The Mean
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"In this LP, The Mean demonstrate their wide-ranging and flexible sound, each song adding multiple layers to their take on the pop-folk genre." - The Wounded Jukebox
"The Mean is the best band that nobody knows about"
-Mat Johnson - Largehearted Boy
"[W]hat The Mean have done with Meet Us Here is undeniable. An incredible fusion of rock and blues with tinges of funk thrown in here and there for good measure, Meet Us Here was the album I listened to the most this year by far."
-James A. Johnson - Phrequency
"[T]his really intriguing band from Philly with multiple singers, inventive song structures and time signatures, and a really laid back, unpretentious mix of rock and soul and country [recently] released a new album. It's still not quite up to the standard of their shows, but they're getting there."
-Al Shipley - Narrowcast
"If you haven't heard the group [before], you're in for a real treat. The Mean put together great, catchy music without being overly pop or dumbed down and manage to blend genres together effortlessly to the point where each song is completely different from the last and immensely enjoyable."
-James A. Johnson - Phrequency
"With a gentle mishmash of most every genre under the sun, the Mean have found a way to be completely unique without becoming obscure. With '60s pop hooks, late-1970s soul vibes and strong undercurrents of funk and R&B, the Mean create songs that are intelligent, layered and dense, yet catchy and accessible."
-Katherine Silkaitis - Philadelphia Weekly
"The Mean ended the night with their melange of '60s psychedelic blues, Latin rhythms, and indie rock jangle. The six-piece got the rest of the crowd onto the dance floor with their snake-charm guitars and clave beats. It was an oddly fitting end to the night, their three-guitar attack jumping from genre to genre, from decade to decade, but always finding the common beat to hold it together."
-Eric Rivera - Spin Magazine
"The Mean ... had driven down from Philly for the show ... with an exhilarating, indefinable sound. At first, it sounded like a guitar-heavy soul outfit, while other songs pointed toward soulful country rock, with the band's three guitarists each taking a turn on lead vocals. 'Tumblin'' featured a nervous, almost postpunk guitar riff over a driving surf-rock groove, while another song was a gentle ballad over a subtle 7/8 time signature."
-Al Shipley - Baltimore City Paper, Aug. 24, 2007
"I cannot stop listening to The Mean's second album 'Zero Zero'. This five piece based out of Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York has concocted a beautiful collection of soulful and eclectic songs." -Erika Ordoñez - Off the Radar
Discography
Meet Us Here (2009) -- CD
Zero Zero (2011) -- LP, CD
Photos
Bio
The Mean effortlessly combines elements of Rock, Soul, Blues, Country, Funk, Brazilian, and Americana music. Vocals and songwriting are shared among the distinctive voices of Aaron Livingston, Charlie Raboteau, and Michael Gibney. Stephen Greenberg on bass, Martin Raboteau on keyboards, Jesse Maynard on drums round out the Mean's "exhilarating, indefinable sound." (Baltimore City Paper, Aug. 24, 2007)
After collaborating in a number of different projects, the members of The Mean joined together in 2006 and quickly gained a reputation for their intense, dynamic and varied live performances. While building a significant following in the Philadelphia and New York areas, the band self-produced their debut album, "Meet Us Here", which was released in March of 2009 and was described by the Philadelphia Weekly as "intelligent, layered and dense, yet catchy and accessible."
Sophomore LP Zero Zero further focused the group's sound, offering up "a beautiful collection of soulful and eclectic songs." (Erika Ordoñez, Off the Radar). After the band toured the Northeast in support of Zero Zero, songwriter/singer Aaron Livingston embarked on a tour in support of his duo project with RJD2, called Icebird.
Links
