EPK

Cansado?  Muy Cansado!  The concept of the band's name has branched out in the infinite complexity from the time it was simply selected from a patch of graffiti in their practice space.  The relentless and necessary recording of their debut CD, Stars & Garters, and ever-evolving effort of intense creation and performance;  a passion-driven, whirlwind, almost sleepless two week tour that immersed Muy Cansado in the very lives of their growing fan base across the country; an there is nothing very tired or wavering about the music or the members of Muy Cansado.  Sleep deprived, yes, but showing no signs of slowing down - physically or creatively. . . .

The Songs on Stars & Garters play with ease, but reflect a lot of intense care in the creation and an importance to the development.  This is an album worth purchasing no matter what sub-genre of rock you're into.  There's something for everyone from catchy hooks and sweet vocals to aggressive riffs and eclectic raw vocal treatments.  As much as the CD listening experience is a ncessity, you have to check out Muy Cansado live.  

NOTE:  We've omitted the interview part of this article, because it was really long and would take up a lot of space.  Maybe we'll post it in coming months, but for now just grab a Metronome off the streets to check it out.  Cheers. 

Muy Cansado’s wastes no time in Stars & Garters, hitting the ground running and swinging for all they have. Lead singer/guitarist Chris Mulvey’s vocal delivery champions the first track as well as most of the ensuing ones. Mulvey puts himself through multiple vocal contortions, roaring and caterwauling and ranting his way through the program, nestled in a blanket of noisy guitar.

Bassist and vocal counterpart Lisa Libera provides a melodic counterpoint to Mulvey’s excitable vocals and guitar work.

The cool tones of her voice pop up in more than one chorus. Libera’s voice does not seem to be a “background vocal” in the classic sense of the word – her voice is loud as Mulvey’s, and she often has her own parts, whether it’s the cool “ooh-ooh-ooh” vocal interlude of “Revolution” or her “lead bass” work in third track “Couldn’t Have Said It Better.” Libera is the melody. Mulvey is the energy. Drummer David Fine serves as the fulcrum for the band, simultaneously propelling and keeping in place his bandmates.

The two leads of Muy Cansado do an admirable job of never getting into each others’ way. Rather, they work together effortlessly, especially in the chorus of the aforementioned “Couldn’t Have Said It Better,” which plays out like two separate congruent songs played in unison. This happens more than a few times – “Stockholm Syndrome” is another Magic Eye picture of a song with Libera and Mulvey doing different things but ending up in the same place nonetheless. Libera takes the lead for one song and it is a treat that displays both her finely-fingered bass work and her personality-laden vocals – one can hear Libera smile and smirk as she sings about leaving a trace of her fist across some poor soul’s face.

Muy Cansado is a noisy yet melodic high-speed trip through local streets and tunnels in a super-charged convertible with Mulvey, Libera and Fine all talking to you at once. At times it may seem that they are all saying different things, but in the end they are three parts of the same story.

Muy Cansado thrives on the dueling vocals of Chris Mulvey and Lisa Libera making their sound very reminiscent of the Pixies. Their debut Stars & Garters is a raw rock sounding, bar ready and intense experience from beginning to end. It is full of straight ahead indie punk explosions that will take you by surprise and reaching for the repeat button when it's over. 

Key Track: "Telemundo"

Band With Similar Fire: Pixies

Heat Factor - 3.5 Flames 

I was introduced to Lisa Libera as the guy who was afraid of Dave. Dave is the drummer of Muy Cansado who sports chest length dreads and sometimes plays sans shirt and shoes. I'm not sure I would describe my feeling prior to my first Muy Cansado show as scared, but anxious. Appearance is often the first variable used when forming a first impression and given the fact artists so often fall into the stereotypical image of the music they play - indie poppers with skinny jeans and tight shirts, DJs with clean vibrant tees and straight billed hats, and jam bands with long dreaded hair and no shirts or shoes - I had reason to be anxious. It's startling how bands sprint to fit into the previously sculpted image of a particular genre. I'm most surprised by a band's look when they have none - when their shirts are practical, when they wear shorts on stage that aren't cut off and when they are entirely plain.

But, in the case of Muy Cansado I was treated to simple but fun guitar driven rock. At that time they only had a four song EP, but since then they've compiled an additional seven songs to create their first full length, Stars & Garters. The album is more of the same in part because the band has identified a style and allowed particular influences to guide them more heavily than others (read: Pixies), but it's also more of the same because just about every song had already been posted via their myspace or earlier EP. If you've been following the band that may be a bit of a disappointment, otherwise it's frivolous commentary.

The album as a whole is an exciting debut from a local band. It's not incredibly intricate, or unnecessarily complex - just straight forward guitar rock. Even when songs don't seem immediately engrossing the band manages to throw in a hook, background vocal, or a catchy bass line to grab your attention.

The only true weak song on the album is Revolution, which seems like a failed attempt at recreating the energy of Telemundo. Perhaps if the track was located elsewhere on the disc the effect would have been blunted but it's positioned directly after the very good Telemundo which exposes its weakness. But it's a minor gripe and easily dismissed in the wake of the strength of the album as a whole.

Now, in an effort to gain some exposure, sell some records, and play music in front of people the band is embarking on a tour that will stretch out as far as Texas. The tour kicks off tomorrow in Somerville at the Abbey Lounge. The show will also be their record release party so there will be plenty of opportunity to pick up a copy of Stars & Garters.

Muy Cansado isn’t offering any quick or easy hints into their sound. The group’s name hints at some form of multi-nationalism; an odd play for a mostly Boston-based band. While the band’s sound occasionally wanders down dusty roads and past cacti and tumbleweeds, they are perfectly average-looking people completely opening themselves on the stage.

Vocalist/guitarist Chris Mulvey is one figurehead of the three-pronged attack, with his big, and seemingly never falling out of shape coif. Mulvey’s laid back, gentle and generally affable demeanor changes however as he picks up the guitar and steps up the microphone. He closes his eyes, tilts his head slightly to the side and doesn’t so much sing, as he lets the sound somehow escape his body. Mulvey’s vocals, sometimes tortured, sometimes violent, sometimes beaten-down, always begs the question “What’s going on with these people?”

Theatrical vocals and scattershot guitar aside, Muy Cansado is rounded out with bassist Lisa Libera and drummer Dave Fine. Libera has the girl-next-door look down pat. One might expect her to have an excellent record collection or somehow know everyone on her block. It’s obvious, however, that she works the bass guitar with such proficiency and style as to be possibly one of the best bassists in town. Libera’s expressive bass parts often state the melody of the song and with melodies so thoughtful and expressive as any “lead” instrument could sound. The real highlight of Libera’s playing is not her technical wizardry, but her near-angelic smile that crosses her face as her fingers spider out seemingly impossible sounding bass parts. Watching her play bass could make the entire world want to play bass.

Dave Fine, formerly Libera’s roommate, moved to New York City, a move that usually spells band death. This would seem like a crushing blow for Muy Cansado, a band that dodged a bullet when Mulvey moved to Los Angeles for a few months. “We made him come back,” affirms Fine. While carving out a niche for himself in New York as a soundman, he still finds the time to come back to Boston for band practice or a show. “It averages out to about once every one and a half weeks,” he explains, barely batting an eyelash at the trip. Fine’s unique geographical situation enables the band to plant a foot in both major markets of New York and Boston. Sometimes Fine shuttles to Boston, sometimes Libera and Mulvey pack up and drive to New York. “We were concentrating on the recording for a while,” says Mulvey, “But now we’re ready to play.”

“It’s all right there, man,” shrugs Mulvey. “There,” according to Mulvey, is the group’s newest record, Stars and Garters, a follow-up to the late 2007 EP Amuses Bouche. “This has the songs from Amuses Bouche,” explains Mulvey, slightly stumbling over the term before Libera swoops in with the proper pronunciation (“A Moose-Boosh”). The songs are mostly the same between Amuses Bouche and Stars and Garters, but the production value has skyrocketed. Not content to simply recycle prior recordings, the trio went to Boston’s esteemed Q Division studio and re-recorded everything, lending new breath to songs such as “Soul Song” and “Stockholm Syndrome.”

Having spent the past autumn and winter in the studio, the trio looks forward to a spring and summer on the road and on the stage. Muy Cansado is here to play and only asks that everyone listen.

Muy Cansado’s new EP Amuses Bouche starts with a display of guitar artillery that sounds like no less than 17 guitars rattling off the non-standard-yet-familiar chord changes of “Kiss the World.” Lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Mulvey rails on the microphone like a modern day, not-so-stoned Bob Dylan and bassist Lisa Libera chimes in with a decidedly more melodic counterpoint on back-up vocals.

The back-up vocals are an item of interest on Amuses Bouche; sometimes lead vocalist Mulvey is not singing a melody so much as hinting at one. Libera, on the other hand, has a highly musical voice and often finds herself acting as the song’s melodic centerpiece. This vocal interplay creates an interesting vocal juxtaposition that teeters on the edge of harmony and discord. It is a fun exercise, switching listening concentration back and forth between the point/counterpoint of this wonderfully melodic record.

While Mulvey and Libera fuss back and forth on the vocals, drummer David Fine makes a non-vocal contribution to the record in the way of solid beats that keep things going. The trio really hits its stride on songs such as “The Other Night,” a bumping one-two semi-shuffle; Fine rumbles along and keeps things interesting on the percussive side, while Mulvey stretches his voice to new lengths for the occasional refrain. The entire deal is also permeated - as is every other song - by the articulate bass work of Libera, a four-stringed force to be reckoned with. Her bass lines drive more than a few of the songs on Amuses Bouche, as the guitar performance is mainly centered on roiling chords. Libera’s bass provides a stable main riff over the distorted churn of Mulvey’s guitar. The EP ends with “Soul Song,” a standout vocal performance by Mulvey demonstating his talent for writing subtly evocative lyrics and singing them with just the right amount of dynamic gusto. With an EP this good, one has to wonder what a full-length would sound like.

Yo La Tengo had the grace and ability to demonstrate that even a band from central New Jersey founded by a bunch of white guys could pull off a Spanish name. Though it certainly helped that their name (”I have it”) derived from the all-American game of baseball, the translated phrase of “very tired” for the up-and-coming trio Muy Cansado remains to be an aspect that we can all universally relate to: exhaustion. We all get it, especially this time of year. Mid-terms looming, the shopping rush, cold weather, holiday commercialization… the list goes on and on. Though the name does not roll off the tongue as smoothly as Yo La Tengo, Muy Cansado’s music is just as enjoyably accessible. Ironically enough, the Massachusetts-based trio capitalizes on similar strengths to their bilingually named predecessors. With a knack for glimmering guitar hooks, dreamy melodies, and snarling vocals with ostensible angst, one might be reminded more of the Pixies when listening to Muy Cansado. Suitably enough, their MySpace lists their hometown as “Future City”. Though their influences from the past are shown aplenty, Muy Cansado’s contemporary methods of production remain very noteworthy. If this is what the future sounds like, I’m in.

Like many bands I have come across, the three members in Muy Cansado met while studying at the same university. The two founding members, David Fine and Lisa Libera, ran into each other at the University of Massachussetts and immediately became best friends over a mutual love for music. As familiar as that seems, it often seems the formula for success. Bands founded by a natural bond for music is, in most cases, a resounding success. Wonder why boy bands only last a few months at most? Apart from generic songwriting, they are all bounded financially and chosen by top-tier executives. Natural pairing is what music was made for. It is always nice to see this ideology stay alive; it is one of the reasons why indie music continues to dominate in terms of innovation. As for the rest of Muy Cansado, the two ran into the third member, Chris Mulvey, when they made the move to Somerville (”Future City”?). Mulvey was a veteran of the Boston music scene and had plenty of experience to share with Fine and Libera, not to mention him being an impressive lead guitarist and vocalist. With Mulvey on guitar and vocals, Libera on bass and occasional vocals, and Fine handling the percussion, Muy Cansado’s adept lineup was solidified last year.

Occasionally, when writing about a new artist, I find myself in a dilemma when attempting to choose which songs I should post. Considering that I never post something that I personally find to be lacking in quality, this is always a delightful situation. It applies to Muy Cansado; from their available songs, all are of equal complacency. Though the trio has yet to release an album or even an EP, they have five songs available as a free download on their web site. The band states that the songs available are merely demos and that they are now in the studio working on final versions for the majority of them. They are in the midst of a selection process for their currently untitled debut album, choosing which songs to include and improve upon. Judging by the consistency of their eight available songs (3 more are available on their MySpace), Muy Cansado’s debut could be something special. Though I consider “Riding High”, “The Other Night”, and “Erased” to be the cream of the crop, “Couldn’t Have Said it Better” and “Soul Song” are equally as good (both available exclusively via MySpace). Those two songs, “The Other Night”, and “Kiss the World” were included on a sampler collection, Amuses Bouche, that serves as an anticipation for their big full-length debut in 2008. Their band name is in Spanish and their releases (so far) are in French; it makes sense that their music is as open-minded as their global outlook.

To keep things somewhat straightforward, I usually post three songs per post. I had to make an exception with Muy Cansado though; I wanted to expose their cumulative stylistic diversity in three songs but it proved impossible. Though they stray on similar grounds of late ’80s and early ’90s college-rock and alternative, the influences are merely one of many factors as the vocal, rhythmic, and melodic presentations differ significantly in substance. The diversity is a breath of fresh air, especially with each song being of near equal quality. “Riding High” is definitely my favorite out of the bunch, with Pixies comparisons ringing prominently and proudly. Mulvey has a similar tone of snarling angst to Frank Black, with the tone and emotional output being eerily similar. Though it may sound bold, he pulls it off just as well. The chorus-led hook of the song is driven by a series of pulsating guitar riffs that are followed by an impressive solo, much like a more repetitive version of Sonic Youth or Yo La Tengo. In comparison, the catchy “The Other Night” is led by Mulvey’s vocal melody and Libera’s enthralling bass line. The guitar progression is touched with tinges of ska and reggae, though the Sublime comparisons are found primarily in the guitar’s rhythmic pattern alone.

“Soul Song” is a very impressive effort, with the duet between Mulvey and Libera in the chorus serving as one of Muy Cansado’s most touching moments. “You’ve got your soul and I ain’t got no,” they sing over an acoustic and electric guitar clashing simultaneously, with Mulvey letting out a perfectly timed melodic yelp as the bridge between the chorus and verse. Libera’s vocal ability is further demonstrated in the woozy “Erased”. Though she ocassionally reaches an awkward off-key moment, her ardent clamors and howls during the song’s chorus are excellent displays of her potential. It is nice to see Muy Cansado utilize the vocal collaboration between her and Mulvey. They are both quite talented in both their instrumental and vocal aspects, reminding me of the great Frank Black-Kim Deal duo in numerous ways. Let’s not forget David Fine either; his percussion work in every song thus far is precise and near flawless. If Muy Cansado calls songs of these quality demos, I can’t wait to hear the final versions. If they stay true to their tested approach, Muy Cansado’s upcoming album should be outstanding.

"Three piece bands featuring a shirtless and shoeless drummer with dreads hanging down to his chest scare me. Luckily, I was entertained with a solid performance with absolutely no hints of that awful jam rock people so happily gobble up.

Muy Cansado draws little influence from the festering patchouli soaked swamps that are home to the likes of M.O.E., Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident, State Radio and others but; rather, from the likes of the Pixies and Talking Heads. Their set even featured a cover of “Psycho Killer,” which was quite good. Although “Psycho Killer” is one of the most approachable songs in the Talking Heads catalogue, any time a band can play a good Heads cover they instantly get my respect.

Muy Cansado definitely has a lot of potential and they are currently working on a full album. The songs they played live that were not on the EP were very strong so I’m looking forward to the LP’s release in early 2008. The recording quality can be a bit lacking so definitely check them out live before making a final judgement. Muy Cansado is certainly a local band to keep you eye (or ear, whichever is applicable here) on."