Released Pay Attention album

In 2000, the band released Pay Attention which failed to meet expectations set by the previous album. “So Sad to Say”, was released as a single, but it never reached a position higher than No. 22 on the Billboard charts. Ultimately, the album did not sell as well as their previous release. This was to be the band’s last album with Mercury Records, who along with PolyGram , had become part of the Universal Music Group who subsequently merged Island Records and Def Jam Recordings forming the new Island Def Jam label. The band, unhappy with the way the newly formed label had been handling them, asked for a release from their contract, to which the label agreed. After the recording of Pay Attention , founding member Nate Albert left in order to obtain a degree in political theory from Brown University . His next musical venture would be as a member of Evan Dando ’s re-formed Lemonheads before forming The Kickovers , which focused more on a 1970’s punk sound than ska. Albert eventually became involved in band management, handling bands such as Bayside and Lost City Angels . Albert’s replacement on guitar was Lawrence Katz who appeared in the band photo on the album’s reverse and in the music video for “So Sad to Say”. Pay Attention was also the last album for Dennis Brockenborough who had already formed his own band, Chubby, for which he sang and played guitar. Brockenborough’s replacement was former Spring Heeled Jack member Chris Rhodes. Spring Heeled Jack had dissolved in 2000, and Rhodes had recently taken a vacant trombone position with Bim Skala Bim when he received the invitation to join.