Pepper, It On (Hawaii's Island Rock Band, Overshadowed by R.H.C.P.?)

Because this band has the name Pepper, they may not be the easiest band to find, and ontop of that there is the more popular Red Hot Chili Peppers that do have somewhat similar music and so, perhaps the band is overshadowed by them because of this? This band does not deal with "Pepper" James Keenan of Corrosion of Conformity (but all are great bands in their own respect). If you like reggae rock then you may know of: S.O.J.A., Rebelution, Iration, The Expendables, and so on. But, do these bands owe more than one might know to this band featured here?

Pepper began their activity around Kona or Kailua-Kona area of Hawaii around 1996 (while R.H.C.P. Sublime, and 311 began in the 80's and according to my sources the band has cited Sublime as a major influence) this band's mixing of reggae and rock could have influenced the more modern bands in the genre from the previous list and the band itself may have been heavily influenced by R.H.C.P. and the other two.) The vocalist Kaleo Wassman and drummer and Yesod Williams are the founding members. But the band has mainly been a trio as well all of the members do vocals.

The first album by the band was a "Seven-Song Demo" in 1997 and from there the band would go on to blend soft and hard rock music along with what one could consider "Reggae" and "island music. because the aforementioned bands that are more modern in the genre are mixing harder rock and some metal, perhaps this band's similar mix at times was an inspiration for those bands? However, every time I search for Pepper, Rhcp and other larger known bands pop up; much the same my compatriots and humans am forced to be in contact with all seem to not know of this group.

Their second demo was out in 2000 and it was called Give'n-It which was done by the band first, and then second by Volcom Records, then "Cornerstone RAS" records, and later again by what appears to be the band's own label "LAW Records" the following is the tracklist: 1. "Unsafe Bridge" 2. "Feels Good" 3. "Regret Is" 4. "Prank Caller" 5. "Reverse" 6. "No Reason" 7. "Kelis Song" 8. "Forever" 9. "Your Way" 10. "Do This" 11. "Bad Idea" 12. "Ho's (Live)" 13. "Bonefire (Live)" 14.   "4 (Live)" 15. "Splooge (Acoustic)" 16. "D-425 (Acoustic)" 17. "Loving Arms (Acoustic)" 18. "Ho's (Acoustic)" 19. "Sitting On The Curb (Acoustic)"

The island group would then peak the interest of Volcom's music label in 1999. The first release that included the band was The Early Poems of Volcom Entertainment the song list is: 1. THE LINE - "No Fun No Fare" 2. CKY - "Disengage the simulator" 3. BUENO - "Glory Boys" 4. SPADELICS - "The Grabber" 5. STRANDED - "Two of a kind" 6. SPOONFED - "Capo by the Sea" 6. CONSUMERS - "Click & Drag" 7. PEPPER - "Your Way" 8. FOUR STROKE DONKEY - "Leather Chicken" 9. PENNYWISE - "Not Far Away" 10. STRUNG OUT - "Too Close to see" 11. LONGFELLOW - "Anthropomorphism is a Silly Deciet" 12. GRINSPOON - "Pedestrian" 13. NO MOTIV - "Sunday At 6pm" 14. DEVIATES - "My Life" 15. INBRED JED - "Robotic Space Dog" 16. NO BIG DEAL - "Lights Out" 17. UNEMPLOYED - "Jack Coleman" 18. THE MIDNIGHT EVILS - "Powerhead" 19. RELEASE - "Too Much For Me" 20. SMOKIN FROGS - "Tomorrow Today" 21. HORSESHIT GUNFIRE - "Aliens & Elvis" 22. DISTURBING THE PEACE - "Critics" 23. MISLED - "Save Us" 24. ALL OR NOTHING - "JR." 25. RENO - "17"   26. RELISH - "Whirlwind" 27. THE MOOD - "Live in at the Ratskellar" 28. REMY & NEIL - "Inbred Beliefs" 29. FIZZSPENARGIE - "Advant Bullshit"

There was also the 1999 SUMMeR SAMPLeR (by Volcom as well) the lineup on this was: 1. THE LINE - "Defe" 2. THE LINE - "Ben One Still" 3. THE LINE - "Drop Dees" 4. THE LINE - "Live Iridescence" 5. bueno - "Ours Is" 6. Fizzspenargie - "Grouin'   " 7. Fizzspenargie - "Do You" 8. Fizzspenargie - "Skim Me in a Winte" 9. Fizzspenargie - "Me and Matt Watt" (?) 10. Fizzspenargie - "Input Mr Jack" 11. Fizzspenargie - "In Dust Try Aren't" 12. Fizzspenargie - "Vince & Skuuly" 13. STRANDeD. - "Long Way Down" 14. relisH - "Unconfort" 15. four stroke Donkey - "But" 16. four stroke Donkey - "[Untitled]" 17. ©oNṨ̡'uMerṨ̡' / Consumers - "Ollie High" 18. Pepper - "Un Safe Bridge" 19. All or Nothing - "No Regret" 20. lung Cookie - "Got to Give #1"   21. mister meaner - "Sworn to Fun.W" 22. the mooDs / mooDs - "In The Skin" 23. Release - "Best Friend" 24. ©oNṨ̡'uMerṨ̡' / Remy Straton - "[Untitled Track]" (?) 25. Suuva w/ DJ SoLuZ - "October" / "October With DJ" 26. Generic - "Victim of SC" 27. lou guillen III - "Hit the Wall" 28. LG3 - "Gee" 29. Beef recall - "Vegan" 30. ???? (not sure) - "Mold" 31. KxMxEx / K.M.E. - "Jack" 32. Gipper - "Jan" [InTRo's ARRANGED BY_ FIZZSPENARGIE] MANBABY ©oNṨ̡'uMerṨ̡'/ReMy STRATTON 33. FLUX - "Cuddle"

Around 2000 there was the Santa's Stuck in the CHIMNEY compilation that had:  1. CKY - "Shippensberg" 2. theLINE - "Along The Way" 3. CKY - "Disengage The Simulator" 4. theLINE - "Commercial Music Clone" 5. Relish - "Basement" 6. Bueno - "The Race Is Run" 7. Moods - "Hall's Garage" 8. Pepper - "The Arena" 9. Stranded - "No Vacancy" 10. All Or Nothing - "Another Direction" 11. Various (?) - "Radio Charger 11.0"   12. theLINE - "Earthworm" 13. theLINE - "Kids of the Senate" 14. theLINE - "Be Everything or Be Nothing" 15. theLINE - "2000. 10" / "2000.10"   16. theLINE - "Greed Stained the Scene" 17. Various (?) - "Dustin Dollin's Minnesota" 18. theLINE - "Modern" 19. Various (?) - "Radio Charger 11.0"   20. Trailer Liv'in - "Jack and Coke"

In 2001 the band was with Volcom records and there was a "Limited Edition Warped Tour EP" and of course Pepper had played the popular "Van's Warped Tour" in that year. My sources could not provide the names of the songs on the album.

When 2002 came along, so did their album Kona Town, it appears that there is an LP version of said album as well. 2005 was when thee band had their first single in the song "Give It Up" from this album.

Still in 2002 Volcom had put out a sampler that included 2 Pepper songs, perhaps in promotion of that album. The songlist is as follows: 1. Arkham - "glazed Over" 2. theLINE - "take What's ours' " 3. PLaces to Park - "Part of it" 4. Pepper - "s i tting on thecurb" / sitting on the curb" 5.eiffel - "tothe eND" 6. Arraya - "Conspiricide" 7. theLINE - "CuT Me" 8. Arkham - "Better than Me" 9. PLaces to Park - "Turn Coat" 10.Pepper - "StoRMtRoopeR" 11. ©onsumeRs - "Backed by Anarchy"

Their next work was IN WITH THE OLD in 2004 and much like the previous release was also put out as an LP. This album may have been a bit more punk than their previous works.

On 10/03/06 their next album No ShAME would "reveal itself" but first there was a promo CD for the album. The song "No Control" would then be stripped as a single.

The Japanese version has one extra song, "Ordinary Day" along with a DVD that has the songs "No Control" and "Your Face" on it. (No, not your face, but the songs..)

When 2007 swam around, the band had put out a compilation of their songs, it was called To Da MAX and it featured all of these: 1. "The Arena (2000)" 2. "New Beef (2001)" 3. "Green Hell (2001)" 4. "Armagideon Time (2002)" 5. "Good Enough (2003)" 6. "Too Much (2001)" 7. "Blunt (1997)" 8. "Stormtrooper (2001)" 9. "Wasting Time (2000)" 10. "Dust On My Shoes (2001)" 11. "Peanuts (2000)" 12. "Danger, Danger (2003)" 13. "New Sunday (2000)" 14. "Lie Rumor Lie (2000)" 15. "Lost (2000)" 16.   "2B (2004)" 17. "Point and Shoot (2003)" 18. "Lucy (2003)" 19. "Medley (2005)" 20. "Give It Up (2001)"

The song "Your face" got to be a single in this year.

But, perhaps an important accomplishment of their's was in 2007 when they got the song "The Whislte Song" on the movie "Good Luck Chuck" (which had Jessica Alba and comedian Dane Cook) along with bands like: The Flaming Lips, The Cars, Bauhaus, Shout Out Louds, The Honorary Title, The Dandy Warhols, The Feeling, Art Brut, Aiden Hawken, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Antique Gold or Andrew Gold (?), and Olivia-Newton John.

Their next album would be PinK Crustaceans and Good Vibrations in 2008 and this would be the first release on their own label? (It appears) "LAW Records."

In the same year the band would have a song on the compilation tribute album, Spirits In The material World (A Reggae Tribute To The Police) and on it were the following jams: 1. Jr. Reid - "Synchronicity 1"   2. The Wailing Souls - "One World (Not Three)" 3. Ali Campbell - "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" 4. Joan Osbourne - "Every Breath You Take" 5. Toots & The Maytals - "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da" 6. Horace Andy - "Invisible Sun" 7. Lee "Scratch" Perry - "Invisible Dub" 8. Inner Circle - "Bed's Too Big Without You" 9. Pepper - "Can't Stand Losing You" 10. Cyril Neville - "Wrapped Around Your Finger" 11. Gregory Isaacs - "So Lonely" 12. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & The Uppressors with Ras Tree - "Spirits In The Material World" 13. Tarrus Riley - "King of Pain"

Kona Gold, the band's first official live album would be excavated in 2009.

In 2010 the band had an EP that left everyone in "stitches." Stitches would have the songs "Mirror" and "Wake Up" become singles.

The musical islanders would then put out a self titled album in 2013. This album, has been said to be more "Pop music" than their other releases.

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The most current album that surfed out to our shores by them (at the moment) is, Ohana, it paddled out this year, 2016.

While Pepper may not be as well-known as Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band has been "wading" out in the music scene for a while, has or had contacts with Volcom, played "The Van's Warped Tour" more than once, and is still putting out music. If you like a band that is fairly versatile and plays "Alternative/Punk/Rock/Reggae/Ska/Soft Rock" then, Pepper might just be what you are needing to spice up your playlists or listening times.