Yellowcard is an American pop punk/alternative rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1997, and based in Los Angeles since 2000. Their music features the use of a violin, unusual for the genre. They may be best-known for "Ocean Avenue", which peaked at #37 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band went on to a two-year hiatus then announced their return in August 2010 and released their seventh studio album, When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes, ... See more [+] in March 2011. Their latest album, Southern Air, was released on August 14, 2012. Yellowcard was formed in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida after meeting at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Yellowcard got their name from a phrase they used in high school. Whenever somebody did something stupid at a party, such as spill a beer on the carpet, they enforced soccer rules and gave them a “yellow card” for committing a “party foul”. The band released its first album, Midget Tossing, in 1997. The original band featured Ben Dobson on vocals, Todd Clary on guitar and vocals, Ben Harper on guitar, Warren Cooke on bass and Longineu Parsons on drums; Sean Wellman aka "Sean Mackin" helped out here and there with his violin. Where We Stand, their second album, featured the same lineup as Midget Tossing, and Mackin was featured on more songs. Soon Ben Dobson left the band and was replaced by guitarist Ryan Key as lead vocalist. Ryan Key also was formerly in the Californian Tooth & Nail Records band Craig's Brother. This changed the band's music style drastically, from hardcore punk to pop punk. It also changed most of their fan base, leaving them with a new beginning and a fresh start as a band.
