*iNCUBUS*

If one band would sum up my philosophy on generally anything and everything, it would probably be this band. Their music is like Gandhi's passive resistance -- it's heavy, wickedly awesome, yet non-threatening...none of that testosterone rock : like Kid Rock (American Badass? more like American Dumbass), or Disturbed ("Oooo wacaca!! Arf Arf!!"...'nuff said.)

In the deepest depths of my existence, I hope that Incubus is not another manufactured band. They have this relaxed-yet-passionate aura that radiates from each song they play...even the weird ones. You don't have to be pissed off all the time to make good rock. Granted that rock is naturally aggressive in many ways, there are some bands out there that just seems to be pre-packaged for the demographic of seething adolescents. I personally believe it's about the music, not screaming your head off every chance you get.

It's all about breaking the mold without selling out. Some people claim they (Incubus) did just that when Morning View came out. The funky-heavy-weird-in-cool-sort-of-way sounds of their previous efforts (including S.C.I.E.N.C.E and Make Yourself) has given way to their latest alternatively-themed release. Well, reinventing yourself doesn't count as selling out to me. I still think they've stayed true to form, in terms of experimentation and the drive to try something new. Rather than choose the safe path and stick to a formula that works, they've gone ahead and zipped past the now played-out genre that is ...Rap Metal (it was good while it lasted I guess)...

More on this tomorrow - I need to shake myself from these heavy chains of procrastination and make myself useful....