• Mae, an oft overlooked band
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The band's official website: [url]http://www.whatismae.com/[/url] [quote]Hailing from Norfolk, VA, Mae (an acronym for Multisensory Aesthetic Experience) is comprised of Matt Beck (guitar), Jacob Marshall (drums), Mark Padgett (bass), Rob Sweitzer (keyboards), and Dave Elkins (vocals/guitar). Initially, the band started out as a project between Elkins and Marshall; however, recording was to be done at Padgett's home studio. Eventually, the five-piece came together for a musical adventure in early 2001. Nearly eight months later, Mae was playing shows in and around their native Virginia. They've shared dates with the likes of the Movielife, River City High, and the Exit; in the process Mae recorded songs for a debut album. Destination: Beautiful was released in early 2003 on Tooth & Nail. While touring to support Destination: Beautiful, guitarist Matt Beck stepped down from his post and was replaced by former Unsung Zeroes guitarist Zach Gehring. Destination: B-Sides surfaced near the end of 2004. Their second proper studio album, The Everglow, followed in 2005; supporting tour dates and a stint on the summer's Warped Tour came next. Spring 2006 was spent on the road with the Virgin College Mega Tour alongside Over It and headliners Yellowcard. A bonus edition of The Everglow appeared that April with additional tracks and a bonus DVD containing two hours of various band footage. Their contract with Tooth & Nail ran out that year, and the band went on to sign a deal with Capitol. Their first album on that label, Singularity, hit stores in late summer 2007.[/quote] Mae, in short, is a band that most everyone comes to like, but no one seems to know. They did 3 albums [and one B-side collection],the most recent being Singularity released in 2007. Albums: [img]http://www.drivenfaroff.com/wp-content/2007/07/mae.jpg[/img] Singularity - Their most recent piece composed almost entirely of a much louder, faster paced style than their older works. May be an indication of them adapting to meet the mainstream liking more.. Tracks: 1. "Brink of Disaster" - 3:38 2. "Crazy 8s" - 4:01 3. "Sometimes I Can't Make It Alone" - 3:15 4. "Just Let Go" - 3:17 5. "On Top" - 3:47 6. "Waiting" - 4:51 7. "Sic Semper Tyrannis" - 3:20* 8. "Release Me" - 4:01 9. "Telescopes" - 3:25 10. "Rocket" - 2:52 11. "Home" - 3:37 12. "Reflections" 6:05 The best songs on this album, are IMO 1,2,7,8,9, and 12 [img]http://www.devlounge.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/art83.gif[/img] Destination: Beautiful - Destination: Beautiful is about as close to a perfect album as I've heard in years. In fact, Mae may have created a perfect album. Beautifully written and played, Destination: Beautiful stands out. Get this album and you will be the proud owner of joy pressed to CD. Push play and let go, Mae will bring escapism as well as a smile to your face. This is my favorite album of theirs, the tracks being - [Favorites are bolded] [B] 1. "Embers and Envelopes" – 4:18 2. "This Time Is the Last Time" – 3:50 3. "All Deliberate Speed" – 5:09 4. "Runaway" – 3:45 5. "Sun" – 5:08 6. "Last Call" – 3:35 7. "Skyline Drive" – 5:59 8. "Soundtrack for Our Movie" – 3:13 9. "Summertime" – 4:06 10. "Giving It Away" – 5:27 11. "Goodbye, Goodnight" – 4:48[/B] [I]This is one of the few albums I have ever found where I prefer no song over another. Every song in this album strikes me as beautiful, which tells me that this CD really did achieve it's title's direction.[/I] [img]http://host.jwcinc.net/3942996/albumart/Mae_-_Destination-_B-Sides.jpg[/img] Destination: B-Sides - An odd choice for the artist, to make a B-sides to their first album ever released. The songs enclosed are beautiful rethinkings of previous singles and of others taken from their first album. [quote]Nothing says "fans only" like a collection of B-sides. Especially when the band has only existed for a short while and has only released one full-length album anyway -- it's not like there's a deep catalog of single releases and compilation tracks to draw upon for a collection like this. So it's a tribute to Mae's quality and depth as a band that this compilation is as rewarding as it is. Some of the credit should go to whoever was responsible for programming the tracks -- Destination: B-Sides opens with a powerful one-two punch in the form of the funky and complex "This Is the Last Time [Wave Remix]," which is followed quickly by the gorgeous "Suspension." A nice acoustic version of "Sun" follows, after which things start tending a bit more toward the fans-only side: live versions of "This Is the Last Time" and "Sun" don't bring much new insight to the original versions, and the live version of "Futuro" is lackluster at best. But a remix of "Goodbye, Goodnight" ends the album with bang rather than a whimper, and even at its least inspired this collection will give newcomers plenty of reason to go back and find a copy of Mae's debut. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide[/quote] 1. "This Time Is the Last Time (Wave Remix)" – 3:25 [B] 2. "Suspension" – 3:50[/B] [B] 3. "Sun (Acoustic)" – 5:22[/B] 4. "Tisbury Lane" – 5:45 [B] 5. "Awakening" – 4:16[/B] 6. "Futuro (Live)" – 3:11 [B] 7. "Sun (Live)" – 7:30[/B] [B] 8. "This Time Is the Last Time (Live)" – 5:23[/B] 9. "Giving It Away (Acoustic)" – 5:20 10. "Goodbye, Goodnight (S.M. Remix)" – 4:31 11. "Going to School" – 3:42 [img]http://www.devlounge.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/art5.gif[/img] [quote] Mae's pensive, pretty sounding, piano-steered opener, "We're So Far Away," is sure to make swooning emo chicks and fans of Ben Folds get all tingly, but it's a misleading way to christen The Everglow. Still disciples of roaring, commercial-sounding modern rock with an ambiguous message -- from Jimmy Eat World to Relient K to Copeland -- will be relieved that Dave Elkins and Co. are quick to turn it up a notch and bring out the anthems as expected. From the airwave-ready "Someone Else's Arms" to the buoyant "Suspension" and on to the infectiously poppy "Breakdown," Mae is hard to dismiss and even harder to dislike. In fact, music of this ilk rarely sounds better or can be more effectively visualized. Come to think of it, "This Is the Countdown" just may be the most rollicking, immediate, lovelorn pop song in recent memory. Despite its unusual albeit palatable start, The Everglow is a shining moment in modern rock. ~ John D. Luerssen, All Music Guide[/quote] 1 "Prologue" – 1:16 [B]2 "We're So Far Away" – 3:50[/B] 3 "Someone Else's Arms" – 5:09 [B]4 "Suspension" – 4:00[/B] 5 "This Is the Countdown" – 3:57 6 "Painless" – 4:20 7 "The Ocean" – 4:41 [b]8 "Breakdown" – 4:14 9 "Mistakes We Knew We Were Making" – 5:07[/b] 10 "Cover Me" – 4:34 11 "The Everglow" – 3:28 12 "Ready and Waiting to Fall" – 4:21 13 "Anything" – 4:03 [b]14 "The Sun and the Moon" – 7:16[/b] 15 "Epilogue" – 0:54 All in all, I greatly reccomend this band to ANYONE who likes music designed for escapism. Anyone who likes music that in it's quiet beauty takes it's listener somewhere far away, and leaves them feeling different at the end of each song. Nearly everyone who has browsed my music library or been at one of my parties where Mae came on random of well over 10,000 songs has latched on and immediately sought out this band to add the music to their library. And now - The music [Ignore the music videos they are oft weak and kind of lame and irrelivent]: Sorry first 3 will not embed, just open in a new tab. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl-AhKOebdo[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTm9yhs-r5o[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZDdJAFESUI&feature=related[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYKl6dZs0JM&feature=related[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agZ9cvzXa1Y&feature=related[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twcgWq6C1xA&feature=related[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_oRdQeqIUw&feature=related[/media] Performed with accoustic guitar and water jug in a Tower Records in Hawaii [Very impressive for an improv performance IMO] Open the ones that do not embed in a new tab to hear them.. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl291qph_Qkl[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqAYJEEJ8pY&feature=channel[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvEhk6pGuAI&feature=channel[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKN8-uHA-zI&feature=channel[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8tk7cRUsWg&feature=channel[/media]
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