svelte

Photographs

Discography Balloon Mood [cover photo] Release date: Unknown Label: Unknown 01. Beyond My Control 02. I.C.U. 03. Just One of Those Days 04. Picking up Pieces 05. The Cabinet 06. Something Written 07. Strange Noises 08. The Telescope Man Says 09. She Collects (Stuff Like That) 10. Balloon Mood Discography Smiling & Waving [cover photo] Release date: Unknown Label: EMI 01. Her Room 02. The Gown 03. Spin the Context 04. Stay Tuned 05. You Know 06. Big Mouth 07. The Diver 08. That's All 09. And Then 10. It Seems We Talk

Biography from Anja's official site As a child growing up around Oslo, Anja Garbarek (pronounced An-ya!) learned from her father, the jazz composer and saxophonist Jan Garbarek, that the only rule worth following is the one, which clearly states that there are no rules worth following. While she doesn't take much notice of other people's instructions - "because I always have to find my own way of doing things" - that message stuck. It has guided everything she has achieved in her career so far, and it is indelibly stamped across her extraordinary new album, Smiling And Waving. Recorded last year in London, where she now lives, this item of strange and shimmering beauty brings together a team of mavericks who share Anja's conviction that the only way for music to go in the 21st century is forwards. And few modern performers are as well qualified to help it in that direction as Anja Garbarek. Biography from VH1.com Anja Garbarek had no intention of doing something musical with her career, despite having legendary saxophonist Jan Garbarek as her father. Having spent a fair portion of her youth on tour with him, she became enamored with the likes of Kate Bush, Brian Eno, and Laurie Anderson, just some of the artists who populated her dad's record collection. After performing in a musical during college, the writer brought Anja to the attention of a friend in the record industry who ended up signing her. Attracted to the lack of boundaries that musical expression provides, as opposed to the lack of freedom involved with acting, Anja began her recording career only knowing that she had a lot of searching to do. Her first album, 1992's entirely Norwegian Velkommen Inn (Come On In), essentially got her feet wet. In an attempt to flesh out her direction, she took four years to complete a second album, 1996's Balloon Mood. Another five years passed until her most impressive outing yet, Smiling and Waving, which featured contributions from Robert Wyatt, Mark Hollis (Talk Talk), Steve Jansen (Japan), and former Cocteau Twins associate Mitsuo Tate. Like some of the work of her influences and collaborators, the record fit the mold of avant-garde pop, along with tinges of trip-hop, impressively blending woodwinds with electronic beats.

Introducing ... Angela McCluskey, singer WITH a schedule that has seen five countries in four days, you would expect Angela McCluskey to be tired. But she’s bubbly and chatty and it seems like she’s having a ball. After years of living in the US, her husky Glaswegian accent has "a hint of the Sheena Easton", as her sister puts it. Her music has been described as "a blend of urban, jazz and blues, all with a melodic pop twist", and, when pushed, she cites Al Green, Gladys Knight and Dean Martin as influences. Already popular in America, McCluskey has worked with Cyndi Lauper and Deep Forest, and counts Lisa Marie Presley, Winona Ryder and Gwyneth Paltrow as friends. It’s the Scottish vibe that appeals to the rich and famous, she reckons. "I’m not necessarily impressed by them. If I admire them, I admire them." But her upcoming performance before REM in New York has left her feeling a bit starry. "My whole family is coming over. It is a dream come true," she says. She has another dream that sets her apart. "I’ve toured America for some time now, but I would love to play in Scotland." Angela McCluskey’s debut solo album, The Things We Do, is out now.

Articles Singer Angela McCluskey, On Her Own Scottish singer-songwriter Angela McCluskey has a cult following. But she's probably most widely known through a car promotion; her voice is the one you hear on Telepopmusik's song "Breathe," an ad for Mitsubishi. "Car commercials are the only way anybody's ever going to hear your music anymore," she tells NPR's Jennifer Ludden. "They're the only people taking any chances." And McCluskey is trying to make the most out of the chance the ad has given her. The former lead singer of the Wild Colonials has released her debut solo CD, The Things We Do, to high acclaim. Recorded in only a few days in New York and Sweden, the album showcases McCluskey's extraordinary, raw vocals. While the CD includes some upbeat pop tunes -- notably the first single, "It's Been Done" -- McCluskey confesses to preferring the more depressing, melancholy songs. "Give me a good ol' dose of misery anyday," she says, "I think it's a Scottish thing."

Photographs

Biography from AngelRecords.com Angela McCluskey swooped into my life in 1997. That’s what she does; she swoops into your world, as if from another epoch, all big hats and velvet and a dense Scottish slur. I was transformed, touched; she possessed an inexplicable magnetism, an infinite energy, scattering practical advice, poetry, Dorothy Parker-isms, and foul-mouthed jokes like fairy-dust. The force of her personality alone is enough to make her legendary, but here’s the thing: when she sings, only then will she righteously kick your ass. I could cite gushers like this: “The striking vocals of Angela McCluskey will make you remember the first time you heard Miles blow his horn or Billie sing the blues.” (Hits Magazine) That’s not inaccurate. People bandy phrases like this around, but let it be known that Angela McCluskey is no less than the real deal. Angela hails from Glasgow, Scotland; a lovely, scary town. Scarier still, she wasn’t exactly encouraged to become a vocalist. “I used to sing so I could stay up late,” says Angela. “I'd do 'Summertime' or something and then (my family would) throw me back in bed. Singing's just not a big deal there, so nobody ever turns 'round and goes, 'Yo ...[more] Discography The Things We Do [] Release date: 05.18.04 Label: Manhattan 01. It's Been Done 02. Somebody Got Lucky 03. Love Is Stronger Than Death 04. Know It All 05. A Thousand Drunken Dreams 06. Sleep On It 07. Perfect Girl Eleven 08. Wrong Side 09. Dirty Pearl 10. Sucker 11. This Night 12. Long Live I 13. Hidden Song

Photographs

Interview Leona Naess: Alone Again Naturally The fetching New Yorker ditches the synths and computers, exits a relationship with Ryan Adams, and makes her best album so far. On “Star Signs,” a fragile song from Leona Naess’ self-titled third album, the singer reads an absent lover’s horoscope to soothe her loneliness. So it seems right to see what’s in the stars for this Norwegian-born Leo. The New York Post’s astrologer notes that the lion is “a ‘fixed’ sign, meaning that your opinions and beliefs change slowly if at all.” “I read that exact horoscope!” laughs Naess. “I guess I am pretty stubborn, but isn’t everyone? Don’t most people take a while to change their beliefs? I like the horoscopes in the Village Voice ‘cause they are really ambiguous and you kind of have to solve the mystery.” The Post prediction goes on to warn about being “flexible, if you want to understand what is going on in the world.” Naess has nothing to worry about. She’s been limbering up for the last year or so. 2001’s I Tried to Rock You, But You Only Roll was about synths and angst; for Leona Naess she’s ditched the drum machines and grabbed the guitar. It’s a hushed and delightful acoustic disc dedicated to praising love. “Calling” sets the tone; Naess makes you swoon by cooing the line “treat me like it’s your first valentine.” With pianos and a string ensemble complementing her delicate vocals, she cozies up to her muse on “Dues to Pay,” picks up the pieces on the somber “How Sweet,” and playfully warns an errant beau, “don’t use my broken heart to pick up other girls.” The subject may be older than time, but it suits her winsome approach. Naess’ glee is odd considering her split with alt-rock icon Ryan Adams, but that evidently doesn’t trouble her either. While peers like Jewel go pop, this vegetarian is sticking with strumming and singing about the war (and peace) between the sexes. VH1 talked to her about her fear of Bob Dylan, hanging with John Mayer, and different kinds of love. VH1: Your last album was very heavy on the synths. Musically, Leona Naess is quiet, almost naked. LN: I grew up in the 80s, so I had these two sides to me. I love Bob Dylan and Carole King, but I also grew up with The Cure, New Order and Joy Division - Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, too. I made my first record [2000’s Comatised] and then I met this producer who made these ‘80s-sounding albums. I kind of gave him the songs [on I Tried to Rock You] - it doesn’t really sound like me at all. VH1: Why did you change it up for this record? LN: Touring the last record was a nightmare. It was all DATs and beats. After that, I went to London for the summer to live with my Mom. I can’t handle New York in the summer; I don’t do the heat well ‘cause I am Scandinavian. I went there with my acoustic guitar and wrote songs. Then I went to these little pubs, and did these shows with just the guitar. I never had a better time or a better reaction from the people. There was no pretense, nothing hiding the songs. It was so much more fun, I found the right producer for the music, and did it. [Watch Clip] VH1: The last album found you releasing a lot of anger. Here it’s all about love. What’s been happening? LN: I was a lot happier when I made this album. I was wiser, I was older. I was content. The overall feeling is being positive about love. That’s why “Calling” and “One Kind of Love” open and close the record. It’s about my relationship with music as well. Like “Dues to Pay” isn’t about a person - it’s my relationship with music. You put your heart into something and it doesn’t work, and that can be heartbreaking. I let go of a lot of things after the second record. I let go of caring about what my label thought. As I got older I realized I had to care about what I thought, ‘cause I have to sleep at night. VH1: What is harder to write, a sad song or a happy song? LN: It’s easier to write a sad song, but if you’re happy, then it’s kind of hard. “How Sweet,” is kind of sad, but is supposed to have a happy little twist to it. I don’t know if it worked. For me that’s the ideal - to have both, bittersweet. VH1: What’s a perfect love song? LN: [sings:] “Every time you say goodbye, I cry a little …” by Ray Charles and Betty Carter. That’s a perfect love song. It makes you feel all tingly in side. There’s the love song that’s hopeful, and then there is the one that is kind of slit-your-wrists, “oh I am never going to meet anyone.” I don’t like those ones. VH1: Is “Don’t Use My Broken Heart” about Ryan Adams? LN: I wrote that song when everything was fine and dandy so it has nothing to do with him whatsoever. It’s about when a man and a woman get married in their early twenties, and the woman helps the man become this success. Then it’s over and he meets someone and he starts again. It’s about the woman that was there before he had all the money. It’s funny, ‘cause when I sing it I’m sure that everyone thinks it’s about [Adams], but it’s not. VH1: He’s famous for turning his relationships into song. LN: I’m so much more guarded than that. First of all, you don’t know anyone I’ve dated ‘cause I don’t really date anyone that fabulous - although I guess he was fabulous. It wouldn’t be that exciting to ask me who the songs are about, ‘cause you wouldn’t know who they are. It would be like “Frank in England.” VH1: Is dating a rock star a good idea? LN: It depends. If you want to get free tickets for shows then it’s great! VH1: You’re playing the Faces’ “Ooh La La” in your sets. How did you choose that song? LN: I realized it’s the same chords as “Don’t Use My Broken Heart.” I’ve always loved that song, even before it was in that film Rushmore. At first I was skeptical about playing it, because it’s kind of a boys’ song about women. But then I thought that was kind of funny, and who cares? We sing it in kind of a romantic way. VH1: You’ve said that Bob Dylan’s songs are untouchable … LN: You’ve been reading my diary! VH1: Hey, you’re the one who puts it up on your Web site. LN: No, that’s good, because I wrote it last night. I used to cover “You’re a Big Girl Now,” but then my friend told me I should do “I Believe in You.” Every time I’m about to do it, I get cold feet. I love him so much that I really … I don’t know. I want to make sure it’s perfect before I ever play it. VH1: Why do they scare you so much? LN: Because there are a lot of words firstly. I have the memory of a sieve. I’m dyslexic and I have ADD. If you put all of those together, you have a bit of a mess. I want to be fluid at it. It’s probably laziness more then anything. I need to sit down with it for like a day and work through it. VH1: What food could you not live without? LN: I’m a vegetarian, which makes it very difficult to survive in Middle America. They think you’re a kind of alien. Like, “What? No chicken?” I couldn’t live without chocolate. I love it. I love really fattening foods, like pizza and spaghetti. I love tofu, because I need to feel like I’m eating something hearty, and they can sometimes make it taste like meat. I miss the taste of meat! [Laughs.] VH1: You have been touring with John Mayer. Is he a sweetie? LN: Yes! He’s like a big kid. What is he? 25? I feel like Grandma Leona. He’s goofy. He’s running around playing tricks on people. At least that’s the impression I got. I got the impression that he was like a college kid. He’s gonna kill me if he ever hears me saying that, but he has kind of got that… thing. VH1: Jewel has moved onto dance, Liz Phair has turned to teen pop. Is it tough to be a woman singer/songwriter these days? LN: I don’t really care. I just know that if I don’t make records I’m proud of, then I won’t be proud of myself. Maybe in five years time when I have got kids, and I need to make a lot of money, I might need to “pop” it up a bit more. At this point there’s no option. I can only try to make the best music I can make.

Biography from VH1.com She's the daughter of Arne Naess, former husband of Supreme Diana Ross. Born and raised in England but presently based in New York, Leona Naess is an introspective singer/songwriter whose alternative pop-rock draws on influences ranging from Edie Brickell, Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell to the Cure, David Bowie and Joy Division. It's impossible to miss the similarity between Naess' voice and Brickell's; nonetheless, Brickell is only one of the many artists who has influenced Naess' work. Naess was in her teens when she started singing and writing songs, and she was 18 when she moved to New York to study music and anthropology at New York University. After doing her share of gigs at such Lower Manhattan clubs as CBGB and the Bitter End, a 23-year-old Naess signed with Outpost/MCA in 1998 and started recording her debut album, Comatised....[more] Discography Comatised [cover photo] Release date: 03.14.00 Label: MCA Records 01. Lazy Days 02. Charm Attack 03. Chase 04. Lonely Boy 05. Anything 06. Chosen Family 07. Comatised 08. All I Want 09. Northern Star 10. Earthquake 11. New York Baby 12. Paper Thin I Tried to Rock You But You Only Roll [cover photo] Release date: 10.09.01 Label: MCA Records 01. Mexico 02. Mayor of Your Town 03. All the Stars 04. I Tried to Rock You But You Only Roll 05. Sunny Sunday 06. Weak Strong Heart 07. Blue Eyed Baby 08. Boys Like You 09. Hurricane 10. Panic Stricken 11. Serenade 12. Promise to Try Leona Naess [cover photo] Release date: 09.16.03 Label: Geffen Records 01. Calling 02. Don't Use My Broken Heart 03. He's Gone 04. Star Signs 05. Ballerina 06. Dues to Pay 07. Yes, It's Called Desire 08. How Sweet 09. Home 10. Christmas 11. One Kind of Love

no offense, but your two cents make no sense to me... how are they fading away? and how are they going into boring pop music? and i think it's a crime, for you to make the assumptions that you have made about incubus. not using their full potential, i can see where you're coming from. but the rest of it just makes it seem like you've only listened to which songs have been on mtv

she was in Wild Orchid a while ago i believe

Brandon was part of Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time. His top ten: 1. "Grace" - Jeff Buckley: Buckley did things with his voice that you didn't think a guy could do. He sang like a bird. 2. "Pink Moon" - Nick Drake: I got into this agian recently when my girlfriend was playing it. There's something beautiful about how simple it is. 3. "Teardrop" - Massive Attack: When I first heard this, I thought it was the coolest song ever. I didn't even know Liz Fraser was the singer with the Cocteau Twins - I was just taken with her voice. 4. "The Kiss" - The Cure: This was the song that was playing when I kissed a girl for the first time. 5. "Protection" - Massive Attack: Growing up, I was really into heavy rock music. But then I started getting into people who created moods with their music. I love this. 6. "Last Goodbye" - Jeff Buckley: I like that it doesn't have a classic pop arrangement, but it's still a classic. 7. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles: This is cheesy, but my first exposure to The Beatles was via Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees the Sgt. Pepper film. This one floored me, although now I prefer the original. 8. "Hyperballad" - Bjork: Right when I first heard Bjork, I saw her play in Los Angeles. Watching her use her voice in this amazing way choked me up. I was like the tough guy trying not to cry at the end of the movie. 9. "Changes" - David Bowie: I love that Bowie played the chameleon with pride. 10. "Just Like Heaven" - The Cure: This was another part of my-making-out-when-I-first-heard-this deal.

Incubus hits all its hits at concert The band didn't hold back in its make-up performance at the Coliseum, and fans weren't disappointed. Keeping promises is always a good thing. Incubus might have canceled July's show in Wichita, but it kept its word and returned Thursday night to 4,000 enthusiastic fans at the Kansas Coliseum. Opening with the theme from the blockbuster video game "Halo," Incubus didn't take long to erupt into the guitar-piercing "Pistola," which brought the crowd to its feet. Fans quickly filtered down from the seats and staked out spots on the floor. Incubus played on a bare set, consisting only of essential equipment. However, the stage sometimes became reminiscent of the band's "Morning View" tour, as it played in front of a black backdrop illuminated with glowing stars meant to transform an enclosed arena into a perfect midnight sky. The band -- which ends its tour tonight in Loveland, Colo. --never hesitated from diving into what seemed like a greatest-hits package, beginning with "Nice to Know You" and then into one of its biggest hits, "Wish You Were Here." Incubus isn't a band short on hits. But its latest album, "Crow Left of the Murder," failed to produce any hits beyond "Megalomanic," which closed the show before the encore. However, that doesn't mean the band is finished. "The band was hitting on all 10 tonight, baby," fan Scott Steele said. "That's what I call enthusiasm." Enthusiasm is exactly what lead singer Brandon Boyd brings. Looking like a failed comedian, with white shirt and shoes, dark pants and dark suspenders, Boyd shuffled around stage, pulling the microphone cord while belting into the microphone. Some might suspect that Boyd's pin-up looks are what draw fans. It seemed the opposite. "I don't care if he was disgusting," Leslie Cox said. "I would still think that their music rocks. It makes me want to sprout wings and fly." Others agreed that it's the music, not necessarily the singer. "I love the metaphors," said Ryan Walker, who came down from Kansas City for the show. "It's perfection in words. You have got to listen to the lyrics. The words are poems if you listen." Incubus is one of the few bands left over from the late '90s rap-rock era. It has kept its fan base and continued to evolve musically. The turntables still exist, but its songwriting and rhythms have grown more complex and rewarding. This becomes fully evident on "Just a Phase," a song that fluctuates from power ballad to full-thrust rock. "They bring a mellow approach to music," Cox said. "They're therapeutic."

Incubus on a high as 'Crow' tour winds down The alt-rock band performs Thursday night at the Coliseum. If the state of mind of a band has anything to do with success, Incubus should have known its most recent CD, "A Crow Left of the Murder," would be a hit before it ever reached stores. "I think that with this record, one of the reasons it took so much less time is that all of us are sort of at the top of our game at the moment, too," singer Brandon Boyd said of the disc, which was recorded in just two and a half weeks. "The excitement was just in the right space psychologically and emotionally to make this record." The Los Angeles-area band certainly had not been suffering commercially before "A Crow Left of the Murder." Its two previous CDs, 1999's "Make Yourself" and 2001's "Morning View," were multi-platinum sellers that spawned a string of hits including "Drive," "Pardon Me," "Wish You Were Here" and "Warning." "A Crow Left of the Murder" is nearing similar heights. It went platinum within its first five weeks on the Billboard chart (peaking at No. 2), and has continued to build sales with the band's extensive tour that started last summer. Boyd is pleased with the musical and thematic range of "A Crow Left of the Murder," calling it the group's most diverse effort to date. "Musically, it covers the most ground, but lyrically it covers a lot of space as well," he said. "There are topics everywhere, from social observation to love to heartbreak and betrayal, renewal -- all the things that I've been observing over the past couple of years find their way into things that I write down. So this record became a very colorful photo album for us of sorts." In particular, the CD brings out a topical side of Incubus that hasn't always been so obvious on earlier albums. For instance, "Megalomaniac" rails against self-serving people in positions of power. "Talk Shows on Mute" tweaks Americans for their worship of television talk show hosts, while "Zee Deveel" focuses its attack on materialistic lifestyles. "There have been socially observant lyrics on all of our records, some of them more eloquent and better sort of delivered than others," Boyd said. "But this record, I think people really took notice a lot more, for numerous reasons. Certainly the first video (for 'Megalomaniac') we made says quite a lot, and also just because of the state of the world. "Everyone's sort of on super pins and needles with the state of politics and the state of the world in general and how all of us fit into it. You'd have to be either blind or blitzed out of your mind not to be paying attention to the things that are going on." "A Crow Left of the Murder" may also be a CD that helps give Incubus a more accurate and readily identifiable musical image. On early albums like the 1997 debut "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." and, to a lesser extent, "Make Yourself," the band flirted with hip-hop and as a result got lumped in with the rap-rock/nu-metal movement of the mid-1990s. But the current CD dispenses entirely with the rap elements and puts Incubus firmly in melodic metal-tinged rock territory. It's a sound that feels comfortable for the band, Boyd said. "I think this record is probably the closest we've come to the way we feel as a band," he said. "After sitting with it for a year and getting relatively objective, I feel like this is the most Incubus record we've ever written. "But we don't probably have that hit-the-nail-on-the-head Incubus record (yet), which is kind of a good feeling, too, because we're not done by any means."

Incubus sparkles Concert brings stars to eyes The Convocation Center found a “stellar” turnout for Incubus Friday night. With the haze machines in full effect, the alt-metal quintet played a mix of music from its 13-year career but focused more on its last few albums, including 2004’s “A Crow Left of the Murder.” More than 4,500 people attended the show either standing in the bleachers or dancing on the floor. Taking the stage at 8:40 p.m., Incubus performed a main set of 15 songs, opening with “Pistola” before launching into “Nice To Know You,” from 2001’s sleeper hit “Morning View.” Dressed in a white T-shirt and suspenders, lead singer Brandon Boyd belted out the lyrics to the excitement of the crowd while drummer José Pasillas kept the pace going strong. “I’m having a good time,” Boyd said halfway through the set. It was clear from the cheers the audience was, too. The five-piece group charged ahead with a number of hits, including “Stellar,” “Drive,” “Wish You Were Here” and the intense “Megalomaniac.” Toward the end of the set, the group fell into a long percussion jam. After leaving the stage for a couple of minutes, Incubus returned for a two-song encore, ending with “Under My Umbrella.” “I loved the show,” said Clara Stuparitz, a Highland Park resident who attended with her four children. “Incubus is an amazing band because their philosophy is so interesting. They write about taking control of their lives.” Brian Mesch, who traveled from Romeoville to attend the show, said he also enjoyed the band. “The show was really good,” he said. “[The band members] mesh really well. My favorite part was toward the end when they started playing their older stuff.” The Music, from Leeds, U.K., opened for Incubus, playing a number of songs from its sophomore release, “Welcome to the North.” Lead singer Rob Harvey danced energetically to the music while the modern-rock foursome tried to engage the lukewarm audience with its 33-minute set, which included “Freedom Fighters,” “Breakin’,” and “Bleed From Within.” The audience had mixed reactions to The Music. “I didn’t like their music, but the lights were nice,” said Laura Shields, a student at the College of DuPage. Ticket sales for the show were above expected levels, said Kevin Selover, the Convo Center’s marketing manager. Selover attributed the large crowd to the show being on a Friday night, which allowed for an audience from a larger area.

Incubus brings its 'Crow' tour to Coliseum When the 2002 album "Morning View" cemented Incubus' status as an arena-level rock act, Ben Kenney was recording progressive funk and hip-hop as a member of The Roots. Kenney, who joined Incubus more than a year ago, admired the band's blend of contemporary pop, rock, alternative and "nu-metal" sounds. The irony is that almost immediately after joining Incubus, the music he thought was the band's bread and butter began to change. "The band is in a whole new period now," he said. "It doesn't feel at all like we're making the same music as before." Incubus performs Thursday at the Kansas Coliseum. Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. show are $33 at Select-A-Seat outlets or by phone at 755-SEAT. Incubus' recent album, "A Crow Left of the Murder," is a step into dark territory. Even the more melodic side of the band's work, typified by the soft-focus detail of Brandon Boyd's singing, gets edgy. "It was kind of spontaneous, the way a lot of these songs came together," Kenney said. "We didn't follow any kind of formula. Everyone was just coming from a different place in their writing than they were on the last album." Although the moody pop and rock sound on "Crow" might be a switch for Incubus, it's an even greater cry from the funk, soul and rap Kenney served up on The Roots' 2002 triumph, "Phrenology." The bassist is proud of the grooves he helped set into motion. But there is little time to dwell on the past. Incubus toured Europe after "Crow's" spring release and now is touring the United States. "This is what we do," Kenney said of the extensive touring. "This is how we live. This is our job. But it's more than that, too. The band spirit is great. The guys get along really well, and the music we're making is tremendous. So I kind of feel like I could do this forever."

a bit on incubus' contribution to the halo2 soundtrack ...In addition to the BB [breaking Benjamin] boys, chart topping Alt fave Incubus clock in with no less than four tracks on the album. The first of these, "Follow (1st Movement of the Odyssey)", begins with chiming guitars and Brandon Boyd's crisp clear voice evoking the aura of Byzantine monks as he chants haunting sounds. It quickly descends into a controlled blast of chaotic prog metal—all drums and crashing guitars, before returning to Boyd's eerily detached croon augmented by mild symphonia. At roughly the 1:50 mark Boyd's kicks in with the repeated wail of "Follow" for a few bars then the band returns to their mid-tempo speed metal/symphonic twist. It's an unnerving number, to be sure, but a wonderfully twisted turn for the band. For the "2nd Movement of the Odyssey" Incubus revert to swirling intergalactic synth squiggles that bend and float around a quasi-acoustic guitar refrain that is augmented by wavering brush work on the cymbals. There's a definite Pink Floydian vibe to this number, albeit filtered through Incubus' strange SoCal mock Alt-Jazz phonics. That's for the first 1:40, then it veers off severely into atonal guitar noodling and King Crimson inspired prog madness filled with roiling blips and bleeps of electronic mayhem which has been tossed in for good measure (and what a good measure it is). The "3rd Movement of the Odyssey" takes a decidedly more jazz-funk turn, at least at the beginning, which is heavily bass and snare driven with ever-so-slight electronic ambiance floating in the background while horns mingle and float with the lumbering groove. That the guitar can barely be heard wailing away in the background creates a wonderfully detached sense of aural bliss. The song switches midway through to a more guitar driven chug, but it still remains in the slow-to-mid-tempo range. The "4th Movement of the Odyssey" mixes all the elements explored on the previous three movements, beginning with conga-styled rhythms and nothing else before escalating into a rousing guitar driven ramble. It's safe to say that Incubus' inclusions on the album are some of the most enjoyable and intriguing, both musically, intellectually, and emotionally.

Enjoy Incubus at SCSU Expect these California rockers to try something new during their show Thursday at Halenbeck Hall As drummer Jose Pasillas tells it, Incubus isn’t all that special. It’s just a band that makes music, and sometimes — well, actually quite often — they screw up in concert. “We mess up all the time,” he said. “It’s charming, sort of, in a way.” Incubus will charm audiences with its humanity tonight in Halenbeck Hall at St. Cloud State University. British rockers The Music will open. Think you can goad him into saying something positive about the band? Or something that vaguely resembles the sort of thing a rock star should say? Yeah, good luck with that. You’ll have to let the facts do the talking. Incubus formed in 1991 during members’ high school days in Calabasas, Calif. The band picked up The Roots’ former bass player, Ben Kenney, in 2003. The group has toured with everyone from the dove-eaters on Ozzfest to the plant-eaters on Moby’s Area: One. The band’s first two albums released nationally, “Make Yourself” and “Morning View,” have gone platinum. The single “Megalomaniac” off the group’s latest release, “A Crow Left of the Murder...” has earned the group more attention, and more radio play. Ticket sales at Halenbeck are also indicative of the Incubus’ popularity. Halenbeck’s lower level sold out about a month ago, and a dwindling number of seats are available in the upper level. About 1,850 tickets remain as of Tuesday. Halenbeck’s capacity is about 5,700. (And if you’re under the impression that any national act would draw a crowd in this market, take note: Sugar Ray only sold about 2,000 tickets in 2002.) While Incubus is frank about concert screw-ups, it’s because the band doesn’t approach concerts like they do recitals. Incubus often attempts to change songs around and try new techniques for shows. Sometimes the experiments work, and other times they provide a memorable experience for concertgoers. Zealous fans can collect bootlegs of concerts that Incubus sells from its Web site. Popularity and music talent aside, Pasillas could at least brag about the foundation the band has organized to distribute money to worthy causes, ranging from hurricane victims to Operation Smile, which helps children and adults suffering from facial deformities. But even the group’s social action is underplayed. “We just kind of figured we’re in a position to help,” Pasillas said. “We knew we could make a dent or a small dent.” The band’s goal is to raise $1 million in music-related activities for its foundation. Anybody familiar with Incubus’ lyrics shouldn’t be surprised by the band’s social involvement. “A crow left of the murder...” tackles consumerism (“Zee Deveel”), infotainment (“Talk Shows on Mute”) and free speech (“Pistola”). But the band doesn’t have any aspirations to spread political ideals. The lyrics are just lead singer/songwriter Brandon Boyd’s reflection of society, Pasillas said. “It’s just an observation of how the media or TV is working in this day and age,” Pasillas said. “The lyrics are meant to be thought-provoking.”

some old and recent photos from swr3.de

Ever-evolving Incubus ready to rock BU Guitarist Einziger still awed by band's success "There will be buried treasure somewhere underneath the basketball court. The rewards will be astounding," says guitarist Mike Einziger, 28, of Incubus' appearance Oct. 28 in Binghamton University's Events Center. But, after receiving consistent air play on rock radio and MTV with Pardon Me, Stellar and top 40-hit Drive, Incubus doesn't need to bribe people to see its live shows. The California quintet -- Brandon Boyd, lead vocalist; Einziger; Chris Kilmore, turntables; Jose Pasillas, drums, and Ben Kenney, bass -- released its fifth album early this year, the socially conscious A Crow Left of the Murder. The band has been touring throughout the year in support of that CD and the DVD Alive at Red Rocks, which highlights a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. A couple of weeks before they headline the Events Center's first rock concert, Einziger discusses the new record, the Latin Grammys, and "pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, if you can find them." QUESTION: You are performing at Binghamton University for an audience of mostly college students. What is it about performing at a university that makes it different from performing at larger venues? ANSWER: It makes us feel like we're closer to being in school. It makes us feel studious. It's fun. We've played a lot of college shows over the years and a lot of college shows particularly at a time in our lives when we would've been going to college. A few of us were going to college and had to stop because we had to go on tour. It's a little bit nostalgic for us to be around that kind of energy -- all those kids just having their independence for the first time and going crazy and having a good time. Q: Do you approach a show like this any differently than you would for a bigger audience, such as Ozzfest or a show at Madison Square Garden? A: Not really. The goal with playing those shows is to make them feel smaller, to make them feel more intimate. So when we're playing a smaller show, it already feels more intimate. I feel we're actually more in our element when we're playing some of the smaller venues. The college shows that we're going to be playing on this tour are still a far step up from playing in clubs. It's actually not that much different than playing in some of the arenas. Q: For people not familiar with your live show, what can they expect from the band when you take the stage? A: Unicorns, rainbows, pirate ships and buried treasure. You tell me one other band that has pirate ships, unicorns and buried treasure. ... This is the most boring answer I could ever give you, and probably the most redundant, but it's really impossible for me to answer that question. I really feel our music speaks for itself. ... It's not really a question that's fair for me to answer just because I'm playing the music. It's a totally different experience for somebody who's going to a concert. I've been to plenty of concerts during my lifetime, not as a performer, but as an attendee. The anticipation to see your favorite band come on stage is really exciting. Q: Do you prefer performing new material to old or is it a nostalgic experience to play older songs from previous albums? A: It changes from night to night. Generally speaking, it's a bit more exciting playing newer music because you just haven't played the songs as many times before. Some of these songs, we've been playing for a long time. It doesn't mean that they're less fun to play, but it just means that sometimes it can be a little more exciting to do something new. Q: How do you define where the band is at musically? A: Each record that we make is like a photo album of a particular time in the existence of the band. There's never a time where we've gotten there, so to speak. We've never reached our musical apex, and I feel that if we ever get to a place where we say, "OK, we've accomplished everything that we could possibly accomplish as a band," that would be the time to stop. Each song is a different snapshot of us at a certain moment at a certain time. It's almost like watching home movies of yourself. I like to think that we've changed and evolved and grown over the years that we've been making records. I think that's why each record that we put out sounds pretty drastically different than the next one does. Q: Since you've been touring all year, how do you think fans have been responding to the new album (A Crow Left of the Murder)? A: The response that we've gotten has been amazing. This record is a pretty weird album. There are a lot of strong songs on it, but there are also a lot of musical excursions on this record. I would imagine it would turn a lot of people off because, over the years, certain fans have become accustomed to the more structured song-oriented side of what we do, which still exists on this record. But I really like the record. I really feel that it's very thought-provoking. I think the lyrics are very interesting. The playing is very interesting and exciting. I'm always surprised when millions of people will go and buy our albums. I'm still confounded by it. I feel really lucky and honored that that many people would still be interested in our music. I'm always prepared for it to not be that way, but it's continued on that path for us, and we're all just really grateful and happy to be where we are now. Q: When you guys formed the band, did you ever really think you'd be as successful as you are now? A: Not at all. We didn't start the band with intentions of trying to become famous or rich or anything like that. We started playing music basically out of boredom. We lived in a suburb of Los Angeles where there really wasn't anything to do other than surf or skateboard. When we had the spare time, we started getting together in high school, in 10th grade, and we started getting together and playing music. It was just fun. It was just a good time. We started playing at people's parties in their back yards. We never made any money; we just did it because we thought it was a really good time. It was something that we really enjoyed, and it kept progressing -- slowly. It's taken us 12 years to get to where we are now. BY SHARI GOLD Correspondent

Incubus expands its musical vision By Ralph Berrier Jr. The Roanoke Times In an age of studio tricks and technological trickery, when Pro-Tools recording gear makes every teen pop star sound like a Broadway diva and makes every modern-rock ensemble sound like it knows how to play its instruments, Incubus has taken a novel approach to making music. The Southern California hard rockers are willing to take chances onstage, even at the risk of messing up. "I think people like to see you make mistakes," guitarist and keyboardist Mike Einziger told the Los Angeles Times this summer. "For me, personally, music's cooler when it sounds like humans are playing." That's why Incubus stands out from other contemporary rock bands, who usually fall into two categories: miserable metalheads (Korn, Staind, Godsmack) or vanilla post-punkers (Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World). Incubus, which performs in concert at the Roanoke Civic Center on Thursday, is certainly rooted in the heavy sounds of the 1990s, when four high school buddies first formed the band. But the group has expanded its musical vision on each of its past three releases, especially this year's ‘‘A Crow Left of the Murder.’’ Lead singer Brandon Boyd, who published a collection of writings this year called ‘‘White Fluffy Clouds,’’ explores social and political themes on the new album. Einziger and new bassist Ben Kenney have pushed the music outside the band's former comfort zone of heavy rock into more atmospheric stylings that mix rock, pop and even Eastern sounds. Well-crafted melodies and inspired playing carry the band a long way, especially in concert when it has been known to completely rework popular songs — a definite taboo in the world of studio-molded pop. When Incubus played at the Roanoke Civic Center two years ago, band members surprised the audience with an acoustic rendition of their big hit ‘‘Pardon Me.’’ Still, the group retains a hard-rock edge, especially on the scathing ‘‘Megalomanic,’’ which bashes power-hungry politicians and oil barons. Like the rest of the album, the song powers along with punk-inspired fury rather than plodding at grunge speed. "I was really bored with it," Einziger told the Los Angeles Times when recalling the midtempo beats of the previous albums. "Most of the songs off our last two records, 'Make Yourself' and 'Morning View,' a vast majority of the songs fell into the same tempo, the same beats, the same song structures. It was something that I really, really wanted to get away from."

Incubus Offers No Apologies By JASON MOON WILKINS For The Tennessean Incubus wasn't really trying to rock the boat or the vote in 2004 when the band released its acclaimed new album, A Crow Left of the Murder, but in this extremely reactionary election year, its hit single Megalomaniac has become a rallying cry and a bull's-eye for people on both sides of the presidential campaign. For those who oppose the incumbent, the message of Megalomaniac is as clear as its chorus is coarse: ''Hey megalomaniac/You're no Jesus/Yeah you're no (expletive) Elvis . . . Step down. Step down.'' Musically, it is equally confrontational with a monstrous rhythm attack and a riotous fist-pumping melody that quakes with sincere ferocity. People who were expecting something a little lighter from the band that piled up platinum success primarily due to its sensitive rock ballads were certainly blown out of their chairs upon hearing this one. But Brandon Boyd, Incubus' lead singer, was equally taken aback by the backlash to the single and its even more controversial video (which paired images of Hitler and Stalin with a Bush-like character flanked by slogans such as ''Heroes Don't Ask Why''). ''When we wrote this song and did the video, in no way was it a lash out against George W. Bush,'' Boyd says. ''I was thinking specifically, in mind, about a person whose (identity) is inconsequential and, for lack of a better term, inappropriate. But I think that it's a beautiful thing that people have attached their own idea en masse to the song. It will probably go down in history as that 'anti-Bush rock song.' '' ''It's funny because Floria (Sigismondi), the woman who directed the video, wasn't even making an anti-Bush video,'' Boyd recalls. ''When she cast that guy, who looks a little bit like George W. Bush, and this is coming straight from her mouth, 'That's a friend of mine who I thought looked like a good businessman with big ears.' But it has reflected the cultural perspective or outlook on things. But the song wasn't a lash out at him, it was just, like, 'What do you see in this ink blot?' And I saw one thing and everybody else saw something else.'' Regardless of intention, Incubus and Boyd certainly haven't shied away from politics, and Boyd is quick to unashamedly share his views, unafraid of the backlash that has beset artists such as The Dixie Chicks and Linda Ronstadt. ''The people who are bashing human beings, American citizens, for their opinions, those are the most un-American people out there,'' Boyd says. ''When people start allowing that kind of behavior, that's when we start walking back into the dark ages. That's like saying we should only let politicians elect the president. (Laughs) Well, in a lot of ways that's how it works with the Electoral College. ''I applaud The Dixie Chicks and Linda Ronstadt. I applaud anybody who has the courage to do that because they have the right to do it, and if you're not exercising your basic rights, you're basically just handing them off to somebody else who will probably end up using them against you. ''I think this is our generation's struggle. There are a lot of bands coming out and writing songs about (politics) for the first time since the '60s and rock is finally correlating their efforts again. It's funny. I saw this thing on the cover of a German magazine that said, 'Thank you, George Bush.' They were thanking him because all these bands were writing all these great songs about him.''

i started this thread over at chilax, and thought it should continue over here. so, here are some of my old stuff...everyone feel free to post their prose/poetry some old journal/book entries: “It's 2:20am and I can't sleep. I can feel my bones creaking like old pipes filled with water. I don't know what my bones are filled with that is making them creak so much. Or why they're creaking. Or why I'm paying attention to it all of a sudden. I bet that they've been creaking for years and I just now noticed them. All I know is that I can't sleep because my bones are creaking and I pay so much attention to shit like that…” “The floor tiles were moving…off the floor and back to the floor, left to right and acting like waves. I saw those dots again. They were everywhere. I was standing in a sea of those constantly moving dots. A sea of constantly moving dots in the lunch line. I'm scared…What if… the floors everywhere start moving and nothing is stable and I turn into the man in Munch's painting and my face melts into my skull and all I'm left with are violent screams? What if Mike and Lisa are just like Munch’s two friends and they are the only stable things in my life? Maybe one day… they'll tell me that they just can't be friends with someone like me. Then they'll turn from me and walk away, leaving me all alone with my melted face and violent screams.” “Eyes don't always work properly. Sometimes they're compromised by...something. Something gets in the way. That something isn't black, it's clear. Clear and spacey and it makes me lightheaded. It doesn't prevent me from seeing, but it prevents me from seeing accurately. People get, big and normal and big and then back to normal and I grab my eyes because they focus on the wrong things or the play games on me and it hurts.” “Time really isn't time if it disappears, is it? Last night, time wasn't. From 1am to 5am there was no time. I was awake, but I didn't do anything. Time managed to elude me. I'm not sure what I did for that piece of time which wasn't time…I was sitting on my bed, looking at my reflection which wasn't my reflection in the mirror. I realize that any time I've ever looked in the mirror, I've never seen the reflection as my own…Something's missing from me. At some point, I found myself lying on my back on my bed, unable to breathe...all of my weight came down on my lungs and transformed itself into a boa-constrictor and was trying to take out my breath via asphyxiation. Frightened, I remember feeling my eyes become large with what else but fear. I remember feeling very frightened. A few moments later I had caught my breath and a sudden feeling of weightlessness. Almost as if the weight that was choking me before was now absent from my body which wasn't a body and seemed to be floating. I knew I wasn't floating, but I also knew I wasn't weightless.”