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:

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