History
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock group that was formed in 1992. The New York band consists of Matthew Caws (guitar, vocals), Ira Elliot (drums, vocals) and Daniel Lorca (bass, vocals). Their debut album, titled 'High/Low, came out on June 18, 1996 and featured production work from Ric Ocasek of The Cars
The band is best known for the song "Popular", released as a single from their aformentioned debut. The song reached #11 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and propelled the album itself to #63 on the Billboard 200. Each of the verses in "Popular" are extracted from the 1964 guide 'Penny's Guide to Teen-Age Charm and Popularity', a work by former teen television actress Gloria Winters, and the lyrics are sarcastically spoken, with a calm, deadpan voice used initially that gradually builds Kinison-style in teen angst and rage.