MewithoutYou (styled as mewithoutYou) is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based experimental rock band. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by spoken-word vocals and free-ranging drums, bass, and guitar. On their third album, Brother, Sister, the band incorporated more varied instrumentation including percussion instruments, accordion, and harp. Aaron Weiss writes lyrics about issues such as unity or division in the church, suicide, money, war and love. They tour in a 42 foot 1976 MC8 Charter bus (that used to read "Altus Bulldogs" before the band painted over it in July 2009) that runs on vegetable oil.[1]
History
The band was originally conceived as a side project. The Weiss brothers and former guitarist Christopher Kleinberg were playing together in another band called The Operation with current bassist Greg Jehanian (who released one album and one EP, 2001's There Is Hope for a Tree Cut Down & 1999's Invisible Man EP, on Takehold Records), but Aaron wanted to start another band to experiment with new sounds. With the help of Ricky Mazzotta, Ray Taddeo, and his brother Mike, Aarron formed what is now formally known as mewithoutYou. At first the band was a four piece, with Aaron Weiss on both bass and vocals. However, in only a few months Chris Klienberg joined to play third guitar. The band released their first EP (I Never Said That I Was Brave) in 2001 and shortly thereafter signed to Tooth & Nail Records after a show at Cornerstone Festival the same year. Around this time Taddeo had moved on, and Daniel Pishock was recruited to be the first official and permanent bass player of the band. The Operation disbanded soon afterward, and MewithoutYou's debut full-length album, [A→B] Life, was released in 2002. The band garnered more attention for their second release, 2004's Catch for Us the Foxes, which was produced by Brad Wood (Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate). In December 2004 Pishock had made the decision to retire as the bassist to pursue a career in teaching and explore other musical ventures, and former Operation frontman, Greg Jehanian, was selected to replace him. In 2005, MewithoutYou won mtvU's "Left Field" award for most original artist. Their third album, Brother, Sister, again produced by Wood, was released on September 26, 2006. In late 2007, guitarist Christopher Kleinberg left the band, to pursue a degree in medicine. Pete Syuom filled in for guitar in the fall of 2007, but later Kleinberg returned to play with the band on their 2008 Summer tour since school was not in session.
Aaron Weiss provides narration for the Forgive Durden album entitled, "Razia's Shadow: A Musical" which was released October 28, 2008. He also provides vocals for Norma Jean's "Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste" and Indie/Hip Hop project Bella Futuro's "70 X 7".
As of September 2008 the band has finished recording the follow-up to Brother, Sister titled, it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright. The title of the album is taken from parable 518 in the book 'The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh" by Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. In this he writes, "It's all false, It's all a dream, It's all crazy, It's all over, It's all right, Let's see what's next".[2] The latest album is a departure from Weiss' trademark shouting and the band's raucous grooves. The mile-a-minute rants, thick with vocal and lyrical angst, are traded for simpler melodies with lyrics about anthropomorphic food and animals. Similarly, the band has scaled back their edgier post-hardcore sound, at times trading riffs for chords and guitars for pianos. Even a classical composer was called into their Fishtown, Philadelphia studio for various arrangements on several tracks. The album was produced by Dan Smith (Danielson, Sufjan Stevens) and Brian McTear and was mixed by Brad Wood.
Lyrical themes
The Weiss brothers are of Jewish descent and their songs explore Judeo-Christian themes. The Weiss brothers were also raised in a Sufi household—their mother had converted from the Episcopal church, and their father from Judaism.[3] Due to the Christian themes of Aaron Weiss' lyrics, they have been categorized as a Christian band, although in interview, A. Weiss has stated he doesn't think they are a Christian band.[3] Their lyrics reflect a personal relationship with God, and are not evangelistic. Other lyrical themes explored include suffering and self-doubt.
Many lyrics are taken from the Sufi poet Rumi including the song "The Cure for Pain" from "A to B: Life" and a line in the song "Seven Sisters" from "Catch for Us the Foxes"[4]
In the song "Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt" from their album "A to B: Life", Aaron Weiss' lyrics are based on a poem from the metaphysical poet John Donne called "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning". John Donne wrote the poem to his wife to explain that there is no need for dreading their physical separation or distance because their spiritual love will always keep them together. The lines of the song "thy firmness makes my circle just, and makes me end where I begun" are directly from John Donne's poem where the conceit is revealed as a compass (Stanza 9, ll. 35-36). The title of the song itself is a Kurt Vonnegut quote.
The title of their second album Catch for Us the Foxes is taken directly from Song of Songs 2:15: "Catch for us the foxes,/ the little foxes/ that ruin the vineyards,/ our vineyards that are in bloom" (New International Version).[5] This passage is also used in the song "The Soviet": "Good God, please! Catch for us the foxes in the vineyard—the little foxes". See lyrical themes of Catch for Us the Foxes for the themes explored on the album.
The title of their third album, Brother, Sister, is derived from St. Francis of Assisi's "Canticle of the Sun": "We praise You, Lord, […] especially for Brother Sun, […] We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars".[6]
Their fourth album, It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright explores many of the teachings of Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. The sufi teacher's story of "The Fox, the Crow, and the Cookie" from "My Love You My Children: 101 Stories for Children"[7] is told as well as his story about the "King Beetle" from "The Divine Luminous Wisdom that Dispels Darkness."[8] Other concepts from the teacher are explored in "Allah, Allah, Allah," about seeing God in every blade of grass and in "Fig with a Bellyache" dealing with sexual temptation from "The Divine Luminous Wisdom..." and "The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh."[9] Guitarist Mike Weiss has been quoted as saying that the themes of the album reflect a time in vocalist Aaron Weiss' life where he is, "...sort of revisiting [religion] and holding himself up to those teachings that there's no one religion that's going to be the only way to God..." [10]
Members
Current
Former
- Christopher Kleinberg – Guitar
- Daniel Pishock – Bass guitar, vocals, keyboards
- Ray Taddeo – Guitar
Discography
Albums
EPs
Vinyl
Compilations
- Songs From The Penalty Box, Tooth & Nail Volume 6, 2009 "Every Thought A Thought Of You"
Equipment used
Electric guitars
Effects pedals
In order of appearance:
- Dunlop crybaby (Michael)
- Line 6 DL4 Delay x2 (Michael)
- Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Analog Chorus (Michael)
- Demeter TRM-1 Tremulator (Michael)
- HAO Sole Pressure (Michael)
- Boss RV-5 Reverb (Michael)
Bass
Percussion
- C & C Drums
- Meinl Byzance Heavy Hi-Hat Traditional 14"
- Meinl Byzance Medium Thin Crash Traditional 19"
- Meinl Byzance Medium Ride Traditional 21"
Videography
References
- ^ Synthesis Interview Jeremy Enigk and Aaron Weiss Catch Up as the World Waits, 2006-12-07
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=4gbhnNuEPbcC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=%22It%27s+all+false,+It%27s+all+a+dream,+It%27s+all+crazy,+It%27s+all+over,+It%27s+all+right,+Let%27s+see+what%27s+next%22&source=bl&ots=_JgYwKJL2Q&sig=KQgIaPd_poiRKur-wWG3afb0ZvE&hl=en&ei=vJucScHkOoTYNIaS9ZsF&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA221,M1
- ^ a b Fink, Matt (2007). "Busted: mewithoutYou". BustedHalo.com. p. 1. http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/busted-me-without-you/. Retrieved 2008-09-04. "
- "So my dad was raised Jewish and became Sufi, but he still identifies himself as a Jew. My mom was raised Episcopalian and she converted thoroughly to Sufi Islam."
- "It’s not like I’m offended if someone says we’re a Christian band. I just don’t think it’s true. I don’t think we live up to that calling, so I’d be reluctant to go saying that"
- ^ http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Rumi
- ^ Song of Songs 2:15, NIV
- ^ St. Francis of Assisi's "Canticle of the Sun" at prayerfoundation.org
- ^ http://www.bmfstore.com/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=33
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=E9_KzFNdcTQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=M.+R.+Bawa+Muhaiyaddeen
- ^ http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2009/05/01/qa-with-mewithoutyou/
- ^ REDEFINE magazine Interview With mewithoutYou, July 2009
External links
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MewithoutYou |
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| Aaron Weiss · Michael Weiss · Greg Jehanian · Rick Mazzotta |
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| Former members |
Chris Kleinberg · Daniel Pishock · Steve Smoker · Ray Tadeo
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| Albums |
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| EPs |
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