Album Notes

Now and then, a band emerges with a sound so fresh, yet so familiar, that you can’t quite explain what it is that makes them rock. A band with melodies that are as catchy as they are quirky, music borne out of the myriad ideas and influences of five distinct individuals. A band ready to plug in and take over the stage with a remarkable pop sensibility, all while creating an edgy sound that’s uniquely their own. That band is INVID.

This wildly talented quintet of young guys has a collective creative energy that fuses together into a seamless ensemble sound. INVID has been rocking out with their own brand of post-modern rock and power pop since the spring of 2001. Armed with impossibly catchy hooks and quirky lyrics potent enough to make knees go weak, the guys have built up a loyal fan base in their native Los Angeles. INVID has played regular gigs in the L.A. bar and club circuit, gracing the stages of such venues as the Knitting Factory, the Whisky, Viper Room, Rainbow Room, Martini Lounge, and Mr. T’s Bowl. INVID is always ready to entertain with a high-octane set that compels everyone in the room to get off their asses and rock out. And finally, after two highly successful, locally distributed EP's, the band is ready to step up, guitars blazing.

"Mustard Coffee" is INVID's debut album. With 10 solid tracks of songs bound together with that distinct INVID sound, rock music get bent and twisted to their will without leaving you behind for even a split second. Melodic, driving riffs, pounding rhythms, aggressive bass, sharp lyrics, and bridges from the depths are written all over the album. An experience all on its own, what follows is an attempt at a quick glance of the songs from start to finish:

No wasting time here, things begin off furiously with "Look at The Time", a loud and pleading call for bands just like theirs to keep it together, work hard, and beat the odds to get where they want to go.

Getting a little more mischievous and demented, "How to go Insane" is a tribute to the masters and where few have gone for the sake of music.

Oh how deceiving. "Sweet Lucy Asleep" seems to be about how someone can be so different from when they are awake and asleep. Or is it?

Friends and heroes never let you down. Well, almost never. "Hell with You" takes the pain, turns the volume up full blast, and celebrates moving on.

Isn't tension between two friends who want a little something 'more than usual' great? INVID has invented the crowd pleasing and bounce-inducing "Born Again Friends" to inspire those who need a little push to 'break the rules...today!'

Every album needs something a little different to make sure you're listening. "Nothing There" is certainly that something. When everything seems the same, or all different, or just plain not when you expect anymore, one person that will 'be there for nothing, when nothing is there' is really all you need.

Back with a vengeance, "Note to Self" proclaims bravely that when something is over, it really should be over. And when it finally really is, only then there could be one more time. 'I love you but I don't like you' sums it all up quite well.

"Be Afraid" is a fast, vicious warning to those scary individuals who have great powers and don't even know it. 'Destroy already'! Just remember who told you.

Not being one's self can be a pretty fun ride. Especially when others come along. "Gone" tells of how it feels to be far removed from here and in a place where music makes the rules.

Can't we go back to where we were? "Don't Bother", in a hauntingly sweet acoustic manner, asks this of someone who has lost what used to be there.


INVID is:
Jonathan Wandag (vocals)
Eric Pineda (lead guitar)
Sal Eliazo (rhythm guitar)
Vincent Santos (bass)
Mark Tecson (drums)


Welcome the "INVasion of ID".