Groovenics

Many assumed that the wave of funk metal bands that cropped up in the late '90s (Korn, Limp Bizkit) had began to die down by the new millennium, but south Florida's Groovenics kept partying like it was still 1999. The six-piece band (singer K*rl Michaels, guitarists Jim Austin and Matt Swig, bassist Pete Carmichael, drummer Mike Darookie, and keyboardist Josh Mullenix) specializes in the testosterone-heavy sound of the two aforementioned bands. Their self-released debut album, Wedgie Fever, was issued in 1999, as the group opened local shows for such big-time acts as the Misfits, Mötley Crüe, Less Than Jake, and Drain STH, and built up a following. In addition to winning awards from both Jam Magazine's Jammy Awards and the South Florida Slammy Awards (Band of the Year, Best Vocalist, Best Bassist, and Best Local Release), Groovenics also appeared on both Billboard's and Talent Net's specialty charts. By 2001, the sextet was signed to Spitfire Records, which promptly issued their self-titled sophomore effort. The guys called it quits, however, in September 2003. A couple members went on to play in Suicide City.