Incubus
Incubus is a Grammy-nominated alternative rock band formed by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Antonio Pasillas II. They were later joined by bassist Alex Katunich (a.k.a. "Dirk Lance"), and Gavin Koppell (a.k.a. "DJ Lyfe"), both of whom were eventually replaced by bassist Ben Kenney (formerly of The Roots), and DJ Kilmore, respectively.
Over the course of their career, Incubus has utilized elements from a variety of genres and styles; with many critics praising the bands ambition, it has also made them difficult to correctly classify. Most conclude that Incubus is, at its basis, an alternative rock band. The band has used many unique instruments, including a djembe, sitar, didgeridoo, and bongos on many of their earlier tracks and during live performances, and with the use of a pipa (played by Einziger) in the song "Aqueous Transmission".
They have received both critical acclaim and commercial success, reaching multi-platinum sales, as well as releasing several highly successful singles. The band started branching out creatively and earned mainstream recognition with the release of their 1999 album Make Yourself. By 2001, Incubus became hugely successful with the single "Drive" and their follow up album Morning View.
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Essential
Make Yourself (1999)
Make Yourself is a strong progression from their 1997 major label debut, S.C.I.E.N.C.E. This is more like Faith No More than Limp Bizkit, Incubus still hold the metal appeal, though the songwriting and instrumentation on Make Yourself is more diverse and thoughtful and drives towards a more alternative rock footing.
If Nirvana's trademark is loud/soft in a single song then Incubus take a new twist and pull it off stylistically between songs, jumping from hard rock to low key alt rock. The result of this is the appeal to fans of both styles and shows the reason for the mass appeal of this album.
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Follow with
Morning View (2001)
The album has a sound that is overall softer than previous albums, especially apparent on songs such as "Echo" and "Are You In?", however, Incubus's heavier side is still evident on tracks like "Have You Ever" and "Under My Umbrella". Songs such as "Just a Phase" display more original song structures.
The mix of track styles is still here and gives the early fans of the band a grasp to their original sound although it must be said that here the heavier is less heavy and the rock is more "poppy" on this album. Never the less this album has sold 3.6 million albums to date.
To record the album, the band lived temporarily in Malibu, California, near a street called "Morning View Drive". Out of the 30 songs the band sketched out for the album, 13 were recorded ending up on the final release
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Recommended
S.C.I.E.N.C.E (1997)
This album is considered by many fans to be the original definition of their sound but shows the band's search for an ambient sound and higher sound quality which is found in many of their later albums.
It is a fusion of their various influences and marks both Mike Einziger's and Dirk Lance's experimentation with effects in exploring other genres. On songs like "Deep Inside" and "Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)" show jazz influences while "Vitamin" , "Glass" and "Magic Medicine" display electronic influences. Songs like Calgone, Redefine, and New Skin show rap metal influences. Much more accessible than their first album, "Fungus Amongus", it was not indicative of their slower-tempoed follow-up, Make Yourself.
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Wildcard
Fungus Amongus (1995)
The debut release by Incubus described in the sleeve notes as "infamous, timeless, and mildly painful recordings, made by musicians a mere 16 years old, and still wanting, very badly, to be Primus, Mr. Bungle, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers all rolled into one".
Stylistically, the album shows strong influences from the above bands and presents a quasi rap style which is avoided in later Incubus releases. The songs here (although obviously not as polished as on the band's later studio albums) demonstrate that Incubus were already ferociously accomplished musicians at this stage.
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Avoid
Light Grenades (2006)
Mike Einziger, Incubus' guitarist, commented in an interview with MTV that the album "sounds like 13 different bands playing 13 different songs... Every time we're about to start making a new album, I tell myself, 'Okay, this one's going to be cohesive,' and it never happens."
This album shows a definite shift for Incubus leaving behind any sign of the early material that launched the band. It is generally agreed that this is an album of a band looking for their sound.
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The rest of the discography rated:
A Crow Left of the Murder (2004)
released on February 3, 2004, the first release by the band featuring Ben Kenney, who replaced Dirk Lance on the bass.
Enjoy Incubus (1997)
Enjoy Incubus is an EP released on January 7, 1997. It contained re-recordings of songs that featured on their independent release "Fungus Amongus"
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