Tsar

Hailing from Los Angeles's Silverlake district, band members Jeff Whalen, Daniel Kern (vocals, guitar); Derrick Forget (vocals, bass guitar); Chuck Byler (drums) formed the pop-punk group Tsar in 1998. Comprised of ex-Santa Barbara college buddies turned rockers, Tsar is known for their frenetic live performances and their hook and harmony heavy songs. After cultivating a following in L.A., the group signed to Hollywood Records and released their self-titled debut album in mid-2000. Their follow-up, Band-Girls-Money was part glam sex-pose, part punk sneer, part pop craftsmanship, that synthesized decades of music history with contemporary zeal.