MP3 of the Day: "Ponsela" by the Mauxms, Playing Bougainvillea's This Saturday

The Mauxms (pronounced "moms") are five guys out of Miami who list themselves as "Progressive / Punk / Latin" on their MySpace page, and claim Sublime and the Police as influences. Sure, you might think sounds like the potential for jazz-band-nerd, noodling disaster. But the band, which has seemingly popped...

By Arielle Castillo

September 22, 2009

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The Mauxms (pronounced "moms") are five guys out of Miami who list themselves as "Progressive / Punk / Latin" on their MySpace page, and claim Sublime and the Police as influences. Sure, you might think sounds like the potential for jazz-band-nerd, noodling disaster. But the band, which has seemingly popped out of nowhere (well, the 'burbs, I guess), soars over the obvious musical routes and purely kicks ass in musicianship.

The Police influence is evident in singer James Partridge's crisp, pitch-perfect Sting-style alto-falsetto elisions. As for the band itself, think lots, and lots of brass -- enough, seemingly, for a John Philips Sousa march -- over a high-energy rhythm section that seems to drive every song forward to a rousing crescendo. The tension and loudness, though, is tempered by slower, experimental wanderings full of instrument solos. Luckily, these never last too long, and instead explode into punk drum breakdowns at a moment's notice.

Though the band name is likely to confuse many, the band also stands out for truly sounding like no other act currently active on the circuit. Music-store geeks will be impressed by these guys' clear musical prowess, and the average bar-goer will get swept up in the band's smarty-pants party vibe. By listening to the band's recordings, it's easy to imagine how these boisterous tracks will sound live. But you can hear for yourself this Saturday, when the band plays a gig at Bougainvillea's in South Miami. Get full show details, and a free MP3 of the band's song "Ponsela," after the jump.

MP3:

The Mauxms - "Ponsela"

The Mauxms. Saturday, September 26. Bougainvillea's, 7221 SW 58th Ave., South Miami. Show starts at 8:30 p.m., admission is free. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-669-8577; bougiesbar.com

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