Look Mexico
Words: MacKenzie Pause

So many bands take themselves way too seriously. Of course, being in a successful band means hard work. A level of seriousness is necessary, but a sense of humor seems essential and frequently overlooked.

When I asked Tallahassee’s Look Mexico to describe their inception, the typical “we had influences in common and just decided to start jamming together” tale was replaced with an interesting detour from the norm.

“We used to play for Cirque,” Joshua Mikel (drums) said. “But we got replaced by a bunch of sissy-ass French dudes with accordions and other instruments that we can’t even pronounce. When they ditched us, we got real into oxygen bars and meditation. Eventually we had to play music again. Look Mexico is just like, what happened.”

A past story of the band’s formation involved prison and Anna Nicole Smith. LM’s cleverness often makes an appearance for interviews, but the truth behind the band’s success includes two self released EPs, a new full length release on Lujo Records, multiple national tours, a sold out CD release show, and Alternative Press Magazine featuring them as a band to watch in 2007.

LM’s backbone, Mikel, wouldn’t be complete without Tyson Kuhlhoff (bass), Matthew Agrella (vocals, guitar) and Ryan Slate (guitar). The four-piece indie rock band has been compared to American Football, Minus the Bear, Explosions in the Sky and Built to Spill. 

“They are all pretty solid comparisons,” Mikel began. “We are a little of each of those bands. Add in some Huey Lewis, and I’d say that’s the recipe for Look Mexico.”

Keep your excitement contained. Don’t expect to hear LM cover “Hip to Be Square,” or “Power of Love” anytime soon, although anything seems possible for the band that stripped down with greasy pepperoni for a fleshy photo shoot. 

These guys call the state capital home, but the college town doesn’t exactly seem like a mecca for math influenced rock bands. However, the city came through for LM when they played to a sold out crowd at the Beta Bar for their CD release show.

“We have seen our fair share of great bands in Tallahassee,” Mikel said. “And we’ve seen even more bad ones. As a whole, with the advent of the protractor, the flux capacitor, and the subsequent computer, it’s been a lot easier for bands to record and get people out to shows. At the present time I’d say American music as a whole is so saturated with new bands that people are getting more and more apathetic to going to shows or sticking with new bands for very long. I think for the most part Tallahassee is a drinking town. People like to spend their money on booze, so for that many people to come out to our show really meant something. We worked real hard to make that happen though.”

With numerous tours under their belt, Florida’s support has played a large role in their growth as a band.

“We have a great following in Brandon, FL and are starting to get more and more people out in Orlando,” Mikel said. “Our Florida shows are pretty great whether it be 40 people or 300, because we have some really great friends scattered all about the state.”

Touring nationally in support of the new release This Is Animal Music has proven successful for the band so far. The 14 track album is LM’s first release with Washington D.C. label Lujo Records and puts math rock, pop and even horns into a shaker to make the kind of unpredictable mixed drink that slowly creeps up on you and before you know it, you’re completely inebriated.  

“People seem to really like what we are putting out,” said Mikel. “We don’t go too long before we realize that we are living the dream and having a great time doing it.”

The dream may not always involve sold out crowds, but LM is a glass half full kind of band. Humor gets them through sleeping on floors, driving endless hours, van trouble, playing with (according to their blog) “numetalcraprockpoopfusion” style bands and every other obstacle touring throws their way.

Mikel said: “We smell awful, our van doesn’t have AC and three of us have college degrees and the obligatory debt that comes with it. We chronically miss our friends and loved ones, and we haven’t made the first dollar for ourselves. The ice caps are melting, and it’s only going to get hotter. If we didn’t have a sense of humor about all this, I think we’d be dangerously depressed. We love playing music, and we love people to hear us play it.” 
 
Current tour dates are listed at www.myspace.com/lookmexico , where you can also hear tracks from This Is Animal Music.