The band’s conception was first shaped in 2001 from an appreciation of their local music scene, and inspiration from bands such as No Knife, Three Mile Pilot, and Inch. Guitarist and vocalist Jaime Solis explains, “The band came together from the remnants of several other defunct local bands. Except for Mike, who grew up outside Philadelphia, San Diego was a total music playground for us.” However, although they’ve obtained success, their earlier years weren’t cut short of painless experiences, and failed endeavors. One illustration of this is the number of line up changes the band has been through, which ironically foreshadowing their name, has kept them in transit.
The original lineup united around current lead singer, guitarist Jim Hughes and bassist Mike Frey, with the addition of guitarist Anthony Levas and drummer Bernie Tiano. When they began recording their first full-length album, Ah Discordia!, with Harbor Records, Levas and Tiano were replaced with present guitarist Jaime Solis and drummer Brad Bohensky. This change has proved to be a success for The Transit War, as Solis clarifies, “It was just like finding that perfect ingredient you never knew was missing. Where the band might have had a couple of drivers and a couple passengers before, we’ve ended up with a connection between four people who really belong behind the wheel.”
The band underwent another change when they switched labels for their most current release, Miss Your Face, from Harbor Records to the comfortable and productive Orange Peel. “Harbor wasn’t really much more than a kiss and a good luck handshake for us. Orange Peal is a place where we can grow and function as a band,” Solis says, as the band has always kept in good spirits about any hardships or changes. “We’ve always said The Transit War motto was, whatever can go wrong will go wrong. We love what we get to do in this life and know we’re lucky to be doing it at all, so all the blood, sweat and tears are given very willingly.”
Miss Your Face was inspired by many elements including alcohol, storytelling, regret, tour, families, shortcomings, and the music from which the band members derive their influence. Recording this record was the first time they were able to be attentive in creating the music, as most was written on the road together as a band. When they were recording Ah Discordia! it was more of an impulsive time, as Brad and Jaime were unsullied to the band. For Miss Your Face they were able to center more on songwriting, different instrumentation, and creating significant melodies and harmonies.
The experience of recording Miss Your Face and being on tour has solidified The Transit War’s current line up, brought its members close together, and has also formed an appreciation for the bigger picture. “I’d say we’ve grown into a family - a family with a ton of branches. We’ve spent so much time on the road together living in our box that it was inevitable really,” Solis remarks. “But it’s the kind of environment we thrive in, to the point where family means our families at home, all of our fans and friends, even the people we work with business-wise. Everyone’s related at this point.”
The Transit War’s valiant efforts, upright attitude, and dedication to their music have earned them many accolades and industry nods which have been beneficial to exposing the band to new fans. One of their more notable honors was winning MTVu’s The Freshman contest for their video “Kerosene.” They’ve also been nominated in the Best Rock category for the San Diego Music Awards, and have been Spin.com’s Artist of the Day.
The band is currently out on the road with Self Against City, doing a stretch of dates throughout the West Coast. Select dates also feature Quietdrive and The Fold. For The Transit War, bringing their songs from the studio to the stage is what they live for. “We enjoy dynamics in music and try to build a set the same way. If you’re coming to a show you can expect a lot of energy, not so much shtick, and some quality harassment from the four of us to check out the new lamp at our merch table.”
This is a band with a positive reception to what’s been thrown at them, the state of flux and transit they’ve endured, and a general respect for the situation they are in.
An additional great quick story is from Rollin Stone online:
http://www.spin.com/articles/transit-war-avoid-tornado-write-track
Chutes And Lasers
The Transit War Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's like an icebox in here
And I can see your breath
And the way that the bright lights hit her face
It sends the boys into fear
Yeah, she can drive them wild
When I can never let this night life end
I can see her start to whisper to her friends
They never told you
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
I can tell by the way you move your feet
It's like a dance floor in here, and I can see your breath
And the way that the bright lights hit her face
It sends the boys into fear
Yeah, she can drive them wild
How we gonna be ourselves again
When I can never let this night life end
I can see her start to whisper to her friends
They never told you
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
And I can see your breath
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
Don't stand too close to me now
'Cause I am contagious
The lyrics to The Transit War's song Chutes and Lasers seem to be talking about a wild party or a night out at the club. The singer talks about how he can tell by the trembling of the girl's hands that it's quite chilly inside, and he can see her breath. The way the bright lights hit her face makes the boys around her nervous, but they can't help but be attracted to her. The singer seems to be asking how they can go back to being themselves after experiencing such a wild night, and he can see the girl whispering to her friends.
The chorus is where the title of the song comes from: "Don't stand too close to me now, 'cause I am contagious." This could be interpreted in a few different ways. On the surface, it could be a warning to people not to get too close to the singer because he's having a wild party and might end up infecting them with his energy. However, it could also be interpreted as a warning not to get too close to the girl, as her beauty and charm are "infectious" and could cause the boys to fall for her.
Overall, the lyrics to Chutes and Lasers seem to be about the exhilaration and dangers of nightlife, and the struggles to go back to "normal" life once the party is over.
Line by Line Meaning
I can tell by the way you shake your hands
Based on the tremble in your hands, I know you're feeling cold
It's like an icebox in here
The temperature of this place is extremely low
And I can see your breath
The coldness is so intense that your breath is visible
And the way that the bright lights hit her face
The girl is illuminated by the bright lights, grabbing everyone's attention
It sends the boys into fear
The boys who are attracted to her are intimidated by her beauty
Yeah, she can drive them wild
Her attractiveness can cause them to go crazy
How we gonna be ourselves again
How can we return to our former selves?
When I can never let this night life end
The lifestyle and events of the night are addictive and hard to give up
I can see her start to whisper to her friends
She's starting to talk amongst her friends
They never told you
There are things that were left unsaid
Don't stand too close to me now
I'm contagious and don't want to pass anything to you
'Cause I am contagious
I can transmit something harmful to you
I can tell by the way you move your feet
I can infer from your body language that you're enjoying yourself
It's like a dance floor in here, and I can see your breath
The cold and lively atmosphere of this place is reminiscent of a dance floor
And I can see your breath
Your breath being visible is further evidence of the coldness
Don't stand too close to me now
I don't want you to catch anything from me
'Cause I am contagious
I have a harmful condition that can infect you if we get too close
Don't stand too close to me now
I'm still contagious
'Cause I am contagious
I could still pass something on to you
Don't stand too close to me now
Please keep your distance
'Cause I am contagious
I'm still a threat
Contributed by Adrian M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.