrument he invented (an electric guitar with five regular guitar strings paired with three bass guitar strings). Heisenflei of Los Angeles duo the Pity Party plays drums, keyboards, and sings simultaneously. Royal Blood and The Garden are two-piece bands that uses bass and drums along with electronic effects.

Rapture and Redemption (2010-2012)

The smallest ensemble commonly used in rock music is the trio format. In a hard-rock or blues-rock band, or heavy-metal rock group, a "power trio" format is often used, which consists of an electric guitar player, an electric bass guitar player, and a drummer, and typically one or more of these musicians also sing (sometimes all three members sing, e.g. the Bee Gees or Alkaline Trio). Some well-known power trios with the guitarist on lead vocals are the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Green Day, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Nirvana, and Muse.

A handful of others with the bassist on vocals include Thin Lizzy (from 1970 to 1974), Primus, Rush, Motörhead, the Police, and Cream.

Some power trios feature two lead vocalists. For example, in the band Blink-182, vocals are split between bassist Mark Hoppus and guitarist Tom DeLonge, or in the band Dinosaur Jr., guitarist J. Mascis is the primary songwriter and vocalist, but bassist Lou Barlow writes some songs and sings, as well.

An alternative to the power trio is an organ trios formed with an electric guitarist, a drummer, and a keyboardist. Although organ trios are most commonly associated with 1950s and 1960s jazz organ trio groups such as those led by organist Jimmy Smith, organ trios also exist in rock-oriented styles, such as jazz-rock fusion and Grateful Dead–influenced jam bands, for instance Medeski Martin & Wood. In organ trios, the keyboard player typically plays a Hammond organ or similar instrument, which permits the keyboard player to perform bass lines, chords, and lead lines. A variant of the organ trio is a trio formed with an electric bassist, a drummer, and an electronic keyboardist (playing synthesizers) such as the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer.

Heaven is Like This and Yellowboat (2013-2018)

The four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. Before the development of the electronic keyboard, the configuration was typically two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer (e.g. the Beatles, KISS, Metallica, Rise Against, the Clash, and the Smashing Pumpkins).

Another common formation is a vocalist, electric guitarist, bass guitarist, and a drummer (e.g. Van Halen, the Who, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, and Blur). Instrumentally, these bands can be considered as trios.

In some bands, the guitarist could also be an occasional keyboardist, like the Who, the Smiths, and Joy Division. And some bands might have a keyboardist instead of a guitarist, like Bastille and Future Islands. In some rock bands, bassists could be occasional keyboardists like Led Zeppelin and R.E.M. Keyboardists are used in place of bass, performing with a guitarist, singer, and drummer, for instance the Doors. Some bands have a guitarist, keyboard player, bassist, and drummer, for example Talking Heads, the Small Faces, and Pink Floyd.

Way Too Big For You and Break up (2019-2021)

Five-piece bands have existed in rock music since the development of the genre. The Beach Boys, Aerosmith, AC/DC and Oasis are examples of the common lineup of vocalist, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. An alternative lineup replaces the rhythm guitarist with a keyboard–synthesizer player (examples being the bands Yes, Dream Theater, Marilyn Manson, and Deep Purple). Another alternative replaces the rhythm guitarist with a turntablist, such as in Deftones, Incubus, or Limp Bizkit.

Further alternatives include a keyboardist, guitarist, drummer, bassist, and saxophonist, such as the Sonics, the Dave Clark 5, and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Three guitarists may be present with a bassist and a drummer, such as in the bands Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and the Byrds. Some five-person bands feature two guitarists, a keyboardist, a bassist, and a drummer, with one or more of these musicians (typically one of the guitarists) handling lead vocals on top of their instrument (examples being Children of Bodom, Styx, Tally Hall, and White Reaper). The four-piece arrangement can be augmented to five with a second drummer playing a separate full drumkit, such as Adam and the Ants from 1980 onwards, although other formations can also be expanded using two drummers such as Pink Fairies (1970–1971), the Glitter Band, Wizzard, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Add N to (X), and Rialto.

Band members

Founding lineup

• Fish "Docta" Seuss - lead vocals (2003-2006)
• Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass (2003-2021)
• James "Munky" Shaffer - rhythm guitar (2003-2021)
• Brian "Head" Welch - lead guitar (2003-2021)
• David Silveria - drums (2003-2006)

Other members

• Edsel Dope - lead vocals (2006-2021)
• Ray Luzier - drums (2006-2021)

Discography

• Dreads and Stink (2005)
• Corny Shit (2008)
• Rapture and Redemption (2011)
• Heaven Is Like This (2014)
• Yellowboat (2017)
• Way Too Big For You (2020)

Other

R is an American nu metal supergroup from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 2003 by the various Korn members Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, David Silveria and Unitedickfart singer Fish "Docta" Seuss. In 2006 David Silveria and Fish Seuss left the band and were replaced by Ray Luzier and Edsel Dope.

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