In Los Angeles there is a little music management company called Silverback Artist Management and what they sell is stoner music. The company can trace its beginnings to the band Sublime when founder Jon Phillips managed to get the impulsive and destructive band a contract. Since then Silverback has taken on legendary new-wave stoner band Slightly Stoopid and other equally stoney bands like Fishbone, Rebelution and Pepper. Developing homegrown Southern California talent has been the company's latest goal as The Expendables and Beautiful Girls carve niches for themselves under the wedge created by their predecessors.

Stoner Associations

Silverback has managed to position their bands within the world wide stoner framework by associating with other notable stoner acts such as Snoop Dogg, Stephen Marley, 311 and Collie Buddz.  In addition, Slightly Stoopid played the closing show of the Cannabis Cup in Amterdam and more recently the Coachella music festival, helpiong them to bring their sound to a wider audience than the comfortable confines of the Cali scene. Reggae is as much at the heart of this music as the California Lifestyle, and Phillips has arranged for his bands to work with some of the best from Jamaica, including Mad Professor, SLy and Robbie and others. Sublime was obviously influenced by the reggae greats like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, but reached beyond into blues, R&B and Hip-Hop. The bands in Silverback's stable follow this unique blend of extra-rock influences. If this type of music sounds interesting, check out the Harmony Festival, where many of these bands will be.

Legal conflict over the use of the Sublime name led to a parting between Silverback and Sublime, whose remaining members now tour under the name 'Sublime With Rome'.