Cute Is What We Aim For
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Cute Is What We Aim For |
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Cute Is What We Aim For is a four-piece emo band, formed in 2005 in Buffalo, New York and currently signed to Atlantic Records. In 2006, their Billboard 200-charting debut album The Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch was released by Fueled by Ramen.
History
Cute Is What We Aim For was formed in January 2005 as a side-project by Cherry Bing singer Shaant Hacikyan and lead guitarist Jeff Czum, along with cousins and A New Hope members Fred Cimato and Tom Falcone on rhythm guitar and the drum kit, respectively. The band's name originated in a telephone conversation between Cimato and Hacikyan, in which the singer used the phrase in search of a "cute" band name ("cute" had become his trademark expression in high school as a synonym for "cool").[1][2] Laying to rest their previous endeavors' ska and pop punk notions, the quartet created a lyrically accentuated brand of power pop, that relies heavily on such poetic devices as alliteration, assonance, pun and metaphor, vocalized over radio-friendly clean guitar harmonies.
The group was tainted with drama from the start: When they decided to devote themselves fully to Cute Is What We Aim For, parting ways with their other bands was anything but amicable. Some members of Hacikyan's former band, Cherry Bing, were sunk in disputes and allegations (partly taken out on their website) blaming Hacikyan for the demise of the group. Despite their efforts to start anew, Cute Is What We Aim For was criticized for negligibilities such as their past engagements and their band name, amongst seemingly more important complaints such as allegations of plagiarism.[3] Nevertheless, the band managed to rapidly build a devoted fanbase. A considerable amount of the band's swift success is likely thanks to Absolutepunk.net, who highlighted them in a section called "Absolutely Unsigned" and constantly reported about the up-and-coming band.
However, the drama surrounding the band was further fueled when the band fired their manager, who accused them of unethical business practices,[4] and underwent several line-up changes: In an effort to compensate for the absence of temporary bassist Don Arthur at a concert, Cimato permanently swapped his six-string for a bass guitar, while rhythm guitarist Chris Flury completed the quintet in November 2005.[1] Although already suspected by fans due to several indications on the band's part, on November 29 2005, their signing with Fueled by Ramen was official announced. Shortly thereafter, another line-up change occurred, when Flury and the band mutually agreed to part ways. While Flury focused on his newly-formed band Settings, Cute Is What We Aim For went on as a four-piece.
With continuous hearsay trailing the band, the forums at Absolutepunk.net served as a hotbed for such rumors; often encouraged or even chimed in by the website's founder Jason Tate, who (after one of Absolutepunk's staff members asked for questions to be forwarded to the band in an interview for the website) openly harassed the band and its members, accusing them of being marketing marionettes of their label and excessively using Auto-Tune on their debut album, among other things. Hacikyan and the album's producer, Matt Squire, admitted to using Auto-Tune but denied the other allegations in the following Absolutepunk interview.[5][6]
On June 20 2006, Cute Is What We Aim For's debut album The Same Old Blood Rush with a New Touch hit store shelves, debuting at #75 on the Billboard 200. With 13,651 in first week sales, the album broke the label's internal record set by Panic! at the Disco's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (2005) by almost 4,000 copies.[7] As of January 2007, the album has sold 94,410 units.[8] The Academy Is...'s William Beckett lent his vocal talents to the album's first single "There's a Class for This", which openly addresses the band's ever-surrounding drama (culminating in the song's chorus "Drama doesn't follow me, it rides on my back/I may be ugly, but they sure love to stare"). The music video directed by Jay Martin premiered on mtvU on July 17 2006. In February 2007 the group's second single, "The Curse of Curves", was released.
On October 17 2006, it was announced on the band's MySpace blog that Cimato would be replaced by former October Fall bassist Jack Marin. However, only six months later, the band announced that Marin had left the band and Cimato would reprise his role as a basist temporarily. Marin has spoken out on why he left the band in his LiveJournal, citing personal issues with another member. In early 2007, it was revealed that the group has signed with Atlantic Records.[9]
Discography
Albums
Singles
- 2006: There's a Class for This
- 2007: The Curse of Curves
References
- ^ a b "Interview with Fred of Cute Is What We Aim For". Decoymusic.com. Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cute Is What We Aim For Interview". For The Sound [dot] com. Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cute is What We Aim For Gains Fans, Battles Enemies Online". Andpop.com. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cute is What We Aim For Loses Manager". Absolutepunk.net. Retrieved September 29.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cute Is What We Aim For Questionnaire". Absolutepunk.net. Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Cute Is What We Aim For/Matt Squire (6.17.06)". Absolutepunk.net. Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "US Billboard Charts (08/07/2006)". UKMIX - Forums. Retrieved July 20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Soundscan Results: January 04th". Absolutepunk.net (Google cache). Retrieved January 5.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Interview with Cute Is What We Aim For". Today's Teen. Retrieved January 13.
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