In the midst of Seattle’s grunge and alternative takeover in the ‘90s, Toadies emerged from Texas to put their own take on the rebellious rock genres with their gritty debut album, Rubberneck. Originally released in 1994, it’s gotten an updated vinyl repressing.
The new LP edition will mark the first time the record has been released on standard black vinyl.
Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, and initially described as “the Pixies meets Metallica,” the Toadies presented darker, folklore-inspired storytelling on their Rubberneck debut. It features three singles, including “Possum Kingdom,” “Tyler,” and “I Come From the Water.” “Possum Kingdom” remains their biggest tune to date, reaching No. 9 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and No. 3 on Canada’s Rock/Alternative chart. In 1996, Rubberneck was officially certified Platinum by the RIAA.
“I’m a different person now, but it’s interesting going over all the songs at home and reflecting on the past two years, getting ready to go on tour,” frontman Vaden Todd Lewis previously said of the album. “I was like ‘wow, that was pretty good. I’m glad I did.’ I’m glad I didn’t have any internal editor going back then. I just let it all out, and that’s a good thing.”
Since Rubberneck, Toadies has released seven more albums. Their latest offering, The Charmer, was released back in May. “This album has been a long time in the works, and it’s such a joy to see it come together,” Lewis said of the LP, which was recorded with the late and legendary audio engineer Steve Albini. “We went back to basics for this session: all analogue, live takes, high energy.” The band is currently on a North American tour for The Charmer, which kicked off on April 16 and will run through June 17.
