The irreverent Australian punk unit
Frenzal Rhomb formed in 1993; their lineup includes vocalist
Jason Whalley, guitarist
Lindsay McDougal (a replacement for original guitarist
Benjamin Costello), bassist
Lex Feltham, and drummer
Gordy Foreman (the third in a succession including
Karl and
Nat). After touring as the support act while American punk bands
Offspring,
Bad Religion, and
blink-182 were down under, the group released its first album, 1995's Coughing Up a Storm. Retitled
Once a Jolly Swagman Always a Jolly Swagman, the album was issued on America's Liberation label two years later.
Hyped by
NOFX's
Fat Mike,
Frenzal Rhomb became one of the biggest independent Australian bands with the release of their second album,
Not So Tough Now. After headlining the Australian leg of the 1998 Vans Warped Tour (and being recruited for the American edition as well), the group released its third album,
Meet the Family.
A Man's Not a Camel followed in 1999 and
Shut Your Mouth appeared two years later.
Sans Souci came out on Fat Wreck in June 2003 and featured new bassist
Tom Crease. A subsequent worldwide tour brought
Frenzal Rhomb to all corners of the globe, including stops in Taiwan, South Africa, Israel, the U.K., and Japan. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide