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!!!
!!!
	!!! performing at the Flow Festival in 2007
Background information
Also known as	Chk Chk Chk
Origin	Sacramento, California, U.S.
Genres	Dance-punk; post-punk revival; alternative dance; funk rock; disco-rock; indietronica;
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Warp; Touch and Go; Gold Standard;
Spinoffs	Out Hud;
Spinoff of	Black Liquorice; Pope Smashers;
Members	Nic Offer; Mario Andreoni; Dan Gorman; Rafael Cohen; Meah Pace; Chris Egan; Paul Quattrone;
Past members	John Pugh; Mikel Gius; Allan Wilson; Tyler Pope; Jason Racine; Justin Van Der Volgen; Jerry Fuchs; Shannon Funchess;
Website	chkchkchk.net

!!! (/tʃ(ɪ)k.tʃ(ɪ)k.tʃ(ɪ)k/ ch(i)k-ch(i)k-ch(i)k), also known as Chk Chk Chk, is an American band from Sacramento, California.^[1] Formed in 1996 by lead singer Nic Offer, members of !!! came from other local bands such as the Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Pope Smashers. They are currently based in New York City. The band's ninth album, Let It Be Blue, was released in May 2022.^[1]

Background and history

!!! was formed in the fall of 1996 by the merger of members of the groups Black Liquorice and Pope Smashers, while on tour. After a successful joint tour, the two bands decided to mix the disco-funk with more aggressive sounds and integrate the hardcore singer Nic Offer from the Yah Mos. The band's name was inspired by the subtitles of the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, in which the clicking sounds of the San people's Juǀʼhoan language were represented as "!". However, as the bandmembers themselves say, !!! is pronounced by repeating thrice any monosyllabic sound. "Chk Chk Chk" is the most common pronunciation,^[2] and the URL of their official website and the title of their Myspace page suggest it is the preferred pronunciation. Offer cites Depeche Mode and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) as influences.^[3]

The band's full-length debut record came out in 2000 as a self-titled album on the label Gold Standard Laboratories. This was followed in 2003 by the single "Me and Giuliani Down By the School Yard", a lengthy track combining house beats with sinewy basslines, psychedelic guitars, and simple lyrics which quote the title song of the musical Footloose.

A second full-length, Louden Up Now, was released on Touch and Go in America and on Warp Records in Europe in June 2004. In June 2005 !!! released a new EP covering "Take Ecstasy with Me" by The Magnetic Fields, and "Get Up" by Nate Dogg. The following December, the original drummer for the band, Mikel Gius, was struck and killed by a car while riding his bike.^[4]

They released their third album, Myth Takes in 2007.^[2]^[5]

!!! is composed of Mario Andreoni (guitar), Dan Gorman (horns/percussion/keys), Nic Offer (vocals), Rafael Cohen (bass/various electronic devices), Chris Egan (drums) and Meah Pace (vocals).

Vocalist and drummer John Pugh officially left the band in July 2007 to concentrate on his new band Free Blood.^[6] Vocalist Shannon Funchess stood in for Pugh during much of their 2007 tour.^[7] The band also shared membership with the similar, defunct group Out Hud (including Tyler Pope, who has played with LCD Soundsystem and written music for Cake).^[8]

Since 2007, !!! has continued their experimental journey, blending dance-punk with various genres. They released multiple albums, including “Strange Weather, Isn’t It?” (2010), “Thr!!!er” (2013), and “As If” (2015), further refining their dynamic and energetic sound. In 2019, they released “Wallop”, a record featuring heavy electronic influences while maintaining their signature funky grooves. Their sound has evolved over the years, incorporating more dance and electronic elements, influenced by the rise of genres like house and disco.

The band’s lineup has seen some changes, but core members like Nic Offer have continued to lead their energetic live performances. Known for their dynamic stage presence, !!! remains a favourite on the festival circuit, performing worldwide, including appearances at Glastonbury and Primavera Sound.

In the 2020s, !!! adapted to the changing music industry by experimenting with digital releases and interactive virtual performances during the pandemic. Their music continues to resonate with fans seeking innovative, high-energy dance-punk.

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
Title	Album details	US ^[9]	US Elec. ^[10]	FRA ^[11]	JPN ^[12]	UK ^[13]
!!!	Released: 2000 Label: Gold Standard Laboratories	—	—	—	—	—
Louden Up Now	Released: June 7, 2004 Label: Touch and Go/Warp	—	4	169	—	135
Myth Takes	Released: March 5, 2007 Label: Warp	195	3	134	36	135
Strange Weather, Isn't It?	Released: August 24, 2010 Label: Warp	—	13	112	54	—
Thr!!!er	Released: April 29, 2013 Label: Warp^[14]	—	18	117	62	121
As If	Released: October 16, 2015 Label: Warp	—	18	—	80	—
Shake the Shudder	Released: May 19, 2017 Label: Warp	—	—	—	153	—
Wallop	Released: August 30, 2019^[15] Label: Warp	—	—	—	166	—
Let It Be Blue	Released: May 6, 2022^[16] Label: Warp	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

Lab Series Vol. 2 [GSL26] (Split with Out Hud, 1999, Gold Standard Labs)
Live! Live! Live! (November 20, 2004, Beat Records, Japan only)
Yadnus (2007)
Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass E.P. (November 2010)
Daytrotter Session (May 29, 2013, Daytrotter Studio [Rock Island, IL])
R!M!X!S (January 8, 2014, Japanese Import, WAP359D)
MEGAM!!!X Vol.1: Shake Shake Shake (March 21, 2018)
Certified Heavy Kats (July 31, 2020)^[17]

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
Title	Year	UK ^[13]	Album
"The Dis-Ease/The Funky Branca"	1998	—	Non-album single
"Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story)"	2003	84	Louden Up Now
"Pardon My Freedom"	2004	—
"Hello? Is This Thing On?"		74
"Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A Remix)"		—
"Take Ecstasy With Me/Get Up"	2005	213	Non-album single
"Heart of Hearts"	2007	—	Myth Takes
"Must Be the Moon"	2007	—	Myth Takes
"AM/FM"	2010	—	Strange Weather, Isn't It?
"Slyd"	2013	—	THR!!!ER
"One Girl / One Boy"		—	THR!!!ER
"And Anyway It's Christmas"^[18]^[19]		—	Non-album single
"All U Writers"	2015	—	As If
"Freedom '15" / "Sick Ass Moon"		—
"Bam City" / "Ooo"		—
"I Feel So Free" (Lost Souls of Saturn Remix)	2016	—	Non-album single
"The One 2"	2017	—	Shake the Shudder
"Dancing Is the Best Revenge"	2017	—	Shake the Shudder
"Serbia Drums"	2019	—	Wallop
"I'm Sick of This/So We Can F*ck"	2020	—	Non-album single
"Do the Dial Tone"		—	Certified Heavy Kats
"Walk It Off"		—	Certified Heavy Kats

Other projects

!!! (1997, tour cassette)

Footnotes

^ ^a ^b Coscarelli 2007
^ ^a ^b Seabrook 2007
^ Locker, Melissa (May 9, 2013). "Turntable Interview: !!!". Stereogum. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
^ Anon 2005
^ Diver 2006
^ Maher & Solarski 2007
^ Lopez 2010
^ Chinen 2007
^ "!!! (Chk Chk Chk) Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
^ "!!! (Chk Chk Chk) Chart History: Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
^ Anon 2014
^ Anon 2017
^ ^a ^b Anon 2017a
^ Minsker 2013
^ "Wallop by !!!". Apple Music. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
^ "Let It Be Blue by !!!". Apple Music. Retrieved May 7, 2022.
^ "!!! (Chk Chk Chk) Announce Certified Heavy Kats EP, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. July 8, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
^ lostsides (April 2, 2014). "Chk Chk Chk (!!!) – And Anyway It's Christmas (2013)". Christmas Underground. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
^ Hilleary, Mike. "Listen: !!! - "And Anyway It's Christmas"". www.undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved March 16, 2023.

References

Anon (2017). "!!!(チック・チック・チック)のランキング" [Ranking of tick, tick, tick]. Oricon News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 24, 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
Anon (2017a). "Chart Log UK: Numerals". Zobbel. Archived from the original on December 27, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Anon (2014). "!!! (Chk Chk Chk) discography". lescharts.com (in French). Retrieved March 21, 2021.
Anon (December 19, 2005). "Orangevale bicyclist killed". Sacramento Bee. p. B2. Archived from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Chinen, Nate (March 18, 2007). "Still Disco-Punk, Still Spoiling for a Fight". The New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Coscarelli, Joseph (July 30, 2007). "!!! (Chk Chk Chk) post-punk puctuation". The Deli Magazine. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Diver, Mike (November 18, 2006). "It's no rumour, it's a Myth. Takes eight to make it !!!". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Lopez, Michael (September 6, 2010). "!!! at The Clubhouse Last Night". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
Maher, Dave; Solarski, Matthew (July 11, 2007). "John Pugh Leaves !!!, Fires Up Free Blood". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
Minsker, Evan (January 29, 2013). "The New !!! Album Is Called THR!!!ER". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Seabrook, Andrea (May 17, 2007). "The Musicians of !!!: Making Their Own 'Myths'" (MP3). NPR. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.