March 12th

[heysarahsarah]

Well, I mean, if we wanna get into semantical genre pissing contests, I would say that GSYB! is technically orchestral rock.  And I meant that they aren't the same genre as Mae Shi, so I was simply pointing out that while you may enjoy GSYBE!, you mayhap do not enjoy noise, which is the genre Mae Shi probably most aptly fits into.

They sound like a combination of Deerhoof and Hella, and it's an awesome combo.  Also, Ezra does not always sing like that, it's specific to the music.  Listen to Montro to hear some more of Ezra singing more traditionally if Mae Shi is not your taste.

Here's a nice little blip by Allmusic that does a decent job summerizing what they are about for those that are interested in further info about Mae Shi:

Los Angeles' noise rock outfit the Mae Shi features Ezra Buchla, Brad Breeck, and Tim and Jeff Byron. The bandmembers were longtime friends before starting the Mae Shi, with Buchla and Jeff Byron's friendship dating back to their high school days. With influences spanning no wave and classical legends like the Ex and Erik Satie, the band aimed to bring a wide array of sounds and approaches to its music. After playing their first gigs in early 2003, the Mae Shi issued their debut EP that summer, which they gave to people in exchange for mixtapes or CDs. When they began recording tracks for their first album that fall and into winter 2004, the band used the flow and unpredictablilty of mixes and play lists as an inspiration, along with the ambitious and varied production techniques of hip-hop albums. The result, 2004's Terrorbird (named after a two-million-year-old flightless, predatory bird that reached heights of nine feet), was a sprawling, digitally processed affair that cost approximately 130 dollars to make. A little more than a year later, the Mae Shi returned with Heartbeeps -- which, like Terrorbird, was released by 5 Rue Christine -- and embarked on their most ambitious tours of Europe and the U.S. that summer and fall. The band expected to release a DVD by the end of 2005.


Great opener for Ozma.  Sucks some people weren't receptive, but I guess you win some, you lose some.  I remember fans of Superdrag saying Ozma sucked when they opened, so not every fan is going to be into every opener

[FireAarro]

Jason, Bob recorded Mae Shi for you.

WHERE CAN I GET THIS??! 

[Helpless Rock]

I think the biggest thing with Mae Shi for people here is that is was "shock and awe" type reaction... Just kinda without the awe. And more "... the fuck?".. Going to an Ozma show, you really aren't expecting a band quite like them to be opening for their beloved band. Even with them being a great friend of the bands.

They were unusual. They were "noise". I thought they had a rather great sound... when there was no vocals. I don't mean that as a dig at the band, it just wasn't my thing (And I listen to the Blood Brothers, I can still enjoy awkwardly pitched vocals). I just kept thinking that "Damn, they would be a great instrumental jam band". And this is without any (ok, like a few mp3's off their site) background on them. But yeah. Maybe I'll explore more of there back catalogue outside the few mp3's off the site. I'm opening to new weird bands.

And i thought whoever said they sucked at the show is the King of Douchebagery. What a prick.

As for Ozma.

Amazingly awesome. I'm with the majority here it seems in that everything after "Spending Time" became a blur of awe. They were Ozma.

And, I was right in front of Jose in the "Insecurity" shirt. And, the guy duct taped to the car that's been posted here twice.

[I like ozma]

I will not stand for Mae Shi bashing.

Truth:Ã,  I consider the Mae Shi to be the best band I listen to.Ã,  I've seen them live, I traveled for like 7 straight hours to do it, and I'd do it again in a heart beat.Ã,  I'd quit my job if they tried to schedule me on the same day as a Mae Shi performance.Ã,  I'd follow them on tour if I had the money and they actually toured.

If you have a tolerance for noise-rock, but didn't like them, it's possible that you needed prerequisite listening that you didn't afford yourself.Ã,  I will readily grant that this is the sort of thing that is hard to be exposed to for the first time in a live setting if you don't know any of the material.Ã,  I knew the moment that I saw Mae Shi was on the bill that probably about half a percent of the people there would appreciate it, and while I appreciate Ozma for getting Mae Shi the exposure, I think they may have been a little off base if they thought it would work out well.

Well, it's a shame I guess.Ã,  Your loss.Ã,  Some day, some day at least one of you will realize how great this band is, and you'll regret having thought them shit.

Edit:

And does everyone here talking about "the lead singer" have any idea who he is?Ã,  If you think Ezra is just an incompetant fool, listen to Monstro (specifically, most of the really good songs, and then check the writing credit).

no offense, but mae shi is an example of why older people dont like music today.

[Fantastic Max]

i only met marm and lisa marie, and two other people but i dont remember what their names were. but i was looking for ozmacity and i couldnt find him. i think i had the best seats in the house, i sat on the upper level right above ozma

I was down by the right speaker by the stage, by Jose. I don't even know what you look like, haha. But maybe we'll meet at another show. 

[Fantastic Max]

I saw a couple groups of who I thought might be forum members. I did see that one guy from here, that's like a kinda chunky mexican guy with buddy holly(weezer)-type glasses and a red shirt.

kris? couldn't have been me. i had a blue shirt... and i'm filipino.

I dunno. This guy used to have his avatar as his picture.
Could be filipino, but Mexican is pretty close.

[Not Jason]

no offense, but mae shi is an example of why older people dont like music today.

Old people who don't like music today are just boring people who were only half-heartedly into music in the first place.  So yeah, it is no coincidance that the same people who can survive on their early college CD collection aren't into things like The Mae Shi.  A drive to experience new things is essential to an appreciation of this type of stuff.

Your argument's shit anyway.  There has always been expiremental music.  In fact, The Mae Shi would fit in very well with a lot of the bands from the 70's no-wave movement out of NY.  Anyway, don't go acting like the opinions of people who are not committed to music reflects anything.

[savewhatyouare]

Well, I mean, if we wanna get into semantical genre pissing contests, I would say that GSYB! is technically orchestral rock.Ã,  And I meant that they aren't the same genre as Mae Shi, so I was simply pointing out that while you may enjoy GSYBE!, you mayhap do not enjoy noise, which is the genre Mae Shi probably most aptly fits into.

i'm so out of touch. there's a genre called noise?

yeah...i probably wouldn't enjoy noise. I live right next to a freeway, so I get most of it everynight before I go to bed. Noise has been bugging me my whole life.

I've been listening more to some Mae Shi songs...and the lead vocal doesn't sound as annoying, and the rhythm section is really tight.

But I still don't think I would qualify it as art, or even music for that matter. Maybe if I was up at Berkeley tripping on acid, I might be able to dig it.

and yes. mae shi is a very good example of why older people don't listen to modern music.

[I like ozma]

no offense, but mae shi is an example of why older people dont like music today.

Old people who don't like music today are just boring people who were only half-heartedly into music in the first place.Ã,  So yeah, it is no coincidance that the same people who can survive on their early college CD collection aren't into things like The Mae Shi.Ã,  A drive to experience new things is essential to an appreciation of this type of stuff.

Your argument's shit anyway.Ã,  There has always been expiremental music.Ã,  In fact, The Mae Shi would fit in very well with a lot of the bands from the 70's no-wave movement out of NY.Ã,  Anyway, don't go acting like the opinions of people who are not committed to music reflects anything.

that is just stupid, im taking a "survey of rock and roll" class at my college and we had the man who played guitar for "taquila" the old instrumental song, and he was saying that now he wont listen to rock today because all bands do is scream in their music, and they dont get what real talent is. and my rock and roll book doesnt mention mae shi in it, however it does mention that guy, so i think his opinion just slightly outweighs yours

[Helpless Rock]

no offense, but mae shi is an example of why older people dont like music today.

Old people who don't like music today are just boring people who were only half-heartedly into music in the first place.  So yeah, it is no coincidance that the same people who can survive on their early college CD collection aren't into things like The Mae Shi.  A drive to experience new things is essential to an appreciation of this type of stuff.

Your argument's shit anyway.  There has always been expiremental music.  In fact, The Mae Shi would fit in very well with a lot of the bands from the 70's no-wave movement out of NY.  Anyway, don't go acting like the opinions of people who are not committed to music reflects anything.

that is just stupid, im taking a "survey of rock and roll" class at my college and we had the man who played guitar for "taquila" the old instrumental song, and he was saying that now he wont listen to rock today because all bands do is scream in their music, and they dont get what real talent is. and my rock and roll book doesnt mention mae shi in it, however it does mention that guy, so i think his opinion just slightly outweighs yours

Holy crap. I hope you are joking that entire post.

[oatmeal]

no offense, but mae shi is an example of why older people dont like music today.

Old people who don't like music today are just boring people who were only half-heartedly into music in the first place. So yeah, it is no coincidance that the same people who can survive on their early college CD collection aren't into things like The Mae Shi. A drive to experience new things is essential to an appreciation of this type of stuff.

Your argument's shit anyway. There has always been expiremental music. In fact, The Mae Shi would fit in very well with a lot of the bands from the 70's no-wave movement out of NY. Anyway, don't go acting like the opinions of people who are not committed to music reflects anything.

Some of the mae shi's stuff rocks. I wouldnââ,¬â,,¢t say all old people are half-heartedly into music. Maybe most of them are but a lot of younger people today are not that into music. Many youths just like music because media makes it look or it fits the image they want. However, I would say more people are now into music now because there are more types they can relate to.

However, their are many old people who still like music whole heartedly because it makes them feel good. Hey, I think the mae shi is interesting and the song body 2 I enjoy but for the most part, screaming and clash sounds donââ,¬â,,¢t make me feel good and I think for most people screaming is a turn off. Seeing that old people are wise and went through allot I would then see why they would not want to listen to screaming. All though Iââ,¬â,,¢m not denying their creativeness and ability to write songs, it is just not something I can relate to or that makes me happy.

[jon]

I am sad I missed this show. Oh well, as far as the Mae Shi they sound pretty cool. Has anyone heard of Hella? I saw them live its like noise based around a drum solo, some of it was actually pretty cool. Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/hellaband or www.hellaband.com

[cesarsalad]

jesus christ, it's not the genre, it's the band. i seriously thought the whole thing was a joke for about the first 10 minutes. the vocals were gratingly awful. i could record their album in a few hours.

[I like ozma]

you really can make their music by just making noise and fiddling with your instruments. and their drummers crack, i mean come on

[Not Jason]

no offense, but mae shi is an example of why older people dont like music today.

Old people who don't like music today are just boring people who were only half-heartedly into music in the first place.Ã,  So yeah, it is no coincidance that the same people who can survive on their early college CD collection aren't into things like The Mae Shi.Ã,  A drive to experience new things is essential to an appreciation of this type of stuff.

Your argument's shit anyway.Ã,  There has always been expiremental music.Ã,  In fact, The Mae Shi would fit in very well with a lot of the bands from the 70's no-wave movement out of NY.Ã,  Anyway, don't go acting like the opinions of people who are not committed to music reflects anything.

that is just stupid, im taking a "survey of rock and roll" class at my college and we had the man who played guitar for "taquila" the old instrumental song, and he was saying that now he wont listen to rock today because all bands do is scream in their music, and they dont get what real talent is. and my rock and roll book doesnt mention mae shi in it, however it does mention that guy, so i think his opinion just slightly outweighs yours

Yeah, if you believe that, you're the stupidest motherfucker I've ever met.

It's interresting that the Mae Shi happen to be on 5RC, who's slogan is the profoundly true statement, "Popularity =/= Quality". Ã, and while we're at it, age doesn't equal wisdom. Ã, So you're taking a class named for a scene that's been dead for decades ("Rock and Roll") and you think that because you're instructer is a one hit wonder who, like most people, believes their generation to be superior to all others, his opinion holds weight? Ã, Fuck that. Ã, What made Rock and Roll important, what made Blues important, Jazz, etc, was that at one point, it was all new, and nobody had done it before. Ã, Nobody stumbled upon that shit by doing the exact same thing over and over again. Ã, Incidentally, the fact that people have standardized all those styles is what eventually killed them.

The precise reason you don't like The Mae Shi is why they are doing what they are doing. Ã, The Mae Shi could make a standard pop record. Ã, I bet they could do it in the span of a week if you gave them a deadline and they felt the need to humor you. Ã, And not only could they make it, but they could make it good and they could make it technically sophisticated. Ã, So why don't they do that? Ã, Because they've realized that there is very little point to doing things that everyone is entirely comfortable with. Ã, Creating art out of superficial beauty is easy and it's overdone. Ã, Subverting typical notions of what makes for good music is a way to discover new ways of making good music. Ã, People in our generation scream for the same reason that some fuckers in your teacher's generation thought it might be cool to overdrive a guitar, and I say "fuck you" to him for the same reason that he said "fuck you" to the people who tried to keep him down when he was doing something that was new and controversial (this all assumes that he was actually at the forfront of anything, he might not have been, in which case he's just a washed up hanger-on).

[Not Jason]

jesus christ, it's not the genre, it's the band. i seriously thought the whole thing was a joke for about the first 10 minutes. the vocals were gratingly awful. i could record their album in a few hours.

Do it.

Then we'll talk.

[I like ozma]

i just did

[Not Jason]

i just did

you just did what?

[Fantastic Max]

i just did

you just did what?

I believe "i love ozma" has therefore claimed that he recorded Mae Shi's stuff in 20 minutes..

[noonchild]

i could record their album in a few hours.

Bullshit, the guitar player was increadible and intense, and they played their unconventional instruments like pros.

[Not Jason]

i just did

you just did what?

I believe "i love ozma" has therefore claimed that he recorded Mae Shi's stuff in 20 minutes..

I want to hear him make that bold claim, and I'd like to see any of you seriously back it up.

Hell, let's see somebody cover "Vampire Beats" or "Power to the Power" verbatim, and then I'll let them tell me there's no talent in that band.

[Fantastic Max]

I'm not sure if anyone went into detail about it on here, but that Mae Shi drummer was crazy weird. Boxers and an undershirt..I only hope his package wasn't revealed. Kinda looked like Serj from System of a Down, and his cymbals were all broken and beat up, and they kept falling off. And his ass juices were showing. Terrible. Once I got my camera out to film his crazy antics on stage, he simply walked out.

And the band looked 17-18, yet the drummer was like 30..weird. They all looked like they just woke up.


And did anyone else loathe the big jerks in the middle forming a moshpit thing? Shoving the whole audience around. Some asshole put his hand on my shoulder, and dug his fingers into my tendons, and I literally had to use both my hands to pry him off, friggin weirdo.


It felt as if the dance floor was about to cave in..

[Fantastic Max]

Man..we left to go to the bathroom after arriving, and 15 minutes later when we got back, there was already a line.

We ended up being like 15-20th in line.

Were any of you the couple sitting in front of us in line eating the pizza and burger? That stuff looked good. The girl had nice shoes, and the guy looked friendly.

[Fantastic Max]

Poor Ryen(regarding Tetris). I was sure Jose was gonna fill in on lead..they could'a pulled it off. Ah well.


Did anyone hear me shouting "Iceland" after every song? Ha..I know it was probably annoying, but hey..that jam solo thing Ryen does in that song is untouchable.

I also yelled out "Tetris Do-Over!!" before the last encore, I think.

[Bob511]

Amusing to see the drummer and the lead singer being the members singled out by the naysayers.....

[Not Jason]

Amusing to see the drummer and the lead singer being the members singled out by the naysayers.....

Yeah, where do those guys get off thinking they can share a stage with Daniel Brummel?

[savewhatyouare]

First off, I'd like to start off by saying that my brother's father in law (well..basically) played back up with Steely Dan...so when I say that old people hate the music we listen to today...I'm speaking on behalf of him and his band (which I consider epitomizes the generation were speaking of)....since I've went to their studio a couple of times before.

Concerning artist's need to experiment and progress their music (jazz, rock n roll, etc.), I can see why one would make the comparison of 'noise' or 'screamo' to the risk that people like Les Paul, Miles Davis or Johnny Cash did; however, I would say the biggest difference is that there was an aesthetic to everything they did. Developing new diminished/minor chords and the art of improvisation, all held a certain artistic quality toward it...while progressing their musical style. It was creativity, it was unconventional, but it still followed a very simple formula: melody, harmony, chords, etc. So yes, it was a very rebellious thing to do. For musicians to crack out of the mainstream and do something new  took a lot of guts, and thank god they did it, or we'd still be listening to Vaudeville acts.

When it comes to music today, the mainstream overshadows everything. The new rockstars of today are people liek Jay-Z or Usher, rather than the Plant's or Hendrix's. Music has been succumbed by the "industry of cool," and everything is a commercial product now. As Lester Hayes once said, rock n roll is dying and were all just in time for its death rattle. In fact, rock n roll has been dead for quite a while, so has punk rock...or any other musical new wave explosion that defined a certain era. Now it's up for us to build the our own representation for our era..and yes, we have failed at that; Fall Out Boy just ain't gonna cut it as inspiring rock gods.

So what do we do next? Music is in its downward spiral as we constantly search for something to grab onto and inspire us...just because we feel that, much like our parents, we deserve to belong to something as well. It is ironic to see that there is so little out there when there's a huge abundance of musical acts. Almost everyday, I hear about a new band and how they're going to be the "next big thing." So is the next big thing going to be The Mae Shi? Maybe...it seriously might. Who would have known that Nirvana was going to be grunge on the map? Or Blink 182 with pop punk....or My Chemical Romance with goth punk....or Fall Out Boy with...whatever the hell theyre singing about? Maybe the music industry is entitled to a kick in the face? I think the Mae Shi can do that; blow everyones ears off and throw a big "fuck you" to the man...or management. But I digress; all this speak about mainstream and "inspirational" acts is moot, since the idea of musical progression is flawed.

A band like the Mae Shi might be unconventional; it could break the mainstream and shock our minds by playing unlitigated pieces of noise symphonies. They can break barriers, open a door for other experimental artist to enter, and even change a life or two. But when it comes to the humanties (and art is called the humanities because it is what makes us humane), it has very little influence. I am now convinced that music is no longer part of the arts, where young people (like the Mae Shi) can attempt on trying to invent their own genre, but fail miserably trying. There is nothing new to say when it comes to music. As one poster previously said, they are only trying to do something new to avoid everything else that has been done already. So what is the solution? Making unconventional noise with a screeching vocal over a 3 note motif? Yes, there is a place for "music" like this, just like how there is a place for the Ashlee Simpsons and the Fall out Boys of the world, but to argue that a band like The Mae Shi is much like our predecessors of the rock'n' roll/jazz revolution is not only ludacrous, but insulting.

So what is the solution? I know many would say that musicians "copy" our predecessor's sound, which leads to lack of quality and creativity, but I see it differently. I love that Ozma can reinvent the pop/power punk sound...and create an album that was dubbed "the real green album." I love how Ryan Adam, Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens and other singer/songwriters can be our Dylan's, Cash's, or Young's. I love how bands like Gorillaz are taking different kinds of music and coalescing them into one. I believe that progression now is improving the music that is already here, and making it their own. Why are people like Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Bright Eyes, Ã, getting so much attention from the media...even the cool pretentious types like Pitchfork? Well maybe it's cause theyre saying something new with something we've already heard? Maybe it's because they realize that just because they use the same paintbrushes, doesnt mean it's the same portrait.

In contrast, why is it that a band like The Mae Shi getting D reviews? Like this one:

"This seems to be The Mae Shi's modus operandi on Terrorbird: Brief exercises from Noise Rock 101 surround the band's more carefully composed numbers, providing a harsh contrast for the album's otherwise immediately accessible moments. That said, when these straightforward songs aren't up to "Power to the Power" snuff, all the guitar gymnastics comes off as talentless bullshit, drenched in noise to mask an inability to play. It happens on "Jubilee", whose forced recombination of plucked guitar, Casio beats, and vocal harmonies are so unintentionally out-of-tune that it makes Liars' Angus Andrews sound like a barbershop quartet. Ã, . It happens again on "Takoma the Dolphin Is Awol", which sports a solid narrative lyrically, but musically falls back on some seriously obnoxious Rage Against the Machine white-boy funk trills. Perhaps the biggest offender is the one-two guffaw of "Surf's Up" and "Testify": After the band prove they're "down" with Garage Band's hip-hop loops on the first one, The Mae Shi try their best to emote and come out sounding like The Starting Line unplugged."

In conclusion, I'd like to say that this board and the show inspired me to take a deeper listen to the Mae Shi, and I'd have to say, they weren't as bad as I thought their live show was. It's definately not something I will listen to often, or even again most likely...but I guess I can appreciate the band's willingness to break new ground, even though I think most of it is contrived, and out of touch.

[Not Jason]

I continue not to give a fuck about what people in a past generation think.  My deepest apologies for not wanting anymore blues based knock offs and corny rock and roll bands.

I will stand behind The Mae Shi endlessly.  First time I heard Terrorbird I knew it was exactly what I wanted out of a band.  While bands like The Mars Volta were letting their solos defy keysignitures but drowning in their own pretention, The Mae Shi is unpretentious and wholely inventive.  Yes, unpretentious, and I believe that.  My impression of this band, having listened heavily to their entire catelog, is that they want nothing more than to work on their own terms.  This is evident in the sheer variety of The Mae Shi's (and their individual members') work.  The Mae Shi takes no shame in connecting back with their mainstream influences, but has no fear of functioning completely free of them, and THAT is what makes The Mae Shi remarkable.  I don't listen to the Mae Shi to prove anything or to feel arty and snobbish, I listen to it because it makes me fucking giddy.  Likewise, I don't think they make their music to be arty and snobby, I think they'd make it because they'd feel like a bunch of lying fakers if they did what you wanted them to do.

Music is rarely art anymore, I'll grant that.  The Mae Shi (and BARR) are doing something about that, and I think that's rad.  I would take a bullet for those guys.

[KungfuMel]

Umm, Does anyone remember the 2nd bands name?

[FireAarro]

I know many would say that musicians "copy" our predecessor's sound, which leads to lack of quality and creativity, but I see it differently. I love that Ozma can reinvent the pop/power punk sound...and create an album that was dubbed "the real green album." I love how Ryan Adam, Bright Eyes, Sufjan Stevens and other singer/songwriters can be our Dylan's, Cash's, or Young's. I love how bands like Gorillaz are taking different kinds of music and coalescing them into one.

The same thing could be said of the Mae Shi. You could say they're drawing influences from many sources, from the NY No Wave scene way back in the late 70s (which could get way more unlistenable) to mainstream pop acts.

(the audience wasn't ready when rite of spring first came out)