Lucky Boys Confusion
| Lucky Boys Confusion | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Downers Grove & Naperville Illinois |
| Genres |
Punk rock Ska Hip hop Pop punk |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels |
Elektra Records Townstyle music |
| Associated acts | AM Taxi, Shock Stars |
| Members |
Kaustubh Pandav Adam Krier Jason Schultejann Ryan Fergus |
| Past members | Joe Sell (deceased) |
Lucky Boys Confusion (also known as LBC) is a rock band from the Chicago suburbs in DuPage County. Their music is a mix of rock, punk, ska, and hip hop. The band consists of bassist Jason Schultejann, drummer Ryan Fergus, vocalist Kaustubh (Stubhy) Pandav, and guitarist/vocalist Adam Krier. Guitarist Joe Sell (October 16, 1978 – May 15, 2012) was also an original member until his death. Pandav and Krier write the majority of the band's songs.
History
Beginnings as an Indie Band
Lucky Boys Confusion formed in 1997 shortly after the breakups of Pandav and Fergus's band, Farmboy, and Krier and Sell's band, Spinning Jenny. After recruiting Schultejann on bass, the group quickly released an EP, What Gets Me High. In late 1998, they released their first full length album, Growing Out Of It, under their self-owned label, Townstyle Records, which contained the song "Dumb Pop Song" (which had gained plenty of airplay on Chicago alternative rock station Q101). In 2000, the band released the The Soapbox Spectacle, featuring a new version of "Fred Astaire", and five new songs. During this time, the band also recorded a video for the song "Dumb Pop Song".
Elektra Records & Mainstream Success
In 2000, the band was signed by Elektra Records. They headed to California in the fall of 2000 to begin recording their new album, Throwing the Game, which was released on May 8, 2001. This album featured new versions of songs from their first two releases and several new songs, including a cover of Jocelyn Enriquez's "Do You Miss Me?" The band also released a video for the song "Bossman", featuring Beenie Man. In 2008, "Bossman" was featured in a commercial for the gum Extra.
Their second effort for Elektra Records, Commitment, proved to be their most popular mainstream album. Michael Miguel Happoldt of Sublime produced the album, much to the delight of the band (Sublime is one of their biggest influences). The album featured 15 new songs, and also shifted from ska or hip hop influences to pop rock influences. The band recorded a video for the song "Hey Driver", and the song was featured in the movies Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Without a Paddle, New York Minute, and the video game MVP Baseball 2004.
LBC has played a two-night set with various local bands in Chicago in the week before New Year's at Chicago club the Metro every year since 2000. This annual gathering is known as "Songs From A Scene".
Dropped by Elektra & Hiatus
In 2004, the band was dropped by Elektra Records. The band playfully referred to them as "Neglektra" and were happy to have a fresh start. In August 2005, the band independently released The Red Tape Outtakes (Demos And Heartbreaks), a 12-song collection of unreleased tracks and outtakes.
The band released How to Get Out Alive on June 13, 2006. It contained four new songs, as well as a cover of Dramarama's "Anything, Anything".
On September 20, 2006, the band announced via its MySpace page that they were going on hiatus, but ended rumors of their breakup in a message the following day that it was only a "short break" and that fans shouldn't worry about the future of the band. At their final show before the hiatus in Iowa City, Iowa, the band assured fans that their annual "Songs From A Scene" concerts would go on in December at the Metro in Chicago after they returned to a sense of "normality" over the next few months.
On December 29, 2006, at the annual Songs From A Scene series, the band made available Live and Acoustic. Recorded at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago by local recording engineers Jay Zdyrski and Coleton Paskert on June 21, 2006, it is the band's first live album.
Side Projects
In late 2006, lead singer Kaustubh Pandav, along with Chicago DJ's JJ Flores and Steve Smooth, recorded a debut EP as a side project. The album became available on March 6, 2007, in both CD and digital format. The side project, entitled Shock Stars, played their first live show at Double Door, a prominent venue in Chicago's music scene. Shock Stars later broke up in 2009.
In May 2007, Guitarist Adam Krier and bassist Jason Schultejann, together with new drummer Chris Smith (15 Minutes Late/Logan Square), formed a side project known as American Taxi. Their first single "The Mistake" was launched on Memorial Day 2007 on their newly formed MySpace page. American Taxi has since released an EP entitled Runaway Songs, containing "The Mistake" and five other tracks.
In April 2009, American Taxi was signed to Virgin Records. Since the band's name so closely resembled bluegrass group Great American Taxi, they are now being referred to as AM Taxi until further notice.
In June 2009, lead singer Stubhy Pandav recorded vocals for local Chicago rappers Saurus and Bones' debut album Mind Like Mine on the song "What's It Gonna Take?"
In the summer of 2010, singer Stubhy Pandav formed a new band with Brad Chagdes (15 Minutes Late/Logan Square), Phil Kosch (Treaty of Paris), Pat Gilroy (Close Enough/Onelife /The Waiting Game), Jeremy Galanes (Close Enough/Onelife/The Waiting Game), and Chris Mason (Close Enough/Onelife/The Waiting Game). This new group is known as The Super Happy Fun Club. Their first 8 song EP "Go Fun Yourself" was released June 2011 in advance to their 2011 European tour with Madina Lake.
Closing Arguments
In December 2008, at their 8th annual Songs From A Scene shows at the Metro in Chicago, the band announced that they would be releasing a new album in 2009. It is the band's 3rd full-length studio album, following 2003's Commitment. On January 30, 2009, at The Rave in Milwaukee, Lucky Boys Confusion announced that they would hold an album release show for their upcoming album on Sunday, May 24, 2009.
The new album, entitled Closing Arguments, contains old demos and rare songs, as well as a new one, "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us". It was released without warning to iTunes, Amazon MP3, and other digital retailers. Closing Arguments was released physically on June 23, 2009.
End of "Songs From A Scene" Concert Series
On December 26, 2009, at the Songs From A Scene concert, Stubhy announced that the Songs From A Scene 2010 will be the last of the series before it will be time 'to pass the torch.' This is most likely due to the fact that Pandav's project 'The Super Happy Fun Club' and Krier and Schultejann's project 'AM Taxi' are releasing records and moving up in the industry.
Death of Joe Sell
Guitarist Joe Sell was found dead in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at the age of 33. Sell had been hospitalized for pancreas problems just months before, and has been known to have overcome drug and alcohol addictions; however, the exact cause of death is yet "unknown".[1]
Present
The band is currently still playing shows in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. They have also announced that they are writing and working on new songs, playing a new song acoustically (Adam and Stubhy) on May 24th 2015.
Discography
- Growing Out of It (1998, Townstyle Records)
- The Soapbox Spectacle EP (2000, Townstyle Records)
- Throwing the Game (2001, Elektra Records)
- LBC Geeks (2002, Townstyle Records)
- Commitment (2003, Elektra Records)
- The Red Tape Outtakes (Demos And Heartbreaks) (2005, Townstyle Records)
- How to Get Out Alive EP (2006, Townstyle Records)
- Live and Acoustic (Recorded at the Beat Kitchen) (2007, Townstyle Records)
- Closing Arguments (2009, Townstyle Records)
References
External links
- Side projects
- The Super Happy Fun Club http://www.thesuperhappyfunclub.com/
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