Mute Math - "Backfire"

[Matt4319]

New album Armistice to be released August 18th. A song called "The Nerve" is up on their site www.mutemath.com.

Tracklisting:

1. The Nerve
2. Backfire
3. Clipping
4. Spotlight
5. No Response
6. Pins and Needles
7. Goodbye
8. Odds
9. Electrify
10. Armistice
11. Lost Year
12. Burden

To say Armistice is my most anticipated album of the year would be a gross understatement. An EP, a full-length, and a soundtrack song into their career, they've already notched five #1 hits and a #2 on my personal chart, to go along with two #1 songs of the year. I hope "The Nerve" isn't the first single, though.

[pen]

Alright, this has been bugging the shit out of me. Is their name two words or one word? Cause I see it some places as Mute Math and other places as Mutemath. I just need to know.

[Matt4319]

Jun 9, 2009 13:52:13 GMT -5 pen said:

Alright, this has been bugging the s**t out of me. Is their name two words or one word? Cause I see it some places as Mute Math and other places as Mutemath. I just need to know.

Honestly, I don't know either. I think the first time I saw the name it was Mute Math, so I just kept doing it out of habit. I'm not sure how authoritative Wikipedia is, but... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mute_Math

Mute Math (sometimes typeset as MUTEMATH or MuteMath) is a Grammy Award nominated American rock band from New Orleans that formed in 2003.

[(Artie Ziff)]

I though we had a topic for this already. I remember discussing the new song. Oh well.

As for the name, I go by the spine and cover of the CD. It's always been Mutemath to me.

[Matt4319]

That would be for "Spotlight", off the Twilight soundtrack.

Oh, and good luck typing the name of the band that does "Freak On A Leash" then.

[(Artie Ziff)]

I assume you mean Korn? I've always wondered about them, but I don't have any discs to see their logo. But I've seen Korn and KoЯn used. I assume one is the name, the other is the logo?

[Matt4319]

Yeah.

/refuses to let his Mute Math topic degenerate into a grammar pissing match

[Matt4319]

Updated track listing above.

[Deleted]

I can't wait for this. Listening to the Twilight soundtrack was one of the best decisions of my life.

[Matt4319]

New bio, one that claims "Spotlight" is the first single from Armistice:

"The members of MUTEMATH had reached their breaking point. Collectively gathered on the front porch of their New Orleans home-studio where they were struggling to record the follow up to their 2006 critically-acclaimed Teleprompt/Warner Bros. debut, the quartet screamed at each other with the full weight of the accumulated frustrations that had escalated from weeks of fighting. To heighten the tension, a lawn mower droning in the background drowned out their voices, inciting them to yell even louder in misguided efforts to be heard.

Finally, drummer Darren King voiced what everyone was thinking, but feared saying out loud: either call it quits or swallow their individual pride and try to write the best songs they ever had. “No one said a word at that point,” recalls vocalist/frontman Paul Meany. “And without comment, apology or agreeing, I just remember all of us walking right back inside, going straight to our instruments, and just starting to play music.” That was the day King, Meany, guitarist Greg Hill, and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas began to write what would become Armistice.

But before that day would arrive, the band had written close to 16 songs in the midst of their 3 years on the road and had full intention of arriving in New Orleans to record and sculpt these ideas into the 10 or so songs they would need for their sophomore release. But after weeks of recording and working in every seperate corner of an old uptown voodoo Victorian, the internal conflicts over what parts made up the best ideas began building to a full on creative stalemate. Growing exhausted with their crumbling democracy, the band started looking for an outside producer to evaluate the situation. One by one, they were flown in every other day for a week until they met Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello, The Hives).

"What caught our attention about Dennis was that he had the most simple, yet slightly offensive suggestion for us," says Meany about their first visit. Upon hearing what had been recorded so far Herring said, "Why don't you just try writing some new songs?”

“I'm surprised no one had really entertained that option up until then,” Meany comments, “perhaps because it seemed like too daunting of a task considering how invested we'd become in the existing ideas.” But Herring continued to push his point, “You obviously aren't happy with what you have, and honestly, I don't think its great either. Stop spinning your wheels; shelve these songs; and start spending your time writing together. Don't worry about recording your record right now. Just write it."

Taking a few days to think about it after Herring left, the band attempted a discussion on what to do next, but still could not come to any unamimous agreements until that noteworthy day on the front porch where all the conflict would come to a head.

“All of the constant fighting had left us unable to resolve anything,” remembers Mitchell-Cardenas. “But something special happened when we just decided to shut our mouths, pick up our instruments, and disregard anything we had written prior.” Something began to align in the creative universe. Songs were forming on their own at a fast pace, almost as if their true sound was being discovered for the first time. It was in this moment that their first single “Spotlight” fell out of the sky.

Once the band had grasped the benefit of their new mindset, they didn't waste any more time. All previous 16 ideas were completely scrapped and the band began to work together in the same room everyday just starting with a tempo and key to play in. It turned into a marathon style writing session yielding a new song about every other day. The band eventually signed on Herring as their official producer and after 3 months in New Orleans shaping up almost 20 brand new songs, they headed to Oxford, MS and worked more closely with Herring to put the final details in place.

Fueled by the bands chaos and confusion, MUTEMATH has created a work of tremendous beauty and meaning on Armistice via such tracks as the hypnotic, musically inventive “Clipping,” the propulsive, high dynamic charge of “The Nerve,” the quirky tribute to Murphys Law “Backfire,” and the nine-minute, soaring, closing opus “Burden.” Instead of brushing aside the questions and anxiety that propelled the projects birth, the quartet embraces them, with each song questioning where to go from here.

Since MUTEMATH released its first EP in late 2004 and hit the road in 2005, their inherent nature has challenged limitations and expanded parameters. By the time of the 2006 self-titled debut, their blending of adverse genres into its own innovative sonically adventurous creation earned them a reputation as one of modern musics most daring young groups. By 2007, they would find themselves Grammy nominated and declared by Alternative Press as “the #1 band you need to see live before you die.” But in the process of pushing boundaries even further for themselves, they almost pushed themselves out of existence. “It was a risk we had to take,” says King looking back on what they set out to accomplish for Armistice. “This record was by far the most painful music-making experience I've ever had, but also the one Im most proud of.”

Its evident that this record is not a high-minded story with a beautiful resolve, but rather the experience of knowing when to stop fighting for the sake of progress. Without a doubt, ideals get mamed and dismembered in the scuffle, but Armistice emerges as a transcendant anesthetic to keep us singing and dancing through it all."

[pen]

Then shouldn't you either change the title of the thread or lock it and bump the one about "Spotlight"?

[Matt4319]

No, because "Spotlight" already has a thread and is done (if it was ever going to do anything on radio). This would be for their "second" single since I'm fairly sure they would release one coinciding with the album's release (although I don't agree that "Spotlight" should be considered a single from Armistice).

More news:

TOUR
Jul 25 2009 8:00P V Fest Vancouver
Aug 7 2009 10:30A Summer Sonic 2009 (Osaka) Osaka
Aug 9 2009 9:30A Summer Sonic 2009 (Tokyo) Tokyo
Aug 18 2009 7:00P House of Blues (Album Release Party) New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug 29 2009 12:00P V Fest Toronto, Ontario
Aug 30 2009 12:00P V Fest Toronto, Ontario
Sep 22 2009 7:00P Bogart’s Cincinnati, Ohio
Sep 24 2009 7:00P Sonar Baltimore, Maryland
Sep 25 2009 7:00P T.L.A. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 26 2009 7:00P House of Blues Cleveland, Ohio
Sep 27 2009 7:00P Clutch Cargo Pontiac, Michigan
Sep 29 2009 7:00P The Majestic Madison, Wisconsin
Oct 1 2009 7:00P People’s Court Des Moines, Iowa
Oct 3 2009 12:00P Austin City Limits Music Festival Austin, Texas
Oct 5 2009 7:00P Showbox Seattle, Washington
Oct 6 2009 7:00P Roseland Theater Portland, Oregon
Oct 8 2009 7:00P Empire Event Center Sacramento, California
Oct 9 2009 7:00P The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Oct 10 2009 7:00P Club Nokia Live Los Angeles, California
Oct 11 2009 7:00P House of Blues San Diego, California
Oct 13 2009 7:00P House of Blues Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct 14 2009 7:00P Ogden Theater Denver, Colorado
Oct 16 2009 7:00P Beaumont Club Kansas City, Missouri
Oct 17 2009 7:00P First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 18 2009 7:00P House of Blues Chicago, Illinois
Oct 20 2009 7:00P Orbit Room Grand Rapids, Michigan
Oct 22 2009 7:00P Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
Oct 23 2009 7:00P The Pageant St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 24 2009 7:00P Cain’s Ballroom Tulsa, Oklahoma
Oct 25 2009 7:00P New Daisy Memphis, Tennessee
Oct 27 2009 7:00P Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oct 29 2009 7:00P The Palladium Dallas, Texas
Oct 30 2009 7:00P Warehouse Live Houston, Texas
Oct 31 2009 12:00P Voodoo Music Festival New Orleans, Louisiana
Nov 2 2009 7:00P Alabama Theatre Birmingham, Alabama
Nov 4 2009 7:00P Revolution Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Nov 5 2009 7:00P House of Blues Orlando, Florida
Nov 6 2009 7:00P The Tabernacle Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 7 2009 7:00P Amos’ Southend Charlotte, North Carolina
Nov 8 2009 7:00P War Memorial Nashville, Tennessee
Nov 10 2009 7:00P The Norva Norfolk, Virginia
Nov 11 2009 7:00P The Synagogue WASHINGTON, Washington DC
Nov 12 2009 7:00P House of Blues Boston, Massachusetts
Nov 13 2009 7:00P Nokia Theatre New York City, New York
Nov 16 2009 7:00P Club Quattro Nagoya
Nov 17 2009 7:00P Club Quattro Osaka
Nov 18 2009 7:00P O-East Tokyo
Nov 19 2009 7:00P TBA Tokyo

[pen]

Maybe they'll rerelease "Spotlight".

[Nicholas2.0]

You told me something I didn't know, Matt.

[Matt4319]

The album debuted at #18 with 18K sold.

When I went to the listening party last month, we were told the first video would be "Backfire". But either they haven't sent it to radio yet or it's completely flopping. Oh, and the album is out and there's no video for anything except "Spotlight" (which was a soundtrack single). This band was nominated for a Grammy and has a #1 Billboard single, and the label can't even get a song to radio or a video on YouTube before the album drops.

And on top of that, "Backfire" is one of the weakest tracks on the CD, IMO. :-\

[erzo01]

Oh, and I thought "The Nerve" would be their single..

[Matt4319]

I forgot to mention, they're on Letterman tonight. So they've got that going for them.

[nightshade]

I love all the songs on the album but if they are aiming for mainstream appeal which most artists should Backfire is one of the best for it.

[halo19]

I thought it sounded good on Letterman's show last night.

[Slinky]

"Electrify" is getting major spins on Sirius/XM Alt Nation. I don't think I've heard "Backfire" yet.

[Matt4319]

Spins

[pen]

It looks like "Elecrify" is getting a lot of spins.

[Slinky]

True, but 32 of those 33 spins from last week are from Alt Nation.

[Matt4319]

The video is finally coming out on Monday. WB shat all over this era.

[Nicholas2.0]

Nov 20, 2009 18:21:42 GMT -5 Matt4319 said:

WB shat all over this era.

That's what I'm noticing at this point. What a promotional and marketing disaster. Way to capitalize on previous momentum by not having your shit together. Someone oughta be fired over this at the label. And I'm not even a big Mute Math fan. How could I be? I haven't heard anything off the new record!

[Matt4319]

"Spotlight" hit #53 on Alternative in May, now that we can see these things. That makes it even less excusable.

Oh well, at least I can say I personally warned them in July not to release "Backfire".

[Slinky]

So I'm guessing Electrify never charted? That's so weird to me because at this point 100% of my Alt. listening is to Alt. Nation and they supported it so much.

I could still see that single being big enough to salvage the era if it were given a push.