Incubus

INCUBUS

   Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell; both of whom were eventually replaced by bassist Ben Kenney and DJ Kilmore respectively.

   Incubus has received both critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching multi-platinum sales, as well as releasing several highly successful singles. The band earned mainstream recognition with the release of their 1999 album Make Yourself. In 2001, Incubus became even more successful with the single "Drive" and their follow-up album Morning View. Their sixth studio album, Light Grenades, debuted at No. 1 in 2006 and has received Gold certification in the U.S. Incubus released their first greatest hits album Monuments and Melodies in June 2009, accompanied by a tour of the United States, Japan and Canada. The band recently completed a seventh album, If Not Now, When?, which was released on July 12, 2011.

   Vocalist Brandon Boyd, drummer Jose Pasillas, bassist Alex Katunich and guitarist Mike Einziger began playing together when they were in tenth grade. Somewhere around the year 1994, Incubus released a demo tape called Closet Cultivation. In addition, they released other demos that did not appear on Closet Cultivation, such as Miss Bliss, Purple Kool-Aid, and Damnation? Einziger contacted Joanne Stanulonis, a well known music and math teacher who was always working with school age musical acts, usually on the set or in the studio or on tour. Joanne had just finished touring with Steve Vai's teenage musical prodigies, "Bad4Good." With her connections to the music industry and the savoir faire to book minor aged acts on Sunset Strip, Joanne booked Incubus at The Roxy, The Troubadour, and The Whiskey before they graduated high school. Through Joanne's friendship with Producer Jim Wirt and his wife Kathleen, Joanne arranged free recording and studio time at 4th Street Recording. It was where Fungus Amongus was produced and recorded. In 1995, turntablist, Gavin Koppell (known by stage name DJ Lyfe) joined them. The band's first major-label release was 1997's six-track EP titled Enjoy Incubus, and was necessarily created so the band could represent a recording while touring with Korn in Europe.

Musical style:

   Over the course of their career, Incubus has utilized elements from a variety of genres and styles, including alternative rock, heavy metal, electro, funk, funk metal, jazz, hip hop, nu metal, rap metal, techno and trip hop. With many critics praising the band's ambition, it has also made them difficult to correctly classify. The band has issued a wide variety of instruments into their music that are not traditionally associated with use in rock music, including a djembe, sitar, didgeridoo, and bongos on many of their earlier tracks and during live performances, and with the use of a pipa (played by Einziger) in the song "Aqueous Transmission".

Band members:

Current members:

• Brandon Boyd – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion (1991–present)

• Mike Einziger – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals (1991–present)

• Jose Pasillas II – drums (1991–present)

• Chris Kilmore – turntables, keyboards (1998–present)

• Ben Kenney – bass guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)

Former members:

• Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich – bass guitar (1991–2003)

• Gavin Koppell – turntables, keyboards (1995–1998)

Discography:

FUNGUS AMONGUS

(1995)

   Fungus Amongus is the debut album produced by American rock band Incubus, released November 1, 1995 on Stopuglynailfungus Music On Chillum, Incubus' own independent label. It was later re-released under Epic/Immortal on November 7, 2000 after popular demand. Many of the names given under 'Personnel' are actually pseudonyms for the Incubus members. 'Fabio' is guitarist Mike Einziger. 'Dirk Lance' is bassist Alex Katunich, who later adopted 'Dirk Lance' as his stage name. 'Brandy Flower' is an actual Sony employee, and 'Happy Knappy' is vocalist Brandon Boyd. 'Brett' and 'Brett Spivery' refer to Brett Spivey, long time friend of the band, who went on to make their first two DVDs, and the videos for "I Miss You" and "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)".

   The album cover image is of a mushroom (Amanita muscaria), also known as a fly agaric mushroom.

   Stylistically, the album shows strong influences from funk-metal bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus and Mr. Bungle, all of whom are mentioned in the liner notes of the album. Also the group present a quasi rap style which is avoided in later Incubus releases showing Brandon rapping on songs such as Psychopsilocybin, Trouble in 421, Speak Free, and Take Me to Your Leader.

   The lyrics vary from songs about life ("Medium", which usually mistaken for a food song), to science-fiction songs ("Trouble in 421", "Take Me to Your Leader"), to songs about drugs ("Psychopsilocybin"). The song "Hilikus" is commonly misinterpreted as "high-like-us", but it is actually a word meaning crazy.

S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

(1997)

   S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is the second album by American rock band Incubus, released on September 9, 1997. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. It has been mentioned by lead singer Brandon Boyd that the acronym S.C.I.E.N.C.E. stands for Sailing Catamarans Is Every Nautical Captain's Ecstacy.

   S.C.I.E.N.C.E. draws influence from diverse genres, including heavy metal, electro, funk, jazz, hip hop and techno. According to Rolling Stone writer Rob Kemp, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. "links funk metal to the rap metal". "Magic Medicine" incorporates elements of trip hop, sampling a recorded reading of a children's book. The song "Vitamin" appears in the film Final Destination 2.

   Critics praised the album's diversity of styles. Pitchfork Media wrote that Incubus "successfully combines all sorts of [music genres] without sounding like a mess". Allmusic reviewer David Thomas wrote that "The numerous styles on the album don't always blend perfectly, but they create a solid sound that defines the band. Incubus also manages to make their songs upbeat and danceable as well as tunes to headbang to. An admirable feat in a genre that tends to reward decibel levels instead of quality." Drop-D Magazine reviewer Darren Kerr praised the album for its originality. In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Kemp gave the album two out of five stars. In The Great Rock Discography, Martin Charles Strong gave the album six out of ten stars.

MAKE YOURSELF

(1999)

   Make Yourself is the third album by American rock band Incubus, released through Immortal Records on October 26, 1999. The album has been certified double platinum in the United States along with featuring three charting singles, "Pardon Me", "Stellar", and "Drive", all of which reached the top three of the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

   There is also a tour edition for the album, with a second disc containing three acoustic tracks and one live track. The album is the first to be recorded with new turntablist Chris Kilmore, who replaced DJ Lyfe.

   The song "Stellar" is featured in the video game Guitar Hero. It also was included as a part of a 3-song pack via Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II on April 11, 2007. The song is also again featured in Guitar Hero Smash Hits. The song "Drive" was released as downloadable content for Guitar Hero World Tour, as being released as a part of the Acoustic Pack. The song "Privilege" is featured in the video game MTV PURERIDE for the Playstation

   The song "Crowded Elevator" was featured on Scream 3: The Album.

   The album is listed on the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

   The song "I Miss You" was featured on Rocksmith for the PS3.

MORNING VIEW

(2001)

   Morning View is the fourth studio album by American rock band Incubus, released October 23, 2001 through Immortal Records. A companion DVD, Morning View Sessions, was released on May 29, 2002. Morning View was the last Incubus album to feature bassist Alex Katunich.

   With immensely popular singles like "Wish You Were Here" and "Nice to Know You," Morning View generally achieved critical praise and would go triple-platinum, making it the band's highest selling album.

   Former bassist Alex Katunich (aka "Dirk Lance") stated that the album's title comes from "the name of the street the house was on where we recorded the album."[1] Boyd notes that "every time we'd pull into the street we had the view of the ocean and Pacific Coast Highway. I got a big creative boner every time I'd show up to the house. Every time we'd pull up, DJ Kilmore would be like, "Ah, Morning View. It's time to rock!"

   The album received generally positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 62, based on 10 reviews. Q Magazine states that "even at their most acerbic or delicately downplayed extremes, Incubus are compelling.", while CDNow noted that Incubus "has begun to grow up a bit."

   Topping all previous Incubus records, Morning View debuted on the Billboard 200 at #2 with 266,000 copies sold in its first week. By December 2001, the album was certified platinum and still ranked #38 on the Top 200. Many of its singles would remain on the charts throughout the following year. After heavy touring and single rotation, Morning View would be the 40th best selling album of 2002.

A CROW LEFT OF THE MURDER...

(2004)

   A Crow Left of the Murder... is the fifth studio album by alternative rock band Incubus, released on February 3, 2004. The album marks the first appearance of bassist Ben Kenney, following the departure of founding member Alex Katunich.

   The music of A Crow Left of the Murder... incorporates elements of heavy metal, jazz, pop and progressive rock. The work of guitarist Mike Einziger takes equal prominence in focus to that of voalist Brandon Boyd, in contrast to previous albums which focused more prominently on Boyd's vocalization.

   The word for a group of crows, or its collective noun, is a "murder". Therefore, the title of the album can be interpreted as rebellion. The back cover of the album's liner notes show a murder of crows with one of their members flying to the left. This reference to rebellion against group obedience keeps with the main themes of the album. The choice of the direction left most likely comes from the liberal political message of the album. An example of this is shown by the music video for the single "Megalomaniac" which features caricatures of televangelists and politicians in the face of protest juxtaposed with images of Adolf Hitler, George W. Bush, Benito Mussolini and Joseph Stalin. "A Crow Left of the Murder", then, can be viewed as separation from the group mentality by a left-leaning individual, and that the group from which he is separating is associated with "murder."

   Another explanation for the title could be an attempt by the band to distance themselves from what was going on in the music world at the time of its release. With the popularity of nu metal, which Incubus were often categorized as, but did not see themselves as being a part of, lyrics such as "even straight roads meander" hint to Incubus' ability to expand and evolve their musical direction with each new album.

   The singles from this album are "Megalomaniac" and "Talk Shows on Mute". "Agoraphobia" and "Sick Sad Little World" were also released as radio-only singles.

   The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 332,000 copies in its first week on the chart. It has since gone on to sell 1.9 million copies and has been certified platinum by the RIAA. This is one of the few Incubus albums to carry the Parental Advisory label.

   Early pressings of the album list track 12 "Smile Lines" as "Suite Lines" on the back cover.

   The Japanese pressing of the album came with a bonus track, "Monuments & Melodies" which is also available on the "Alive at Red Rocks" bonus CD.

LIGHT GRENADES

(2006)

   Light Grenades is the sixth studio album by alternative rock band Incubus, released on November 28, 2006 on Epic Records. The album sold 359,000 copies during its first week of release worldwide, mostly in the United States.

   Light Grenades debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week; it is the band's first number one album. However, Light Grenades also holds the dubious honor of having the title of the biggest drop from No. 1 in chart history, falling from No. 1 to No. 37 in its second week on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and breaking the record set by Marilyn Manson's The Golden Age of Grotesque, which fell from No. 1 to No. 21 in 2003. The album has since gone gold in the US, selling 845,000 copies there.

   Mike Einziger, Incubus' guitarist, commented in an interview with MTV that the album "sounds like 13 different bands playing 13 different songs... Every time we're about to start making a new album, I tell myself, 'Okay, this one's going to be cohesive,' and it never happens." For the most part, Light Grenades expands upon the sounds previously explored in 2004's A Crow Left of the Murder....

   Other songs showcase a new direction for the band. For example, Brandon Boyd describes the curious recording technique behind "Paper Shoes": "There's a song called 'Paper Shoes' where Michael and I mic'd our bodies with ambient mics and did the percussion tracks pounding on our chests and skulls. The galloping rhythm is us pounding on our chests. It was really funny. We were trying so hard not to laugh because we were sitting there like cavemen beating our chests!"

   When asked about the album title, frontman Brandon Boyd explained: "There's a song called that on the record and it felt like the most pertinent conceptual aspect of the album, the idea of throwing ideas at problems and the ideas explode with light and good results and intention on consciousness. So I started imagining imagery of students in different countries protesting and throwing Molotov cocktails with masks over their faces. But there's one brave student who runs up to the police line and, as opposed to throwing rocks or things that destroy, there's this concept of that one courageous, lonely student running up and throwing ideas and having them actually change things. It just seemed kind of a cool concept: the redefining of weaponry."

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

(2011)

   If Not Now, When? is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Incubus, released on July 12, 2011 on Epic Records. Preceded by the singles, "Adolescents" and "Promises, Promises", the album marks the band's longest gap between studio albums, to date. Described by guitarist Michael Einziger as "a very straightforward, concise album," If Not Now, When? was recorded in the wake of an extended hiatus, and produced by frequent collaborator Brendan O'Brien.

   The album's cover features High Wire artist Philippe Petit.

   Thematically, the album addresses romance, with Boyd noting, "it's about love and finding art and success in love. I never know what I'm going to be writing about until I'm actually writing about it. It's what's relevant in my heart and mind. There's definitely a romantic undertone and overtone."

   According to Boyd, the album's title stems from his constant re-assessment of life; "I'm addicted to the news. There's so much at play right now, so many important, catastrophic, beautiful things. This idea If Not Now, When? seems terribly poignant." the singer told Spin The title refers to a quote from Hillel, the rabbi of the Mishnah, who said: "If I am not for myself, who will be? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?" (Avot 1:14) This third question, from which the album's title is derived, contains the admonition not to postpone any duties. It also echoes the admonition he gives with reference to study (Avot 2:4): "Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps never have any free time."

   Einziger noted, "It just seems like a very appropriate name for the album because we've been in the spirit of taking risk, stepping up and making a leap. For us, it's a very common theme for us to take chances, to do things differently. There's something exciting and equally scary about that idea. Now we've nothing left to lose, really. We've kind of accomplished everything we wanted to accomplish as a band; at this point we're just living our dreams."

   Critical reception for the album has been mixed; it holds a rating of 48 on review aggregator Metacritic. Most critics noted the lack of harder songs on the album and its "slow, elevator-music-style tempo".

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