Incubus Set to Release ‘Monuments and Melodies’ and Documentary

Greatest hits compilations are a rite of passage, and Incubus has certainly earned its stripes. 'Monuments and Melodies' comes out on June 16, and is a two-disc release that reflects their successful run for the last two decades. "[It's] hopefully a benchmark for us. Let's call it the first 18 years," Brandon Boyd, lead singer, told Noisecreep. "Our intention is that in ten more years, our music will have continued to evolve freely."

While there are at least a handful of Incubus songs known to anyone that listened to radio in the late 90s, 'Pardon Me' is one of the most significant. "I actually just heard [it] on the radio on my way home last night," says Boyd. "It's a strange song; in that lyrically and rhythmically there was nothing like it ten years ago." He refers to 'Pardon Me' as "the chemical marriage of a few vastly different kinds of music." It was loved for its acoustic and album versions, as well as the artful video which is featured in the clip below. The clip is from a forthcoming documentary that rings in just under an hour and features band discussions, music videos and the version of 'Wish You Were Here' that was banned in America.

Looking back, the band has made a career on delivering a sound to mainstream rock audiences that often balances out what is being released in excess. Other major hits on 'Monuments and Melodies' include 'Stellar,' 'Warning' and 'Nice To Know You,' with the artwork done by Boyd himself, who has been moving into fine art and had his first solo show last fall. "I read Joseph Campbell's classic work, 'Hero With A Thousand Faces,'" he said, "and was struck by the age old myth of Jonah in the Belly of the Whale."

The first disc will contain two new songs in addition to 13 previously released singles, and the second disc will be a collection of rarities, which include alternate versions, B-sides, three previously unreleased songs and a cover of 'Let's Go Crazy' by Prince.