Tim Bluhm (vocals/guitar), Greg Loiacono (guitar/vocals), Isaac Parsons (bass) and Mike Wofchuck (drums) met in 1990 while attending California State University-Chico, living off campus in Bradley Hall.
The band went on indefinite hiatus in February 2003. Toward the end of 2004 the Mother Hips reunited and started playing shows again.
"We definitely all missed playing together, and a couple of close friends kept urging us to play shows," says singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm about The Mother Hips' decision to reconvene. "We approach the band differently now than we did before the hiatus. There's no pressure on us the way we do it: We all have other sources of income, and mostly aren't dependent on the Hips making money at shows. I think of us as 'musicians of leisure.'"
Formed at Chico State in Northern California, The Mother Hips have seen it all, and there are already two documentaries about them-Stories We Could Tell and This Is The Sound-to prove it. They've gone from dorm band to buzz band to cult favorite; they've taken a truckload of drugs and then kicked their habits; they've played with everyone from Wilco to Johnny Cash; they've worked with countless labels (including two albums on Rick Rubin's American Recordings); and they've dealt with more industry bullshit than the average band could handle. And when singer/guitarist Greg Loiacono told his bandmates he wanted to take a break following the release of 2001's critically acclaimed Green Hills Of The Earth, it seemed as though the Hips were on their way to getting thrown into the coulda-woulda-shoulda pile.
But with the release of the band's new seven-inch and EP on New York City upstart Camera Records, it's clear that The Mother Hips (Bluhm, Loiacono, drummer John Hofer and bassist Paul Hoaglin) aren't just back-they're back with a purpose. "Red Tandy," "Blue Tomorrow" and the EP-only "Colonized" are all perfect examples of the group's ability to channel such classic bands as The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Band and The Beach Boys while writing thoughtful and beautiful tunes that sound just as timeless as the Hips' inspirations. And, of course, the guys still have something to say.
"'Colonized' is about the human soul clashing with the incredible greed that thrives our culture,'" says Bluhm. "Anything that's cool or appealing is instantly 'colonized' by advertisers until we become almost afraid to express an original idea for fear that it will be used to sell fucking coffee or surf trunks."
The quartet's first release in four years features songs-two on the vinyl, four on the CD (including an alternate version of "Red Tandy")-written both collaboratively and separately, and is an excellent appetizer for a new full-length LP slated to be issued next year. If the Hips sound creatively energized amidst all the harmony-drenched, California-baked rock, it's because they are.
"Greg is my favorite person to play music with and one of my favorite songwriters," notes Bluhm. "We started out together. You only have one of those guys per life. Sometimes I feel like I can't even sing unless he's singing with me."
"Toward the end of 2001, it had become 'work' and it didn't feel right-we were all so bitter all of the time," says Loiacono. "Now when we come together to play, there's true happiness in seeing each other, and in creating new sounds and feelings for ourselves and for the fans that come to hear us."
Though all four members remain busy with the other projects they launched during the hiatus-including Bluhm's solo career, Loiacono and Hoaglin's Sensations, and Bluhm and Loiacono's Ball-Point Birds-expect plenty of activity from the Hips in the near future. And count on witnessing them having a blast.
Magazine
The Mother Hips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She is so thin but more gaunt then lean.
She cut down on her baby fat the fun way, checked herself into a magazine
Like every preacher needs a sinner and the gangster likes the sub-machine,
Experts get paid by the beginners
And the bombshell needs her magazine.
See, I get blown away so easily, all it takes me is a few puffs of wind.
When I go out to see my baby, I pick her up at ten-fifteen
And as I wait for all her clothes to get put on I sit down and check out a magazine.
The Mother Hips’s song “Magazine” is quite an insightful commentary on society’s fascination and obsession with physical appearance and the media’s role in promoting unrealistic beauty standards. The song portrays an anorexic young woman who struts down the runway, appearing more gaunt than lean. She has cut down on her baby fat by checking herself into a magazine, which seems to imply that she measures her worth and success by the standards promoted by the media. The lyrics suggest that the magazine industry plays a role in influencing our idea of beauty, and the anorexic model’s need for the magazine is reflective of how society has been conditioned to believe that our appearance is what defines us.
The second verse of the song delves deeper into the relationship between experts and beginners, where experts get paid to help beginners. This analogy alludes to the fashion industry, where fashion experts are hired to help models or aspiring models to attain the body and look that fashion magazines portray. On the other hand, the bombshell, who is the epitome of the ideal beauty standards highlighted in magazines, also needs her magazine, implying her dependence or obsession with these standards.
In the last verse of the song, the lead singer narrates his own experience of being pulled over by the Ventura police. He admits to weaving on his way down the hall to suite two-ten, indicating a possible drug or alcohol addiction. He describes how he is easily blown away by the breeze, all it takes being just a few puffs of wind. This statement could be metaphorical to his addiction, where he is easily influenced or blown away by it. While waiting for his girlfriend to get dressed, the lead singer picks up a magazine, perhaps emphasizing how pervasive magazines and media are in our daily lives, even becoming commonplace elements in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
An anorexic young upstart struts down the runway,
A very thin, almost unhealthy person walks confidently on the catwalk. However, her thinness is not caused by muscular build-up, but by an absence of body fat.
She is so thin but more gaunt than lean.
The woman's skeletal figure is quite unappealing to the eye, the lack of body fat only highlights this.
She cut down on her baby fat the fun way, checked herself into a magazine
The young woman went into modeling to lose weight in a way which she found enjoyable. This she followed by posting herself on a magazine.
Like every preacher needs a sinner and the gangster likes the sub-machine,
Just like preachers require people to sin so that they themselves can confirm the rightness of their message, gangsters enjoy the act of controlling a weapon.
Experts get paid by the beginners
People who are proficient in a particular trade or field can earn by teaching beginners.
And the bombshell needs her magazine.
A person regarded as very attractive but with little intelligence, female, typically with blonde hair will always require images of herself to feel self-important.
Ventura police told me that I was weaving on my way down the hall to suite two-ten.
The Ventura police accused the singer of moving back and forth erratically while walking down the hall leading to room 210.
See, I get blown away so easily, all it takes me is a few puffs of wind.
The artist tends to be quickly overwhelmed and unable to react to their surrounding environment. This is probably due to chronic substance abuse which makes them easily affected even by slight changes in the environment.
When I go out to see my baby, I pick her up at ten-fifteen
The artist arranges to pick up his girlfriend at ten-fifteen for a date.
And as I wait for all her clothes to get put on I sit down and check out a magazine.
As the artist waits for his girlfriend to get ready, they kill their time by perusing through a magazine.
Contributed by Alexander M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Loiacono
on Del Mar Station
“He does not smoke or cheat or shoot.”