Lucky Boys Confusion
Photo: Elektra

Lucky Boys Confusion singer Kaustubh "Stubhy" Pandav insists the Chicago band's single, "Fred Astaire," is not meant to bash parents.

"It's more like an apologetic conversation about the conflict between a mother and child," he said about the rock radio-storming tune, built around the line, "You're pushing these children/ For all the wrong reasons/ So far/ Man you're crushing down their spirits." "Our parents mean so well for us, but they don't understand that trying to vicariously live through us crushes our spirits," Pandav, a first generation American of East Indian descent, explained. "The story is about the struggles between me and my family, but I wanted it to relate to everybody. I could have easily said, 'I never want to be Mahatma Gandhi' or whatever. Fred Astaire is a character in our history that everybody can relate to. He is a symbol of what our parents and teachers expect us to be." Ironically, Pandav's rocky relationship with his parents is a big part of the reason Lucky Boys Confusion have such an eclectic sound.

Growing up in a Chicago suburb, Pandav was not allowed to listen to Western music or even speak English in his home. When he turned 14, Pandav couldn't take it anymore and decided to rebel against his parents' strict guidelines.

"Right when my tastes were developing and I was trying to figure out who I was, I got blasted with every single kind of music there is," Pandav said. "Reggae, punk rock, hip-hop and all this music all came at once, and I just soaked it all in. I was so deprived for so long that I just loved every style, and that's where it comes from." Throwing the Game, Lucky Boys Confusion's second album and major label debut, due May 8, encapsulates Pandav's many musical tastes. "Saturday Night" is a reggae jam that pays equal homage to Bob Marley and Shaggy, "Dumb Pop Song" wouldn't be out of place on a Blink-182 album, and "One to the Right" is pure classic rock dosed with haunting vocals. Reggae, punk rock and hip-hop all come into play on "Child's Play." Pandav writes Lucky Boys' songs with singer/guitarist Adam Krier. Guitarist Joe Sell, bassist Jason Schultejann and drummer Ryan Fergus make up the rest of the band, who are all in their early 20s. Howard Benson (Zebrahead, P.O.D.) produced Throwing the Game. The album's sharpest hook pierces through the punkish "Bossman," where Pandav sings "Look at the bossman calling calling/ Look at the bossman now." "It's about leaving home and signing on to a major label," Pandav said of the track. "Sometimes when I write lyrics, I write them to myself as a reminder. Writing these lyrics down and putting them on a record is as permanent as a tattoo. You wake up every morning and you see it and remember that moment. I want to sing them so I remember to stay true to this or that." "'Bossman' is about the plusses and minuses of our lives since we started getting major label attention," he continued. "Being on a major label is everything you've ever heard. They meddle with your music, they meddle with your style. Everything is a fight. But all the positives are true too. They back you up and put time and energy into you." Lucky Boys Confusion are on tour, playing several shows with Eve 6. Their tour dates, according to the band:

• 4/27 - Springfield, MO @ Juke Joint (with Eve 6)
• 4/28 - Fayetteville, AR @ Dave's on Dickson (with King Konga)
• 5/1 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater (with Eve 6)
• 5/2 - Tucson, AZ @ Gotham (with Eve 6)
• 5/4 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues (with Eve 6)
• 5/5 - Phoenix, AZ @ Maycayos (with Eve 6)
• 5/8 - Chicago, IL @ Metro (with Penny and the Loafers and Logan's Loss)
• 5/9 - Iowa City, IA @ Green Room (with Plain White T's and Close Enough)
• 5/11 - Champaign, IL @ Canopy Club (with Grasshopper Takeover, Drawing a Blank and Full Range)
• 5/12 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues (with Grasshopper Takeover, Swizzle Tree)
• 5/13 - East Lansing, MI @ The Dollar
• 5/15 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
• 5/17 - Detroit, MI @ The Shelter
• 5/19 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center (Q101 Jamboree)
• 5/20 - St. Louis, MO @ Riverport Amphitheatre (KPNT Pointfest)

• Lucky Boys Confusion