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.
The Fourth Drink Instinct
Cute Is What We Aim For Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All alone
She's underage and so very very brave
A fake ID lent her credibility
She sits at the bar
The gents are gonna try so hard
He said it was a one night stand
Yeah, he said it was a one night stand
A one night stand
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
So the bartender who tends to pretend that he's concerned
Says, "Girlie girlie, you're at your best (you're at your best) when you're sober"
And she slurs, "No no, just one more"
And one turns into four
The fourth drink instinct is taking over
And the gentleman is leading her towards the door
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
She thought that she could buy happiness by
By the bottle
She thought that she could buy happiness by
By the bottle
She thought that she could buy happiness by
By the bottle
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
He said it was a one night stand
But the alcohol didn't let her understand
Yeah, he said it was a one night stand
A one night stand
The lyrics of Cute Is What We Aim For's song The Fourth Drink Instinct is a narrative about a girl who makes the mistake of trying to buy happiness through alcohol. She is underage, alone, and uses a fake ID to get into a bar where she proceeds to drink to drown her sorrows. Despite the bartender's concern and recommendation for her to stop drinking, she continues and falls prey to the advances of a gentleman. The song's title, Fourth Drink Instinct, refers to the point where she is already four drinks down and her judgment is severely clouded. The gentleman proceeds to take her with him, and it is clear from the lyrics that it was not a consensual sexual encounter as he describes it as a one night stand, capturing the girl's confusion and lack of understanding through her intoxicated haze. The lyrics convey a strong message about the consequences of attempting to solve one's problems through alcohol, especially when one is underage and vulnerable.
Line by Line Meaning
She's doesn't deserve to be in a place like this
She should not be in this kind of environment.
All alone
She is alone without anyone to help or support her.
She's underage and so very very brave
She is below the legal age to be drinking, but still chose to come to the bar.
A fake ID lent her credibility
She used a fraudulent identification card to seem older and gain entry to the bar.
She sits at the bar
She is seated at the counter.
The gents are gonna try so hard
Male patrons will make attempts to approach her and start a conversation.
He said it was a one night stand
The man claimed that their encounter would be a singular occurrence with no expectation of continuation.
But the alcohol didn't let her understand
She was intoxicated, preventing her from comprehending the reality of the situation.
So what made you think
That he couldn't find a door in the morning?
When he found that bed so easily
In the dark
He is capable of leaving and does not have any attachment towards her after their intimate activity.
The bartender who tends to pretend that he's concerned
Says, "Girlie girlie, you're at your best (you're at your best) when you're sober"
And she slurs, "No no, just one more"
And one turns into four
The fourth drink instinct is taking over
And the gentleman is leading her towards the door
The bartender feigned interest in her well-being and suggested she should stop drinking. However, she decided to continue and became progressively more inebriated. Eventually, a man takes advantage of her condition and escorts her out of the establishment.
She thought that she could buy happiness by
By the bottle
She believed that her problems could be solved through drinking.
He said it was a one night stand
But the alcohol didn't let her understand
Yeah, he said it was a one night stand
A one night stand
The man reiterates that they will not meet again and emphasizes that their encounter was temporary and not indicative of a relationship.
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