MUSE (Alternative Rock/Progressive Rock)

(Thanks to Mode d'Esprit)

Origin: Teignmouth, Devon, United Kingdom
Genre(s) Rock, Alternative rock, Progressive rock
Years active: 1994 – present

Members:
* Matthew Bellamy – vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesisers, church organ
* Christopher Wolstenholme – bass guitar, vocals, guitar, keyboards, synthesisers
* Dominic Howard – drums, percussions, synthesisers, occasional backing vocals

Muse are an English rock band formed in Teignmouth, Devon in 1994 under the alias of Rocket Baby Dolls. The band comprises Matthew Bellamy (vocals, guitar and piano), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Dominic Howard (drums and percussion).

Muse blend alternative, hard rock, progressive rock, classical music and electronica. Muse are known best for their energetic and visually dazzling live performances and on June 16th & 17th, 2007 became the first band to sell out the newly built Wembley Stadium in London.

Muse have released four studio albums. Their first, Showbiz was released in 1999, followed by Origin of Symmetry in 2001 and Absolution in 2003.
The most recent, Black Holes & Revelations (2006) was also the most critically acclaimed, gaining the band a Mercury Prize nomination and a third place finish in the NME Albums of the Year list for 2006.
Muse have also released 2 live albums, Hullabaloo Soundtrack (2002) and H.A.A.R.P (2008).

They have won various awards throughout their career including 5 MTV Europe Music Awards, 5 Q Awards, 4 NME Awards and 2 BRIT Awards. The band are currently preparing their fifth studio album.




Discography:


Studio albums:

* 1999: Showbiz
* 2001: Origin of Symmetry
* 2003: Absolution
* 2006: Black Holes & Revelations


Live, compilations and DVDs:

* 2002: Hullabaloo Soundtrack
* 2005: Absolution Tour
* 2008: H.A.A.R.P

EPs:

* Muse - Released: March 11, 1998
* Muscle Museum - Released: January 11, 1999
* Random 1-8 (Japan only) - Released: October 4, 2000
* Plug In Baby (Greece and Cyprus only) - Released: March 12, 2001
* New Born (Greece and Cyprus only) - Released: June 5, 2001
* Dead Star/In Your World (France and Japan only) - Released: July 1, 2002


NEW BORN
The members of Muse were in separate bands at the school they attended in the early 1990s. In 1994, under the name Rocket Baby Dolls and with a Gothic/glam image, the group took part in a local battle of the bands contest and ended up winning, trashing their gear in the process (they were "the only real rock band" there). Shortly after this win the band decided to forgo university and take on a living as professional musicians. They changed their name to Muse and started playing concerts in local clubs.


GETTING INTO SHOWBIZ



Their first released album, SHOWBIZ - September 28, 1999, showcased the band's aggressive style, and featured a number of lyrical references to the difficulties they had trying for their socio-integration. 1999 and 2000 saw Muse playing major festivals in Europe and gigs in Australia, accumulating a considerable fan base in Western Europe.



Their second album, Origin of Symmetry - June 18, 2001 -. resulted in a heavier, darker rock sound, with the bass, often overdriven, distorted or synthesized, sometimes using classical techniques—on songs like "Space Dementia" —that were influenced by Rachmaninoff. The band experimented with unorthodox instrumentation, such as a church organ, Mellotron, and an expanded drum kit. There were more of Bellamy's high-pitched vocal lines, arpeggiated guitar, and distinctive piano playing, inspired by the works of pianists of the Romanticism movement, particularly Russians such as Sergei Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky. Also palpable is the minimalist influence The general eccentricity of Muse's fundamentally rock style has seen them likened to 1970s rock band Queen.
In the February 2006 edition of Q Magazine, Origin of Symmetry was placed 74th in a fans poll of the 100 greatest ever albums.

LOOKING FOR ABSOLUTION... AND SUPERMASSIVE SUCCESS



In 2003, on September the 29th, a new studio album, Absolution, was released. Muse continued to blend classical influences into their hard rock sound, the overall effect being somewhat Wagnerian in style. The band has made reference to a theme running through the album—the end of the world, and reactions to that situation. This draws mainly from Bellamy’s interest in conspiracy theories, theology, science, futurism, computing, supernatural, also in terrorism and conspiracy theories - many lyrics on this album have political references.
Finally receiving mainstream critical acclaim in Britain, Muse undertook their first international stadium tour. It continued for about a year and it brought them a huge success, as their profile there was considerably higher than before.



The latest album, BLACK HOLES AND REVELATIONS was released in Europe on July 3, 2006 and in North America on July 11, 2006. It charted at No. 1 in the UK, much of Europe, and Australia and also achieved American success, reaching No. 9 in the Billboard 200 album chart.
The album's title and themes are the work of the band's fascination with space, Mars and Cydonia, the Book of Revelation and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The first single from the album, "Supermassive Black Hole," determined were diverse reactions as it represented an extreme departure from the style of the band's previous work. The second single was "Starlight", which was released on September 4, 2006. "Knights Of Cydonia" , the third single charted on the Rock Top 10 and was accompanied by a humorous, six-minute promotional video which was filmed in Romania. Map of the Problematique will be the next single released from this album.
The band started an extensive live tour just before the release of their album and initially consisted mostly of festival appearances, then a tour of North America and after the last of the summer festivals a tour of Europe began, including a large arena tour of the UK. They are also to tour Australia and New Zealand in late January 2007.
Black Holes and Revelations was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, but the prize instead went to the Arctic Monkeys. The album did, however, earn a Platinum Europe Award after selling one million copies in the continent.
On November 2 2006, Muse won the Best Alternate and Best Live Act awards at the 2006 MTV European Music Video Awards in Copenhagen, and performed their single "Starlight".
On Boxing Day of 2006, Muse has been voted by the BBC as the favourite band of 2006.

Now, just watch and listen!

SuperMassive Black Hole / -BHaR / 2006 - my favourite!...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsp3_a-PMTw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_pvmkXVeg&mode=related&search=

Starlight / BHaR / 2006 - my second favourite...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KR74TN8t7Gs

Knights Of Cydonia / BHaR / 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_sBOsh-vyI

Sing for Absolution (live) / Absolution / May 2004
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B9MU1Ty-oM&mode=related&search=

New Born / Origin of Symmetry / June 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZrxVng6YBc

In your World / Hullabaloo Soundtrack (compilation album) / june 2002
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQf4KFzgW0&mode=related&search=

Stockholm Syndrome (live) / Absolution / July 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndtR3Xer2OE&mode=related&search=

Time is running out / Absolution / September 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N6ntLJUs1U&mode=related&search=

Bliss / Origin of Symmetry/ August 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14P4plWRGDg

Micro Cuts / Origin of Symmetry / 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIB9wpmoTCM

Unintended / Showbiz /May 2000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s977KW0CBA

Sunburn / Showbiz / February 2000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdF6KxTMJaE

Plug in Baby (live) / Origin of Symmetry / March 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncO5O37fNqQ

Hysteria / Absolution / December 2003
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VRu6dWYvVE

Megalomania (piano) / Origin of Symmetry / 2001
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FknIV107sPI

Bonus:
Starlight - live in London/ BHaR/2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlqXF28X9yg

Invincible (live in London) / BHaR/2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TeSGON6VvA

see more @ www.muse.mu - Official Website