Flashalisious

About a week or so ago I launched the new Bluf web site. If you have not heard of this band Bluf you should really check them out. Bluf writes their own original music and the bottom line is ….. they know how to rock for sure!

The guys relied on there myspace page for a log time as for their web site, and still maintain a large following on that site. Now that the bad is looking ahead and there needs grew the felt that a flash based web site was the way to go. This gives them the ability to post there music, videos and also have a really interactive site.

On this site they wanted a look that stuck with the theme they had be using on there myspace page, but after getting to know the guys and seeing them play I felt they where edgier than that. I felt that it was important to take the new site a few steps further. Using a lot of distressed textures and elements I was able to design and implement the site in a way that was simple, unique to the Band, and also really show the fans who Bluf really is. From what I could tell the guys where really excited about the look of the new site and seamed to think that I totally nailed the look and feel they where wanting. Of course I had a little help from the guys. They supplied there logo, some pictures and the red tree element was all Bluf’s doing. The red tree and lighter white background was the starting point and as we moved forward it was clear what the site needed. Hop on over and check out the new Bluf Site and shoot the guys an email and let them know what you think. blufmusic.com

Read on to hear more about Bluf.

Bluf Bio

BLUF is

Ian Mellencamp ¨ Lead Vocals/Guitar
Ben Rubin ¨ Drums/Keys
Evan Rubin ¨ Bass/Vocals
Elliott Rubin Guitar/Vocals/Keys

There are few genuine success stories in pop culture these days. Airbrushed “superstars” follow a carefully scripted rise to glory, but those who have built their careers on hype inevitably crumble under the weight of unbearable expectations. Some claim to have ascended strictly on their own merits, but find it easy to blame others when they fall from favor. Most simply genuflect to the gods of what’s hot now, and sell their souls for fifteen minutes of fame. But there are still a few artists who defy the hype, relying instead on a combination of sweat-equity artistry, finger-on-the-pulse songwriting and powerful live performances to get their point across.

Cincinnati alternative rock group, Bluf, falls into the latter category. The group is led by front man Ian Mellencamp and is rounded out by brothers Ben, Evan, and Elliott Rubin. Bluf has patiently cultivated a mad following of fans that have, in turn, propelled the band into the forefront of the Cincinnati alternative music scene. Was there some secret ingredient behind Bluf landing at #5 on Alternative Addictions top 10 unsigned bands list? Or landing at #1 on Cincinnati rock station 97.3 WAQZ? Some magic formula that materialized the band on the same stage with the likes of Chavelle, Secret Machines, and 30 Seconds to Mars? Some gimmick, some slight of hand that compelled famed producer, Erwin Musper (David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Van Halen) to proclaim them

Cincinnati’s most talented power rock group?

In a word Yes!

Yet the secret of Bluf’s phenomenal rise in popularity is really no secret at all. It has to do with a tenacious work ethic, a steadfast determination to succeed, an equally adamant refusal to compromise, and oh yeah, the knack for crafting great songs that stick in your head like gray matter superglue.

“We want to combine unique melodies with intelligent lyrics that can open someone’s minds to great thoughts,” explains Bluf’s frontman, Ian Mellencamp. “We’re after something deeper than what you expect to hear on the radio. We want to compel our listeners to look at things from a different perspective.”

Bluf’s phenomenal debut EP, aptly titled Intellectuallica, hammers that message home with an impressive series of solid hard rock anthems that include the moody and atmospheric To You, the enigmatic Enough, and the dichotomous ambient rock ballad, Return. Incorporating every nuance of their instruments, the band describes their music as “Ösome kind of fusion-ish hard rock with ambient, alternative overtones.”

Bassist Evan Rubin points to their song, “Message From An Alien,” as a prime example of their mind opening music. “It’s all about looking at life from the outside-in rather than from our tiny perspective,” he insists.

Though Bluf steadfastly refuses to settle for status quo performances, they insist their music is not some high-minded, esoteric mess that only an art snob could love. “We are a musician’s band,” drummer Ben Rubin admits, “but we work hard to make sure we are accessible to the guy on the street. Bluf’s music is complex, intricate, yet it is easy to make sense of.”

“Bluf is all about making good music,” adds Mellencamp. “We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve without resorting to gimmickry or some kind of crazy image. Bottom line is this: we want to infect your mind with music. If we can encourage you to look at an issue from a different perspective then our job is done.