May Or May Not Expands Their Sound, Gives New Album Away

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 24, 2007 2:20PM

The Hood Internet DJs STV SLV and ABX's band that plays actual instruments, May Or May Not, is releasing their second album tonight, and they've decided to post the whole thing online for a short period of time so everyone can check it out. We've heard it and would say it's well worth buying, so you'd be a fool not to grab it for free right now.

May Or May Not spends a lot of time crafting their tunes, and the results show the effort and care involved. Lots of folks have already heard many of the new songs previewed at Schubas over the last few weeks and can attest to the solid step forward the band has taken.

We really enjoyed their debut, but felt that, at times, the group over-thought the songs, lending a timid air to tracks that were later beefed up through live performances. Overall that album was a winner though, and it certainly whet our appetite to further output.

Last year's Bike EP displayed further growth, but was only a harbinger of developments to come. A Kaleidoscope of Egos is the band's most solid effort, building upon the orch-pop of their earlier work, expanding into more aggressive rhythms and expansive choruses. The stand-out "Mt. Hopeless" is a good example of this, with its propulsive guitar, earworm chorus, and coda of peppy brass. Between those folks and OFFICE, there's a good chance Chicago could emerge as the capitol of thinking people's pop in 2007.

MP3: May Or May Not "Mt. Hopeless"

May Or May Not's CD release show is at Schubas tonight, and tickets are available here.