No Use For A Name

photo by Bryan Wynacht.

No Use for a Name (sometimes abbreviated NUFAN or No Use) was a punk rock band from San Jose, California, United States formed in 1987 by Chris Dodge (guitar), Steve Papoutsis (bass), Rory Koff (drums) and John Meyers (vocals). The band's sound has evolved considerably through its career, taking on a much lighter brand of melodic punk as the years passed.

Biography

The original line-up of four added Doug Judd as a second guitarist. The band was first featured on Maximum RocknRoll's 1987 Turn it Around compilation, with the song "Gang Way." A year later the band's self-titled debut EP was released on Woodpecker Records. Their second EP, Let 'em Out, was released a year later through Slap A Ham Records. Chris Dodge, Doug Judd, and John Meyers left the band after the release of "Let 'em Out". Soon after, Tony Sly entered the band.

NUFAN's debut album, Incognito, was released in 1990 through New Red Archives. Chris Dodge rejoined on second guitar, and they released their second album Don't Miss the Train in 1992 before signing up with Fat Mike's label Fat Wreck Chords in 1993. During this year Chris Dodge left the line-up, and was replaced with guitarist Robin Pfefer, who took over on lead guitar so Sly could concentrate on singing and stick to rhythm. No Use for a Name also released their first record on Fat that year, The Daily Grind, which turned out to be a highly successful album.

Ed Gregor replaced Robin Pfefer on lead guitar soon after the release of The Daily Grind. In 1995, after the release of Leche Con Carne, their fourth full-length, Chris Shiflett and Matt Riddle joined the band to play guitar and bass, replacing Ed Gregor and Steve Papoutsis respectively. With the punk music breakthrough in 1994, No Use for a Name received a larger audience after releasing this album, compliments of their video for the song "Soulmate" which was played on the MTV show 120 Minutes. This was the first video on Fat Wreck Chords to ever be aired on MTV. In 1997, after the success of Making Friends, the band went on a worldwide tour through the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, and Japan.

After releasing More Betterness!, Chris Shiflett left the band in 1999 to join the successful Foo Fighters, being replaced by Dave Nassie. Two years later, the band contributed to Fat Wreck Chords with the release of their live album, Live in a Dive: No Use for a Name and during the following year in 2002 No Use for a Name released its seventh studio album Hard Rock Bottom.

The band released their 8th full-length studio album titled Keep Them Confused June 14, 2005. It takes a more political position than earlier releases.

A greatest hits collection titled All the Best Songs was released on July 10, 2007.

A new fourteen song full-length studio album entitled The Feel Good Record of the Year was released on April 1, 2008. In 2009, when promoting the album in Europe, Dave Nassie left the band to join the ranks of Bleeding Through. In August 2009 the band announced, that they replaced Nassie with Lagwagon's guitarist and founding member of RKL, Chris Rest.

No Use for a Name was currently working on a new album, which is due for release in late 2011/early 2012.

On July 31st 2012 Tony Sly was found dead in his hotel room. As Tony was the main song writer he remaining members announced they would not continue as a band.

Band members

Current members

• Tony Sly - vocals, guitar (1989–died 2012)
• Matt Riddle - bass, vocals (1996–present)
• Rory Koff - drums (1987–present)
• Chris Rest - guitar (2009–present)

Former members

• Doug Judd - guitar (1987–1989)
• John Meyers - vocals (1987–1989)
• Chris Dodge - guitar (1987–1989, 1990–1993)
• Robin Pfefer - guitar (1993)
• Steve Papoutsis - bass (1987–1995)
• Ed Gregor - guitar (1993–1995)
• Chris Shiflett - guitar (1995–1999)
• Dave Nassie - guitar (1999–2009)

Discography

Studio albums

• Incognito (New Red Archives, 1990. Re-released Fat Wreck Chords, 2001)
• Don't Miss the Train (New Red Archives, 1992. Re-released Fat Wreck Chords, 2001)
• The Daily Grind (Fat Wreck Chords, 1993)
• Leche Con Carne (Fat Wreck Chords, 1995)
• Making Friends (Fat Wreck Chords, 1997)
• More Betterness! (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999)
• Hard Rock Bottom (Fat Wreck Chords, 2002)
• Keep Them Confused (Fat Wreck Chords, 2005)
• The Feel Good Record of the Year (Fat Wreck Chords, 2008)

EPs and 7"

• Self-titled (Woodpecker Records, 1988)
• Let 'Em Out EP (Slap-a-Ham Records, 1989)
• Death Doesn't Care EP (New Red Archives, 1993)
• Split 7" with Soda (Session Records, 1996)
• Black Box EP (Fat Wreck Chords, 2005; never released)

Compilation and live albums

• NRA Years (Golf Records, 2000)
• Live in a Dive: No Use for a Name (Fat Wreck Chords, 2001)
• All the Best Songs (Fat Wreck Chords, 2007)

Singles and music videos

• "Soulmate" from Leche Con Carne
• "Why Doesn't Anybody Like Me?" from More Betterness!
• "Dumb Reminders" from Hard Rock Bottom
• "For Fiona" from Keep Them Confused
• "Biggest Lie" from The Feel Good Record of the Year
• "Pacific Standard Time" from The Feel Good Record of the Year

Compilation appearances

• "Feeding The Fire (Early Version)" on Just Add Water (Flapjack Records, 1993)
• "Feeding The Fire" on Fat Music For Fat People (Fat Wreck Chords, 1994) from The Daily Grind
• "Justified Black Eye" on Fat Music, Vol. 2 - Survival Of The Fattest (Fat Wreck Chords, 1996) from Leche Con Carne
• "Fairlytale Of New York" on How To Start A Fight! (SideOne Dummy, 1996)
• "Exit" on Punk Bites (Fearless Records, 1996) from Leche Con Carne
• "Turning Japanese" on Before You Were Punk (Vagrant Records, 1997)
• "On The Outside" on Fat Music, Vol. 3 - Physical Fatness (Fat Wreck Chords, 1997) from Making Friends
• "Laverne & Shirley" on Show & Tell - A Stormy Remembrance Of TV Theme Songs (Which? Records, 1997)
• "The Munsters" on Show & Tell - A Stormy Remembrance Of TV Theme Songs (Which? Records, 1997)
• "A Postcard Would Be Nice" on A Compilation Of Warped Music (SideOne Dummy, 1998) from Making Friends
• "I've Heard" on The Show (Theologian Records, 1998)
• "Evita" on Punk Ass Generosity (One Foot Records, 1999)
• "Coming Too Close" on Fat Music, Vol. IV - Life In The Fat Lane (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999) from More Betterness!
• "Chasing Rainbows" on Ox Compilation #37 - I Was A Punk Before You Were A Punk (1999) from More Betterness!
• "Hybrid Moments" on Return Of The Dead Menace (Honest Don's, 1999)
• "A Postcard Would Be Nice" on Serial Killer Compilation (Fearless Records, 1999) from Making Friends
• "Sara Fisher" on Short Music For Short People (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999)
• "Truth Hits Everybody" on Another Round Of Golf, Vol. 2 (Golf, 2000) from Incognito
• "Don't Miss The Train" on Another Round Of Golf, Vol. 2 (Golf, 2000) from Don't Miss The Train
• "Straight From The Jacket (live)" on World Warped III Live (SideOne Dummy, 2000)
• "Let Me Down (demo)" on Fat Music, Vol. V - Live Fat, Die Young (Fat Wreck Chords, 2001)
• "Enjoy The Silence" on 2001 Warped Tour Compilation (SideOne Dummy, 2001)
• "Friends Of The Enemy" on Fat Music, Vol. VI - Uncontrollable Fatulence (Fat Wreck Chords, 2002) from Hard Rock Bottom
• "International You Day" on Squawk Among Us (Promo, Fat Wreck Chords, 2002) from Hard Rock Bottom
• "Dumb Reminders" on 2002 Warped Tour Compilation (SideOne Dummy, 2002) from Hard Rock Bottom
• "Any Number Can Play" on 2003 Warped Tour Compilation (SideOne Dummy, 2003) from Hard Rock Bottom
• "This Ain't No Way To Live" on Punk Rock Is Your Friend, Vol. 5 (Kung Fu Records, 2004)
• "Fields Of Agony (Acoustic)" on Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 (Fat Wreck Chords, 2004)
• "For Fiona" on 2005 Wapred Tour Compilation (SideOne Dummy, 2005) from Keep 'Em Confused
• "Badfish" on Forever Free - A Sublime Tribute Album (Baseline Music Co., 2006)
• "Soulmate" on Wrecktrospective (Fat Wreck Chords, 2009) from Leche Con Carne
• "Always Carrie (demo) on Wrecktrospective (Fat Wreck Chords, 2009)
• "Dream Police" on Fat Music, Vol. VII - Harder, Fatter + Louder (Fat Wreck Chords, 2010)