One of the first bands to fuse revivalist ska with the energy and aggression of post-hardcore punk rock (after the Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Operation Ivy was also one of the few ska-punk bands to earn critical acclaim. Part of the reason was that they were one of the genre’s innovators, possessed of a freshness that many of their imitators lacked, but their lyrics were often more intelligent and substantive as well. Thanks to their early breakup (the group was only together for two years), Operation Ivy became an enduring, even legendary influence in the neo-punk underground, especially after half of the band went on to hit it big in a new group, Rancid.

Operation Ivy was formed in Berkeley, California in May 1987 out of the ashes of several local bands. Lead singer Jesse Michaels, guitarist Lint (b. Tim Armstrong), bassist Matt McCall (b. Matt Freeman, renamed after the hero of the TV series The Equalizer), and drummer Dave Mello began playing extensively at the famed Gilman ...

Full Operation Ivy biography

Punk Rock, Pop Punk, Ska Punk