
Today I grabbed 20 copies of the Kaleo newspaper at UH manoa. Reece Farinas did an article on us. Here it is:
Be sure to grab your aviators and some sunscreen, because the Hawai‘i-based band LINUS! is taking you on ride. Well, a road trip, to be exact, all the way to the North Shore with the ragtop down and the wind in your hair. Its latest album, “White Marks on a White Wall,” was released earlier this month and is a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. The album takes listeners on a journey up beside the sunny shoreline of Kamehameha Highway, through the lush forest around the Pali, and down past the beautiful bikinis of Waikīkī.
LINUS! is a light indie-rock band that has an island vibe without being Hawaiian. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to find a big tree to have a picnic under. Stronger tracks on “White Marks on a White Wall” include “Hobby Hunter” and “Honey and Buttercup.” “Hobby Hunter” starts off on the slower end but transitions into a catchy first verse, and the lyrics draw out a smile. “Honey and Buttercup” has a tasty guitar solo with a splash of chill and a lot of soul – this should go on the top of your must-listen-to list in iTunes.
“I feel with our songs, it’s kind of a labor of love,” said David Neely, lead guitarist and vocalist for LINUS! “I want to do something that people will appreciate and enjoy, and will be able to listen to for a long time.” The band will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary in April. “Our latest album has really shown that we’ve progressed, not only in terms of sound but more so in terms of our thought process,” Neely said. “Before, our songs were about relationships, but now it’s about life. I really like to tell stories; I like to tell life stories with lessons in them.”
And although the group isn’t yet a household name in Hawai‘i like Jack Johnson and Obama (that would be a great band name, by the way), LINUS! is getting there. The band has performed at numerous venues, including thirtyninehotel, Next Door and Pipeline Café, and plans to tour in Japan soon. LINUS! has also opened for bands such as <STYX>, My Chemical Romance and Vampire Weekend. If you like any of those bands, this is definitely something you want to check out.
“White Marks on a White Wall” and the songs recommended can <be> downloaded from iTunes.
**emphasis added