Muy Cansado

It's been a while and we've been silent. I keep waiting for something new to write here - news about an upcoming release, a video, or even a show. But we don't have anything to share. I feel like I should come clean and share what is going on.

We were attempting to take some time to record a new album, but things got confused. We had songs finished and even had studio time booked, but it didn't work out.

Anyone that knows Muy Cansado knows that it has always been about the creative partnership between me (Chris) and Lisa. We (Lisa and I) want to find a life for these songs and get them out to everyone. Beyond that I can't say much more, other than that Reyna is not part of the next step. We are extremely grateful for our time with her. She is a great musician and person.

This project has been my whole creative life for a long time. I am hopeful and expect that we will share these new songs with everyone. Thank you to anyone and everyone that swings by here to see what's going on with us. I sincerely apologize for dropping off the planet. We are here, and we are elsewhere, making music. See you soon.

xoxo

We are part of the Boston Does Boston Benefit Series, which local artist Jason Dunn organizes. It is a series where participating Boston bands record a cover of each other's songs and release those covers on a compilation benefiting the Animal Rescue League. Jason and I (Chris) go way back - we performed together with the Peppermint Patties. We are very excited with the work we did for this project. Come to the show!!

The Summer Love Show is at TT the Bear's Place this Friday, June 27. We are performing with Parlour Bells, Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys and Future Carnivores. David Duncan Virr will be spinning, there will be a photo booth and a whole heap of good times. Come out and celebrate summer love. It's our only show this summer. <3

We have been quiet for a while, but that's going to change. We have been very busy. We have written a bunch of new songs and are ready to share them. Our next show is in the beautiful Austin, Texas as part of the South By Southwest Music and Media Conference. Our performance is at the South By Northeast. We hit the stage around 1:00 PM on Friday, March 14. Here is a link to the Facebook Event: Facebook Event Link Here is a link at Do617 to RSVP: Do617 Event Link. Our gig page has more details as well. We would LOVE to see you there!

Acquaintances premiered on Vanyaland earlier this week.

Muy Cansado will be featured in the film, The Mayor of Rock and Roll, which starts filming this fall. Our upcoming September 1st show at TT's is the launch party for the film. Come on out and help us kick it off right.

Finally, we mentioned in the past that our song, Falling Down, is featured in the upcoming indie film, Fat. The movie trailer was just released last week, and it looks great. Check it outhere.

Things go through phases: creative, dormant, active, whatever. Right now Muy Cansado is going through its most productive songwriting phase. The songs start with Chris and in 2013 he has demoed 68 new songs. That's more new songs than he's written in a whole year in the past. Not all of them will get written, but in '13 we've already debuted 3 brand new songs at shows. 2 more will be debuted soon. So get ready for new sounds.

Come to the show and pick up the album if you haven't already. It charted on the CMJ Top 200 in January and February. Opening track,Falling Down, will be featured in the soon-to-be-released indie film, Fat. And we have a video for the track, Acquaintances, on the way.

We will also debut two brand new songs at the show. The two new tracks are Shake Shake Shake and The Love That Endures Us. They are two of many new songs we've been working on. More announcements soon as we shake things up.

They were horrific. My sister ran the race and I can say the experience of being in downtown Boston shortly after the bombs went off was terrifying. After the tragedy the Boston community banded together to offer relief. As a small contribution, we have donated our song, Not For Nothing, to Allston Pudding's fundraising Mix Tape. Benefits go to the One Fund, which directly benefits victims of the attacks. The Mix Tape has already raised thousands of dollars. If you have the means, please consider giving - Allston Pudding Marathon Relief Mix Tape

Or give direct atThe One Fund

Love these guys... MUY CANSADO give us a much-needed taste of unplugged attic pop here on "Acquaintances." The new record from the Boston band, definitely worth checking out, is Let It Go.

Muy Cansado might be known around town for the upbeat grooves that defy the English translation of their moniker, but the Boston trio have stripped things down for their latest video, “Acquaintances.” The final track off January’s Let It Go LP is an acoustic number that finds singer/guitarist Chris Mulvey and singer/bassist Lisa Libera trade off dual harmonies while newcomer drummer Reyna Herrera holds down the xylophone.

In the video, which we’re premiering today on Vanyaland, the trio is up in a wooden attic, and the sunlight space serves as a nice backdrop that allows the song to take front and center.

Muy Cansado will be among a handful of bands featured on the soundtrack to Brendan Boogie’s upcoming film The Mayor of Rock And Roll, and will perform live in both the the movie and its kickoff party this Sunday at T.T. The Bear’s Place in Cambridge. Joining Cansado are others from the soundtrack, including Gene Dante and The Future Starlets, Adrian Emberley & The Revolving Band, Abbie Barrett, and appearances by Boogie and the female lead, Nikki Dessingue (formerly of Stereo Telescope). The evening will be hosted by comedian Justin P. Drew.

Some bands revolve around a frontman. Some have two personalities that complement each other to equally lead the charge. That’s the case with Muy Cansado, where singer/guitarist Chris Mulvey and singer/bassist Lisa Libera practically interlock with contrasting stage styles. Mulvey strikes a rigid pose, keeping close to his pedals while he dishes out choppy, rhythmic guitar. Libera plays the free spirit, her body swaying to the pulse of her elastic bass as she answers Mulvey’s vocals with arcing harmonies.

“We like things that complement each other naturally,” says Libera, who acknowledges influences in the Pixies, Radiohead and especially Talking Heads. “I never complain with going in that direction,” adds the David Byrne-ish Mulvey. “Stop Making Sense is a cornerstone of my life and my artistic personality.”

Muy Cansado means “very tired” in Spanish, a phrase that runs counter to the band’s perky, danceable rock, which hews closest to early Talking Heads since Muy Cansado’s only a trio—with a Spinal Tap-ish track record for changing drummers. But the group found a prize in the Mexican-born Reyna Herrera, who received a master’s in percussive performance from Boston Conservatory. She may have experience in the classical and avant-garde worlds, but she churns rock beats with subtle precision.

Herrera fits seamlessly on gems like “Predisposed” and “Giant” from 2013’s Let It Go as well as new tunes. “I’m on a pretty big songwriting kick,” says Mulvey, who recently took opera lessons and compares the band’s new direction to Abbey Road-era Beatles. It’s all hinged on Mulvey and Libera’s offbeat vocal interplay. “At times we’ll butt heads,” he says. “She’s always for the weird thing.” Libera counters, “I’m very comfortable with dissonance. It’s more exciting to my ears to hear something a little unexpected.”

Be honest: when was the last time you went to church? Make your poor mother happy and tell her you spent your Friday night at Boston’s most holy place of worship: Church restaurant and music club, where you can catch Muy Cansado and The Deep North serve up some positively sacred hymns. Despite the fact that “muy cansado” is Spanish for “very tired,” this indie pop trio’s sets are full of vim and vigor, churning out their signature mix of punk, rock, and alternative sounds. What’s Spanish for “irony?”

The rock club in the Fens has been making a sweet little habit out of stacking bills with local flavor of late, and the next in line is a high-five of Boston goodness with the dance-rock styling of Muy Cansado; the seasoned rock carnival of Garvy J and the Secret Pocket of Hope and Long Band Names That Everyone Just Shortens To Simply ‘Garvy J’ Anyway; the Deep North’s lush post-emo compositions; Gene Dante’s wham-glam lipstick smear; and the theatrical pop smarts of Ariel & the Undertow.

I do feel like I’ve seen this lineup before, so maybe this is a resked from earlier in the year when all hell was breaking loose. I mean, all hell still seems to be breaking loose, but maybe we can get one night of peace for once.

Ignore the sleepy Spanish name, Boston’s Muy Cansado is full of energy.

Usually a roaring power pop-meets-noise band, the trio went acoustic in a video shoot last week at the Herald. Not really one for the unplugged thing, Muy Cansado figured out how to chill its music down nicely.

Ahead of the band’s show at Friday at Church, I present Chris Mulvey, Lisa Libera and new drummer Reyna Herrera without the usually pulsing amps, pedal boards and full drum kit. Check out the locals'new LP “Let It Go" to the power of a fully operational Muy Cansado.

View the video here

Muy Cansado is a three-piece indie-pop band from Boston. They released a really great new record called Let It Go last week and I recently featured them as the Song of the Day on the site. I wanted to learn more about the band and I had an opportunity to ask Chris Mulvey [guitarist and primary vocalist] a few questions over email. Thanks, Chris for taking the time to do this and best of luck to all of you with the new record.Your music has been described as “indie pop” and "effervescent pop rock".

How do you describe your style and approach to making music?

I like the description "effervescent pop rock" - we are trying to create pop-oriented rock music. I love the intersection of pop and rock: something with a rock aesthetic, but is catchy and sticks in your ear. For us, music is all about satisfying your ears. Our approach to music is to create songs we think sound as good as possible. Naturally our taste and influences pepper the music. Lisa and I come from a base of Pixies, Talking Heads, David Bowie, Radiohead and The Beatles. However, when we get excited about contemporary artists, like Animal Collective or The Press, and they can be just as inspiring.

Growing up, did you want to be a musician? Did you come from a musical family?

I always found music fascinating and loved it from a young age, but there were no musicians in my immediate family. My mother and grandfather sang a lot around the house, but neither were trained singers. I loved to sing in elementary school music class; however, singing was not popular with young boys, so I used to pretend I wasn't into it. I started playing guitar right before high school and that's when I knew I wanted to be a musician. I actually avoided picking it up earlier because I feared if I started, I would never stop. Turns out I was right.One of my favorite songs is "Not For Nothing".

Do you have a favorite song on the record? Why?

My two favorites are Not For Nothing and Predisposed. Writing Not For Nothing marked a change in our sound. We finished that song up just after writing the songs for our EP Love and Fear. When Not For Nothing took form, it seemed like an exciting departure from everything we had written before and set the table for the rest of the songs on Let It Go. It was a watershed moment with regard to our songwriting, so it is definitely a favorite. Predisposed is also a favorite, because it was a song that was born out of turmoil. Someone close to me had a traumatic event and this song idea came out of it. But that struggle continued in the songwriting process until one day we let go of our perception of the song we were trying to write and just played. The result was the song you currently hear. It was something we could only do with trust.

The record is called "Let It Go" and you have indicated that a theme of anxiety and release run through the lyrics.. Is anxiety something you have dealt with personally? Was there something going on during the writing that contributed to this?

Anxiety is something that everyone goes through. I think it's part of being human. A large part of people's lives is dealing with anxiety. Do we let it consume us or enrage us, or are we able to let go of things, or even better channel them into something positive? A lot of the songs invoke anxious imagery or wording, but there is release all around (if not just in the music). On a personal basis, I have definitely dealt with anxiety, but I am not sure any more than the average person. During the writing of these songs I definitely focused more on lyrics than I had in the past, so I suppose that means that they are more personal. With regard to the title, "Let It Go," there are so many things that the term can mean. It can be a positive and empowering thing and-or a deflating and defeating thing. I love duality.

Your harmonies with Lisa sound really great. What's your process? Do you write these together?

Lisa and I write all of the songs together. She has been my songwriting partner for years and she is great. In terms of process: the songs typically start with me in a room with an acoustic guitar. Once I develop a chord progression and melodic idea that I am excited about, I bring it to Lisa. She writes her own harmonies and-or counter melodies (as well as her own bass lines). She has an incredible ear for harmonies, so the process is usually fun and exciting for me - I get to hear her open up the songs into a new space.

What is the best advice you ever got?

The best advice I ever got was to do things you love doing. It sounds cheesy, but if you love what you're doing, then it becomes easy.

Top 5 things you have learned from being in this band?

I have learned so many things from being in this band, but here are five of them:

1. To be patient and take my time to do something right. 2. To collaborate with other people holistically. 3. To stay focused. 4. To win arguments. 5. To lose arguments.

What's your favorite guitar to play and why?

Right now I play both a Gibson Les Paul and a Fender Telecaster. The Telecaster is new to me, so I am definitely more excited about it. I did not own it during the recording of Let It Go, so that's not what you're hearing on the album. Let It Go was recorded primarily with the Gibson and an Ibanez Artist.

Who has influenced your playing style most?

The one person that most affected my guitar playing was Eric Kniffin, my guitar instructor throughout college. I was already playing guitar for years when I met Eric, but he opened me up to the endless possibilities of music.

Any bands/friends in Boston that we should check out? What makes them so great?

Guillermo Sexo put out an EP last week and are one of my favorite local acts. I want to describe them as post-punk, but their originality is their appeal and they have their own distinct edge. Sarah Rabdau and Self-Employed Assassins are an awesome act that I love catching around town. They are pop, but so much more. Again - a wildly original act. I am looking forward to the album they are currently working on. Kingsley Flood is a phenomenal americana act that is releasing an album in the next few weeks. They have made some waves over the years and put on a stellar live show. There are so many great acts in Boston. The city is overflowing with talent, which is a great source of inspiration.

Today Chris Mulvey from Boston rockers Muy Cansado tells us about "Predisposed" from their brand new album"Let It Go," which was released this week. Here is the story:

After a traumatic event happened to a loved one I sat down and came up with the chord progression and melody for Predisposed. The initial idea was tossed off and subdued and is now captured at the beginning of the song. I showed the idea to Lisa and she immediately came up with the counter-melody and harmonies. We sat on the idea for months before kicking it around in the rehearsal space. Our early attempts to flush out the song did not click. After a few months we had one of those "Aha" moments. The three of us seemed to simultaneously break into the bombastic dancesection of the song, which became the second and verse and chorus and third verse. Afterward, we reinserted the subdued first verse from my initial idea and that was that.

The lyrics were next. The first verse and chorus came quick. The line "I'm trying not to feel so predisposed" is the thought of trying not to have preconceptions and predispositions, which gets harder as one gets older and more jaded. "A pause that moves too slow" is the kind of pause you experience talking to a creepy person. The "light that's dimmed real low" references a nervous flicker in a light or a light glimmering lowly during an interrogation. The idea was to attempt to capture surreal nervousness, similar to what you'd find in a David Lynch film. The chorus flowed pretty naturally and depicts frustration – not wanting to reach forever, trying hard with little result, and so frustrated you are climbing up walls.

The second verse took longer to write, and the lyrics are more hopeful. They reference music ("the buzzing in me ears"), dancing ("moving all around"), and hope. "Letting go" is also in this second verse and is a theme throughout the album. At the end of the song are my favorite two lines "I want to feel a love like no one knows / A quiver in a pause that will not go." The word "quiver" substitutes "shiver," in a line that is almost identical to a line from the first verse. However, "quiver" makes this pause desirable. The reference here is being stuck in the moment right before a first kiss – the "quiver in the pause that will not go." That moment is the "love" no one knows: without the pitfalls, troubles and setbacks that come afterward; only the anticipation of something fantastic, life changing and beautiful. At the end of the song Lisa and I triumphantly land on that idea through the words "will not go." I don't want to leave this moment.

I had never heard of this band from Boston until a couple weeks ago. Chris from Muy Cansado contacted me about the new record and I was immediately drawn in by the band's sound. They released a fantastic new record yesterday called Let It Go. I have a Q&A with Chris that will get posted here soon so stay tuned.

Forget your 11th grade Spanish, Muy Cansado is a happy band. It should be. The locals release second LP “Let It Go” tonight in the Middle East’s upstairs room. Lead single “Not For Nothing” is a little slice of rock ’n’ roll heaven. “It’s like Radiohead by the way of Prince in terms of the production,” singer/guitarist Chris Mulvey said. “An airy, roomy sound from the guitar, but capturing the tight drum sound of dance music” Yeah, that about sums it up.