Primus

Primus is an American rock band formed in El Sobrante, California in 1984. The band is currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde, and drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by drummer Jay Lane, though the latter two departed the band at the beginning of 1989, and were replaced by LaLonde and Alexander respectively. Over the course of various lineup changes, Claypool is the only remaining original member left in Primus. The "classic" lineup of Claypool, LaLonde and Alexander debuted with the live album Suck on This, which was self-released in 1989 on Claypool's label Prawn Song and reissued a year later by Caroline Records. Caroline also released Primus' debut studio album Frizzle Fry (1990), which was critically well received and its underground success led to interest from major record labels. Their second studio album and major-label debut Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991), released through Interscope Records, launched the band into mainstream exposure, supported by their first charting single "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver" and receiving platinum certification within a decade after its release. Primus repeated its success with their next two albums, Pork Soda (1993) and Tales from the Punchbowl (1995), both charting in the top ten on the Billboard 200, and going platinum and gold respectively by the RIAA; the former album featured the band's top ten hit on the Billboard rock chart, "My Name Is Mud", while the latter's lead single "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" has the distinction of being their only song to chart anywhere outside of North America. Alexander left the band in 1996, and was replaced by Brain, with whom Primus went on to record the original theme song for the TV show South Park and three more studio records – Brown Album (1997), the covers EP Rhinoplasty (1998) and Antipop (1999). The band went on hiatus in 2000, but has since resumed activity, reuniting with Alexander for the EP and accompanying DVD Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People (2003), and touring sporadically before he left Primus once again in 2010. Lane rejoined the band and appeared on their seventh studio album – and its first in twelve years – Green Naugahyde (2011). Following Lane's second departure in 2013, Alexander returned to the band and Primus has since recorded two more albums with him: Primus & the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (2014) and The Desaturating Seven (2017). Primus is characterized by its irreverent, quirky approach to music. In 1993, Robert Christgau remarked: "[Primus is] quite possibly the strangest top-10 band ever, and good for them."