MUSIC REVIEW
Mae warms hearts with ‘The Everglow’
Creativity key on debut album BY KRISTINA RIDENOUR Daily Titan Staff
The rock-rap outfit of El Pus didn’t know that on one fateful day an act of thievery of their sampler would ultimately change the fate of the band’s sound. The sound that manifested itself in this 5-piece band is like something you have heard before, but has been mixed up and blended into a whole new punk/ rap hybrid. Once El Pus’ sampler was stolen, they decided to use their musical skills to their advantage and jammed with instruments in their Virgin Records debut. El Pus is a band that does not fit into a mold and with their new CD, Hoodlum Rock: Vol.1, they combined their mentors of N.W.A and Led Zeppelin. The band’s influences helped this eclectic band fuse rap and rock seamlessly. The 13 songs in the collection have a strong energy and good hooks that get you singing along (even if you can’t rap). The band comes from At-
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lanta, as does Outkast, which might bring some comparisons of the two. While they both skew the normal hip-hop mentality with their music, they are not one
“ The party vibe that is echoed on the majority of tracks gives a sense of how captivating the band would be playing live.
” and the same. El Pus is much more rockdriven and would be more at place on KROQ than on Power 106. The party vibe that is echoed on the majority of tracks gives a sense of how captivating the band would be playing live. Two songs that capture this live, raw energy are showcased on “Monday Morning” and “Suburb Thuggin.”
Daily Titan March 24, 2005
BY BRIAN TAYLOR Daily Titan Staff
The first song fits the mold of a party anthem, while the latter song shares the band’s dislike for people who try to be something they are not. Switching it up on “Days of the BK’s (I Remember).” the band reminisces about their childhoods where “British Knights and neighborhood fights” were what they knew and “summer nights, it all felt right” was their mantra. This song shows the diverse style of the band, bringing it down a notch into more melodic tunes. El Pus have been around since the late ‘90s, but is just now showing their capacity to get out there in the mainstream, with the band being shown on MTV/MTV2’s Advance Warning special in April. The rap/rock genre has had short-lived popularity in the past, with bands such as Korn and Cypress Hill, but El Pus seems to have a fresh outlook on the scene and they therefore should not be overlooked.
If you’re looking for a CD filled with trunk-rattling bass and lyrics about cash, guns and ho’s, go buy one of the latest releases from the G-Unit camp, because this one’s not for you. But if you’ve ever been in love and experienced the emotional highs and lows that go hand-inhand, then do yourself a favor and bask in the warmth that is the The Everglow by Mae. Writing songs about romance’s failures and triumphs are nothing revolutionary to the music world. But the Virginia-based group has composed more than simply an hour of wasteless notes, chords and lyrics commonly found in today’s sound-alike, look-alike era of made-for-MTV music. Everything about the album has been carefully planned out, forming a melodic journey through the fairytale land of The Everglow. Constructed similar to a children’s read-a-long book, the CD opens with a prologue and finishes with epilogue that are of ingenious creativity. The 13 tracks in between are guided by the soothing voice of singer Dave Giminez. Mae’s sound is nearly impossible to categorize. The lead track,
“We’re So Far Away” is a beautiful ballad to which Giminez is accompanied by only keyboardist Rob Sweitzer. Two tracks later you’ll be tapping your foot along to the rhythm of “Suspension.” Mae’s ability to switch tempos makes The Everglow a very enjoyable experience. But the amiable stories told over the top of the musical compositions are even more impressive. One listen through the album and you’ll find at least one track that describes a familiar relationship scenario. “Someone Else’s Arms” is an anthem for every hopeless romantic longing to wake up next to a companion. Some might call it indie or emo but Mae defines its musical style as melodic, energetic rock that is a melding of its childhood favorites U2, The Beatles and Depeche Mode. It’s been two years and almost 70,000 albums sold since their debut album Destination: Beautiful. But The Everglow is worth the wait and won’t disappoint those who already enjoy bands such as Dashboard Confessional or The Ataris. There’s no sophomore jinx for the fellas from Virginia Beach, look for The Everglow to start turning heads March 29.
