Coachella Artist Spotlight: Muse

It wasn’t long ago when three childhood friends from Teignmouth, England formed a small goth/glam band under the name of “Rocket Baby Dolls.”  Some black face paint and a handful of violently successful shows later, the boys wisely took up the title Muse, which translates as “to be absorbed in thought.”  Oh, we’re all absorbed alright.

Click more and transcend into another dimension, home to the one and only Muse.

“My friends were either getting into drugs or music, but I gravitated towards the latter and eventually learned how to play.  That became my escape.  If it weren’t for the band, I would have probably turned to drugs myself.” – Matt Bellamy

We should praise the rock gods Bellamy didn’t take the ‘high’ road, and honed his ingrained creativity and skill into the art of music.  A piano player since the age of 6, taking up guitar shortly after, Bellamy devoted most of his time and energy into the music medium.  Matt met Dominic Howard (drums) and Chris Wolstenholme (bass) during their grade-school days, forming the band “Rocket Baby Dolls”.  An awakening would occur for the trio when they entered a battle of the bands competition for their school.  Said Bellamy,”We came on stage with make up all over our face, we were very aggressive…All that to say the will, the attitude meant a lot to us.  So we won.  And I think psychologically it changed many things in our heads.  Because we came to lose, we expected to lose…we just realized at this time that we could replace lots of things.  We realized that emotion, the vibrations that you create are as important as your technical skills.  We had just discovered something: music is a matter of emotion.”

This emotion would eventually find its way in the form of Muse’s first full length album Showbiz, which looking back surprisingly drew heavy criticism from critics for sounding eerily reminiscent to Thom Yorke and Radiohead.  This criticism was most commonly associated with Bellamy’s use of falsetto and vibrato in his vocals, which Yorke is renowned for.  Still, the album was generally well-received by consumers of the record, selling 700,000 copies to date.  Showbiz also exposed the world to Bellamy’s imagination and musical skill, representing an impressive repertoire of keyboards and guitar play.  The man’s fingers are minds of their own, blurring across keys and strings with beautiful proficiency.

Check out a single from the album, ”Muscle Museum,” below.

In 2001, Muse released Origin of Symmetry, which followed a similar pattern with Showbiz where critics were hesitant on the band’s originality.  The band’s U.S. label, Maverick Records, were so bold as to question the appeal of Bellamy’s falsetto vocals, asking him to re-record some tracks in order to make the record more radio friendly. Insulted, the band left Maverick before an extensive tour around the globe. Origin of Symmetry was heavier than Showbiz, as Bellamy inserted gut wrenching guitar riffs throughout.  The influence of classical music was more prominent as well, referencing the likes of Chopin and Rachmaninov.

Muse’s third album Absolution would prove to be the band’s most universally acclaimed and recognized work at the time.  Created with the theme of “the end of the world” in mind, the album was a full on audio arsenal.  We all remember the first time we heard that epic bass line opening ”Hysteria”.  A track, which has probably blown more speakers than any Snoop or Dre piece.  Absolution would garner the band the first of several “best live act” and “best alternative band” awards throughout their career.  Muse was beginning to build an army of fans, but it wasn’t until their fourth album where that army would turn into a full on global movement.  Check out this video of “Hysteria” at Australia’s Wembley Arena in the presence of almost 100,000 raging fans.

If the universe had a theme song, you’ll find it on this album.  2006′s Black Holes and Revelations took Muse to an entirely different level of musicianship.  Everything from “classical to techno” is present on the record, incorporating equally diverse themes of space, conspiracy theories, and the Book of Revelation.  Said Bellamy, “Black holes and revelations–they’re the two areas of songwriting for me that make up the majority of this album.  A revelation about yourself, something personal, something genuine of an everyday nature that people can relate to.  Then the black holes are the songs from the more…unknown regions of the imagination.”  Black Holes and Revelations was Muse’s most hands on project till their latest release, placing more effort into production themselves than ever before.  The result? A jam-packed album comprised of hit after hit after hit, such as “Knights of Cydonia,” “Supermassive Black Hole,” “Map of the Problematique,” and “Starlight.”  Check out their performance of “Assassin” at the 2006 KROQ Inland Invasion.

Muse’s latest release The Resistance debuted at number one on the rock charts in 19 different countries.  The band’s fifth studio album brings back the classical nostalgia fans have grown to appreciate, most relevantly heard on Bellamy’s prized 3-piece ”Exogenesis” symphony, featuring over 40 musicians in the recording.  The Resistance is perhaps the band’s  biggest album, in terms of musicality and recognition.  Still in heavy rotation here at KROQ are the singles “Uprising” and “Resistance,” which we still get requests for on a regular basis.

Muse isn’t just a one man show, Howard and Wolstenholme more then excel in their respective instruments as well, creating a sort of manic fluidity between the three.  This sort of skill and energy makes Muse the best live act out there hands down.  Light beams penetrate the thousands present (one originating in Matt’s guitar), every bass line and drum kick resonates throughout your soul, and watching Bellamy work his genius via his windpipe or magic filangies encompasses a moment you’ll never forget.  They’re literally perfect, and between you and me, get a little pep in your step before you settle in for the show.  It only adds to the state of euphoria found in watching them live.

Well else is do I need to say?  Get your Coachella tickets and check out Muse on Saturday April 17th.

Info courtesy of MuseWiki