Luis Dubuc

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"The Secret Handshake" redirects here. For other uses, see Secret Handshake (disambiguation).
"Mystery Skulls" redirects here. For Dubuc's extended play under this name, see Mystery Skulls (EP).
Luis Dubuc
Luis Dubuc performing as Mystery Skulls in Dallas
Luis Dubuc performing as Mystery Skulls in Dallas
Background information
Born (1985-01-28) January 28, 1985 (age 36)
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
OriginDallas, Texas, United States
GenresElectronica, indie pop, soul, metalcore (former)
Occupation(s)Musician, DJ, songwriter, music producer, drummer (former)
InstrumentsKeyboards, vocals, drums, guitar, programming, synthesizers
Years active2004–present
LabelsTriple Crown (Formerly), Warner Bros. (Formerly), MysterySkulls Music (Independent)
Associated actsThe Secret Handshake,[1] Of Legends, Mystery Skulls, Thirty Called Arson, Infirmity

Luis Alberto Dubuc Jr. (born January 28, 1985) is an American DJ, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and former drummer from Dallas, Texas. He was a member of The Secret Handshake[2][3] and Of Legends.[4] He is currently the man behind Mystery Skulls.[5]

History[]

Dubuc was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He speaks Spanish fluently, but in an interview he said "I didn't want people to think I was a Latin singer like Enrique Iglesias. Not because those people are bad, because they make great music. But I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. I wanted a nondescriptive band's name so that the music can speak for itself."[6]

Thirty Called Arson and The Secret Handshake (2004–2011)[]

Dubuc performing as The Secret Handshake on July 16, 2010

Dubuc first got his start playing drums in a couple of bands with his friends, most notably in the hardcore unit Thirty Called Arson.[7] Inspired by artists like Michael Jackson and Daft Punk, he eventually began writing and recording some songs as a side project in his Dallas-based bedroom with a laptop and Wurlitzer to assist him.[7] By November 2004, Dubuc had self-released his first full-length album, entitled Antarctica. Less than a year later, he followed up with the EP This Is Bigger Than You and I, which was issued through Doll House Recordings. Momentum began building around his distinctive electronica laptop pop/rock, and The Secret Handshake developed a devoted fanbase. Another EP, Summer of '98 (referring to the summer before he started high school),[7] was released in early 2007 through New York's Triple Crown Records,[8] anchored by the vocoder-heavy title track. The full length One Full Year followed, becoming his full length Triple Crown Records debut.

In 2008 The Secret Handshake was featured on the Punk Goes Crunk compilation/covers album, where he covered Skee-Lo's rap classic "I Wish".[9]

On April 29, 2009, The Secret Handshake released his third studio album, My Name Up in Lights. The album was recorded entirely in Dubuc's apartment in Dallas.[10] In 2009, the album reached #17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart[11] and #45 on the Independent Albums chart.[12]

The Secret Handshake opened for the Alternative Press Tour 2009, entitled The Fall Ball, which also featured You Me At Six, Set Your Goals, The Academy Is..., and Mayday Parade.[13] Luis Dubuc was featured on the subscriber-only cover of Alternative Press November 2009 issue, along with the lead singers of the other bands featured on The Fall Ball tour with a feature article.[14] The Secret Handshake toured in Australia from November 26 to December 6.[15]

The Secret Handshake finished a two-month tour in the summer of 2010 with Every Avenue, Sing it Loud, and There for Tomorrow on the Motel 6 "Rock Yourself to Sleep" tour.[16]

The Secret Handshake's fourth studio album Night & Day was released on August 17, 2010. Sound In The Signals complimented the new style found on the album, but criticized Dubuc's vocal ability.[17] Alternative Press noted the new Motown sound was a risky move but stated that Dubuc "obviously had the skills to pull it off".[18]

Luis Dubuc was interviewed in the Alternative Press October 2010 issue, in the feature article titled You Can Hurry Love.[19]

Mystery Skulls (2011–present)[]

In 2011, Dubuc put The Secret Handshake to sleep and began to make music under the name Mystery Skulls.[20][21][22] In 2013, Mystery Skulls signed with Warner Bros. Records.[23] His debut album as Mystery Skulls featured collaborations with Nile Rodgers, Adam Lambert, and Avicii.[24] Dubuc followed up with his sophomore album "One of Us" in 2017, originally envisioned to be a soundtrack for an accompanying film. In early 2018 Dubuc began airing live streams from his studio inviting fans to collaborate on his upcoming third album. Over the next several months he aired weekly videos on either YouTube or his Patreon. He released the first single from the forthcoming album "Don't F*ck With My Money" December 13, 2018.[25] The album "Back to Life" was officially released on April 12, 2019.

As Mystery Skulls, Dubuc has performed across the country and has held many shows, including a performance at Furry Weekend Atlanta in May 2019,[26] and a summer tour to promote "Back To Life".

Discography[]

References[]

  1. ^ Rushing, Brenna (2012-03-06). "The Secret Handshake folds; new project Mystery Skulls takes over". Pegasusnews.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  2. ^ "Interview with Luis Dubuc of The Secret Handshake | The Aquarian Weekly". Theaquarian.com. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  3. ^ "Luis Dubuc Music Videos". Ovguide.com. 1985-01-28. Archived from the original on 2017-08-30. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  4. ^ "Alternative Press". Altpress.com. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  5. ^ "Reporter Online | EP Review: Mystery Skulls by Luis Dubuc". Reportermag.com. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
  6. ^ Tarradell, Mario (2009-04-20). "Secret Handshake's Luis Dubuc likes that his stage name doesn't tell you much". The Dallas Morning News. Vibe Media Group. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c Apar, Corey. "The Secret Handshake". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  8. ^ "The Secret Handshake discography". Allmusic. Retrieved 18 March 2009.
  9. ^ Mueller, Chelsea (2008-04-09). "Notes: Punk Goes Crunk, Handshakes and Highfives on iTunes - Dallas Music - DC9 At Night". Blogs.dallasobserver.com. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  10. ^ Freedman, Pete (2009-04-23). "The Secret Handshake - My Name Up in Lights (Triple Crown)". The Dallas Observer. Vibe Media Group. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  11. ^ "Heatseekers Albums: Up and Coming Musicians Chart". Billboard.
  12. ^ Charts, Billboard.com
  13. ^ "The Secret Handshake added to the AP Tour Fall Ball". AltPress.com. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  14. ^ "Picture" (JPG). 29.media.tumblr.com. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  15. ^ "// AP: NEWS - The Secret Handshake plan Australian tour". Altpress.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
  16. ^ Smith, Raewyn (2010-07-12). "Every Avenue - "Rock Yourself To Sleep"". Hollywood Music Magazine. Vibe Media Group. Retrieved 2010-10-20.
  17. ^ "soundinthesignals.tk". soundinthesignals.tk. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  18. ^ "The Secret Handshake - Night & Day". 16 August 2010.
  19. ^ "Alt Press: Magazine #267 (The State of the Scene)". AltPress.com. Retrieved 2010-09-07.
  20. ^ Rushing, Brenna (2012-03-06). "The Secret Handshake folds; new project Mystery Skulls takes over | www.pegasusnews.com | Dallas/Fort Worth". www.pegasusnews.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  21. ^ Abbate, Jake. "Mystery Skulls will perform songs inspired by past influences". PSU Collegian. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  22. ^ "Mystery Skulls - Biography & History". AllMusic.
  23. ^ "Warner Bros. Sign Mystery Skulls - News Article". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  24. ^ "Twitter / nilerodgers: @AdamLambert and @MysterySkulls". Pic.twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  25. ^ Mystery Skulls (13 December 2018). "Mystery Skulls - Don't F**k With My Money" – via YouTube.
  26. ^ @FurryWeekendAtl (February 14, 2019). "Ahoy mateys, the Mystery Guest is revealed! Furry Weekend Atlanta is beyond excited to welcome @MysterySkulls to rock the boat and make waves on our Main Events stage on Saturday night! #fwa2019