In early 2010, it was announced that the band will continue with frontman Shaant Hacikyan as the only original member to continue, joining with former members of Mandy K.
Michael Brady, Patrick MacLean, Kevin Scoma , and Mike Novak have joined Hacikyan to release Cute's single, "Harbour" which is available free for download on Shaant Hacikyan's Twitter account and here.
Pre-2010...
Having paired off in other local combos – singer Shaant Hacikyan and guitarist Jeff Czum in one, old bassist Fred Cimato and drummer Tom Falcone in another – Cute Is What We Aim For came together in January 2005 in Buffalo, New York, driven by the four members' desire to cast their own upbeat spin onto modern pop.
The Cute Is What We Aim For moniker was adopted as a 'homage to a friend'. It is also said that the term "cute" was used by Shaant in high school as another word for "gay", and in a phone conversation between himself and guitarist Jeff, Shaant stated "Cute is what we aim for." in reference to picking a name, and the band decided to use that phrase. The band was productive from the get-go, cranking out a series of bedroom demo recordings just moments after uniting. They posted the tracks on MySpace and PureVolume and quickly captured the attention of the blogosphere. From the start, there was a genuine connection between Cute and the kids.
Cute's online presence allowed for widespread national exposure that once upon a time could only be garnered through full-steam-ahead touring. With songs like "Lyrical Lies" and "Finger Twist and Split" lighting up broadband connections coast-to-coast, the band were eager to establish themselves as an equally poptastic live act. In the spring of 2005, mere months after getting started, Cute won PureVolume's online Battle of the Bands competition, securing a high-profile spot at that year's Bamboozle. They spent the following months recording and playing more shows, building upon their new fanbase while simultaneously fending off the many record companies that were vying for their services. But when the call came from Fueled By Ramen, they knew that they'd found the right home.
The band signed onto the Fueled By Ramen roster in November and quickly began getting ready to record their debut album. In February 2006, they packed their gear into the van and headed down to Beltsville, Maryland to work with producer Matt Squire. Squire, known for his work with such bands as Panic! At the Disco and Thrice, helped the band focus their energies, direct their efforts, and encourage them to fully find their own voice in the studio.
The resulting The Same Old Blood Rush With a New Touch more than fulfills Cute's mission to mesh jubilant tunefulness with savvy verbal gymnastics. Among the album's many highlights is the first single, "There's a Class for This," which features guest vocals from William Beckett from The Academy Is.. and on stage Martin Johnson from Boys Like Girls.
Since finishing the record, Cute has begun playing more and more live shows, including headline dates and tours alongside such artists as Punchline and Jack's Mannequin.
Bassist Fred Cimato left the band in October 2006. He was replaced by former October Fall member Jack Marin. However, in April 2007, it was revealed that Marin had left the band and Cimato had returned in order to replace him.
In early 2008, Cimato once again left the band, and solo artist and old Dave Melillo officially joined as his replacement. Melillo had been playing with the band for a while as an extra rhythm guitarist, but is now an official member.
On September 2nd 2008, drummer, Tom Falcone, anounced that he would be leaving the band. Many speculated because the band was on tour and Falcone had been missing for a few shows. Falcone released an offical statement via ap.net stating that "I simply left the band because the personality conflicts and daily drama made it impossible for me to live a peaceful, happy life." Also adding that "I assure you that no one came looking for me." Shaant nor any of the other members have commented on the situation. Former Roses Are Red drummer Michael Lasaponara is currently filling in on drums.
The band split ways August 18th, 2009. Dave Melillo told Alternative Press Magazine in an online interview "The story pretty much is we got off [the] Take Action! [tour], and the idea was to write a record. We didn't have any type of management, we didn't have anyone that we were really working with, so we didn't have a direction, we didn't have any type of game plan. But we were really trying."
In recent news (2010) Jeff Czum was seen filling in for a guitarist during a show in Australia.
Risque
Cute Is What We Aim For Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a devil on my shoulder
And a phone to the other
And I can't get a hold of her
And what's a crush to do?
What's a crush to do when he can't get through?
Medically speaking you're adorable
But I like them pricey
So exaggerate and t-t-t-t-t-t-trick me
Pretty please, just trick me
Pretty please
I got birds in my ears
And a devil on my shoulder
And a phone to the other
And I can't get a hold of her
And what's a crush to do
What's a crush to do when he can't get, through?
I'm obsessed and stressed with this mess
I can't think of things
To write down
To type down
And these fingertips are moving faster than these lips
So you can only imagine how jealous my mouth is
So you can only imagine how jealous my mouth is
I got birds in my ears
And a devil on my shoulder
And a phone to the other
And I can't get a hold of her
And what's a crush to do
What's a crush to do?
What's a crush to do?
I got birds in my ears
And a devil on my shoulder
And what's a crush,
And what's a crush to do?
Yeah (yeah)
Yeah
Oh
I turn on a dime, spin me around
So you can shine, shine right now
We'll even have a crowd
We'll make this purchase count
Medically speaking you're adorable
And from what I hear you're quite affordable
But I like them pricey
So exaggerate and t-t-t-t-t-t-trick me
I got birds in my ears
And a devil on my shoulder
And what's a crush to do?
And what's a crush to do?
I got birds in my ears (I got birds in my ears)
And a devil on my shoulder (And a devil on my shoulder)
And what's a crush to do
When he can't get through, when he can't get a hold of her?
What's a crush, what's a crush to do?
The song "Risque" by Cute Is What We Aim For is about a person who is obsessed with someone they have a crush on but can't get a hold of. The opening lines, "I got birds in my ears / And a devil on my shoulder / And a phone to the other / And I can't get a hold of her," illustrate the person's frustration in trying to reach out to their crush. They are torn between their desire to get in touch and their fear of being rejected. The line, "What's a crush to do when he can't get through?" expresses this internal struggle.
The second verse about being "obsessed and stressed with this mess" shows the person's state of mind as they obsess over the scenario. The line, "These fingertips are moving faster than these lips," illustrates their difficulty in expressing themselves. The person feels that their fingers are doing all the talking, but they wish they could speak their mind to their crush directly.
The chorus repeats the same opening lines, emphasizing the person's inability to connect with their crush. The song ends with the lines, "What's a crush to do / When he can't get through, when he can't get a hold of her? / What's a crush, what's a crush to do?", reinforcing the theme of unrequited love and the feeling of being stuck.
Line by Line Meaning
I got birds in my ears
I can't hear clearly because my mind is filled with distractions and noise.
And a devil on my shoulder
I'm being tempted to make bad decisions by my inner demons and negative thoughts.
And a phone to the other
I'm trying to reach out to someone I like but they're not responding.
And I can't get a hold of her
I'm feeling frustrated and helpless because I can't connect with the person I have a crush on.
And what's a crush to do?
I'm asking myself how to handle this situation and how to make progress with my crush.
Medically speaking you're adorable
You're attractive in every way, including physically and mentally.
And from what I hear you're quite affordable
You seem easy to get along with and approachable.
But I like them pricey
I'm more interested in people who challenge me and are harder to attain.
So exaggerate and t-t-t-t-t-t-trick me
I'm willing to believe anything you say, even if it's not entirely true or accurate.
Pretty please, just trick me
I want to be fooled and deceived by you, just to feel closer to you.
I'm obsessed and stressed with this mess
I'm completely consumed by my feelings for you, which is overwhelming and exhausting me.
I can't think of things to write down or type down
I'm feeling creatively blocked and unable to express myself clearly.
And these fingertips are moving faster than these lips
My fingers are typing faster than my thoughts, which is frustrating me because I can't keep up with my own ideas.
So you can only imagine how jealous my mouth is
My spoken words are jealous of my written words, and I wish I could communicate more effectively in person.
And what's a crush to do when he can't get through?
I'm feeling stuck and unsure of how to proceed when my attempts to connect with my crush are unsuccessful.
Yeah
Expression of affirmation or agreement.
Oh
Expression of surprise or wonderment.
I turn on a dime, spin me around
I'm willing to change my direction or behavior quickly to impress my crush.
So you can shine, shine right now
I want my crush to feel good about themselves and be the center of attention.
We'll even have a crowd
I want to create a social environment where my crush can feel important and valued.
We'll make this purchase count
I'm willing to spend my time, money, or effort for my crush to see them happy and interested in me.
And what's a crush to do?
I'm still unsure of how to win over my crush or connect with them in a meaningful way.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FERNANDO CIMATO, JEFF CZUM, JEFFREY MARTIN CZUM, SHAANT HACIKYAN, SHAANT TIMOTHY HACIKYAN, TOM FALCONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind