No Use for a Name

Formed in 1986 in Sunnyvale, California, No Use for a Name was a punk rock group founded by guitarist Chris Dodge, bassist Steve Papoutsis, and drummer Rory Koff. The group then brought in two lead singers – John Meyer and Ramon Gras – before Chris Dodge left (he’d return for two more stints with the band) and was replaced by guitarist Tony Sly in 1987. The addition of Sly to the line-up changed the course of the band’s history. With Koff and Sly serving as the longest serving members of No Use for a Name, the group went through nearly 15 members before their dissolution in 2012. The group released two independently-released EPs – No Use for a Name (1988) and Let ‘Em Out (1990) – before signing with New Red Archives and releasing their acclaimed debut album, Incognito, in late 1990.By this time, Tony Sly had taken over as lead vocalist, man songwriter, and leader of No Use for a Name. After the release of their second album, Don’t Miss the Train (1992), the group left New Red Archives and signed with Fat Wreck Chords. No Use for a Name’s first release for the label was The Daily Grind EP, which was unleashed in 1993.  Their first three albums for the label - ¡Leche con Carne! (1995), Making Friends (1997), and More Betterness (1999) – they finally achieved commercial success with the album Hard Rock Bottom (2002). The album landed in the Top 30 in Billboard’s Independent Albums and Heatseekers charts and was followed by two more successful albums: Keep Them Confused (2005) and The Feel Good Record of the Year (2008). The group continued to tour but founding member Rory Koff left the band in 2011 to focus on a career outside of the music business. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and frontman Tony Sly died on July 31, 2012, at the age of 41. While the band never officially reunited, several members of the group have played together a handful of times in tribute to Tony Sly and the group’s respected catalog of classic punk rock.