Yellowcard

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, Yellowcard started out as a hardcore punk band with Ben Dobson as frontman, but shifted to pop-punk when Ryan Key took over as lead vocalist. Key brought the group to Southern California, where they signed with Capitol Records and released their breakthrough album, Ocean Avenue (2003).

The band takes its name from a soccer penalty signal, which they adopted as a party term whenever one of their mates did something stupid at a gathering. For instance, if you spill your beer, you would get a yellow card for the party foul.

They released their early material through Takeover Records, an independent punk label co-founded by the band's original lead guitarist, Ben Harper.