New Music Tuesday: Odd Soul

I stopped going to big arena shows a while ago. If I want to have a distant experience from my favorite bands I'd rather buy the DVD and be at home for the show. The view in my living room will always be great, drinks are cheaper and accessible, and it will always sound better. You just can't get a feel for a good band far away from the stage.

So it was incredible to see a band like Mutemath in a small club a few months back… I got to see them at Mohawk Place in Buffalo before their latest release of Odd Soul. It was sold out at 300 max capacity and the Mohawk has that grungy, CBGBs feel… Intimate, historic and filled with energy. That's what I go for. Even if my ears pay the ultimate price.

Mutemath is one of those bands that gives you musical smarts, creative techniques and a great live show. Being a bass player I definitely tune into drummers and Darren King is the absolute coolest in my book. He's really incredible to listen to and watch.

My good friend Joel and I managed to get right up front and I was snapping off pics with my iPhone…

He's clearly the heartbeat of the band as you can almost see the music orbiting around him as he lays it down…. He has a thing where duct tapes headphones to his head so they stay put when he's playing. A true showman.


Roy Mitchell-Cardenas is a really great bass player too. He's totally under-rated and also has an ear for rich, classic tone. I recently found his personal blog which I thought I was cool.

Since picking up Odd Soul I've been listening non-stop. It was no surprise to learn that the guitar player left the band before they began writing for this next album… it has that heavily-influenced rhythm section feel which I love…

And yes, THE ARTWORK. Gotta stay on point here. The artwork has a very cool color arrangement. I've always liked the way cyan looked by itself, and with the warmer tones it has a nice feel. Seems like a typical label release… stuffed in a plain 'ol jewel case. Would have been nicer on paper… something recycled, or with a cover wrap. None the less, good graphic design work.