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We're Not Listening
Catch You on the Flip Flop - The Max, pt. 5
Building a signature sound is hard work. It’s tough to make yourself seem original yet accessible, and finding the middle ground where success meets personal satisfaction can be nearly impossible. A lot of artists, musicians, filmmakers, authors, and entertainers have mastered that feat that seems so distant, and to an extent, The Max kind of wiggled their way into the outskirts of mainstream alternative music.
Yeah, okay, most of the rock that was on the radio and on TV in 2007-2008 came from bands like Paramore, All Time Low, the All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, and a whole slew of scene kid favorites. They were far cries from the summery ditties that The Max were known for. Somehow it didn’t matter to the kids who had a few of their songs alongside the mainstream rock that focused on core elements of music.
There were ska purists who screamed, “Sellouts!” at The Max the second one of their music videos landed on TV, the moment they announced their 2009 tour with Reel Big Fish. The thought of something so underground, so unobtainable that it had to belong to them, becoming well-liked was abhorrent. And really, it’s understandable. When you have a favorite band that’s relatively unknown, a part of you just wants to keep them under your wing and have them all to yourself. But success is good, and a bigger audience means more people jamming out to the same songs as you, and it makes that music special for even more folks.
2008 was when The Max released their second full-length, “Rugged and Ragged with Rippin’ Roarin’ Romps.” They built on the sound that scratched the surface of their previous EP, delving into influences like punk and even soul to make it as well-rounded as a ska album could be. The guitar work was simple and catchy, the bass funky, the drums steady, and most importantly, the horns were used to enhance, not to scream at the listener. Packed with fourteen unique tunes, the album was a hit, and even snuck its way onto the alternative rock charts – a feat that neither Hooligans! nor Fire Motion had ever achieved.
It was safe to say that Rai was proud of the bunch of kids he’d underestimated. To think he almost turned down Sam and Johnny’s suggestion to check them out – and although there was always room to grow, they were young, and they had a great start. The world still lies ahead of them.
Literally. They’ve got plans of touring South America (including Brazil, of course), Asia, and Australia.
It was their masterpiece, and it’ll probably always be their jumping-off point for when they think of new material in the future. When you hit the top, you can always hit the ground again and end up making a bunch of subpar crap that’ll make people say, “Oh, I only liked this band up until that one album came out.” Or, you can find ways to make everything even better, even if it means completely switching things up in every way imaginable. That’s the creative process.
At the end of the day, though, what matters is that the end product is everything you wanted it to be. If you love how something turns out, it doesn’t matter what other people think. It was never a waste of time as long as you’re proud of it.
And really, that’s what ska is about to some people. It’s a weird sort of reggae punk to some people, and to others, it’s a lifestyle and a way to be happy without social barriers keeping us apart. It’s what music is about in general, as well as all art in all forms.
The Max is still trying to take that motto to…well, the max.
Yeah, okay, most of the rock that was on the radio and on TV in 2007-2008 came from bands like Paramore, All Time Low, the All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, Foo Fighters, and a whole slew of scene kid favorites. They were far cries from the summery ditties that The Max were known for. Somehow it didn’t matter to the kids who had a few of their songs alongside the mainstream rock that focused on core elements of music.
There were ska purists who screamed, “Sellouts!” at The Max the second one of their music videos landed on TV, the moment they announced their 2009 tour with Reel Big Fish. The thought of something so underground, so unobtainable that it had to belong to them, becoming well-liked was abhorrent. And really, it’s understandable. When you have a favorite band that’s relatively unknown, a part of you just wants to keep them under your wing and have them all to yourself. But success is good, and a bigger audience means more people jamming out to the same songs as you, and it makes that music special for even more folks.
2008 was when The Max released their second full-length, “Rugged and Ragged with Rippin’ Roarin’ Romps.” They built on the sound that scratched the surface of their previous EP, delving into influences like punk and even soul to make it as well-rounded as a ska album could be. The guitar work was simple and catchy, the bass funky, the drums steady, and most importantly, the horns were used to enhance, not to scream at the listener. Packed with fourteen unique tunes, the album was a hit, and even snuck its way onto the alternative rock charts – a feat that neither Hooligans! nor Fire Motion had ever achieved.
It was safe to say that Rai was proud of the bunch of kids he’d underestimated. To think he almost turned down Sam and Johnny’s suggestion to check them out – and although there was always room to grow, they were young, and they had a great start. The world still lies ahead of them.
Literally. They’ve got plans of touring South America (including Brazil, of course), Asia, and Australia.
It was their masterpiece, and it’ll probably always be their jumping-off point for when they think of new material in the future. When you hit the top, you can always hit the ground again and end up making a bunch of subpar crap that’ll make people say, “Oh, I only liked this band up until that one album came out.” Or, you can find ways to make everything even better, even if it means completely switching things up in every way imaginable. That’s the creative process.
At the end of the day, though, what matters is that the end product is everything you wanted it to be. If you love how something turns out, it doesn’t matter what other people think. It was never a waste of time as long as you’re proud of it.
And really, that’s what ska is about to some people. It’s a weird sort of reggae punk to some people, and to others, it’s a lifestyle and a way to be happy without social barriers keeping us apart. It’s what music is about in general, as well as all art in all forms.
The Max is still trying to take that motto to…well, the max.
♠ ♠ ♠
Violence Ladies are comin' up next.