Bellowed Blessings and Drastic Dynamics:

MewithoutYou guitarist Michael Weiss acknowledges that he had many heroes in his childhood.

"There was a time when no one could tell me that Morrissey wasn't the greatest person ever born ... I idolized skaters like Rick Howard, too. But these days I try not to idolize anything," said Weiss in a phone interview.

The statement encapsulates the dynamic and challenging indie rock band mewithoutYou. The band hasn't shied away from their intense faith while making remarkably intelligent and critically acclaimed music. They recently released their second full-length for Tooth and Nail Records, "Catch For Us The Foxes," on Oct. 5.

"At this point we're just trying to stay true to our faith and ourselves while keeping in mind that this is all just temporary in the grand scheme of things," said Weiss.

Nowadays, Weiss tries to look to other musicians, instead of skateboarders, for creative inspiration.

"In my contributions, I've looked to bands like Fugazi, The Refused, and Brit-pop from the early to mid-'90s, like the Verve and Stone Roses," said Weiss.

The artsy, frenetic and heavy Philadelphia, Pa.-based band is headlining this fall's Radio Takeover Tour with guests Owen and Despitado. The tour heads into the Icon, located at 391 Ellicott St., Tuesday night.

Weiss is joined by fellow guitarist Christopher Klienberg, bassist Daniel Pishock, drummer Richard Mazzotta and his brother, Aaron Weiss, on vocals.

"My brother's vocals set us apart, he's got a very unique style all to his own. I'll listen to a generic instrumental version of one of our songs, but when his vocals come into the equation, they set us apart from anything else. They're so vivid, all of our originality stems right from there," Weiss said of Aaron.

The new album pushes the band's sound in a more personal direction, but Weiss maintains that mewithoutYou has made an effort to not stray far from the sound of their Tooth and Nail debut, "[A->B]=Life."

"We've been touring pretty regularly since the first album was released, but this is our first time out for the new album. We're real excited to get a feel for how people are responding to it," said Weiss, adding that "Catch For Us The Foxes" symbolizes an intense period of growth for mewithoutYou.

"I certainly think we've developed because we're a more collaborative band now. There's been so much give and take and experimentation this time around. We got together more as a band rather than one person coming up with all the ideas."

"Catch For Us The Foxes" is a fresh collection of tracks bursting with adrenaline and feeling; but being original isn't always easy to do. The members of the group look to front man Aaron for a unique stamp.

The band was formed in Upper Darby, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. Being near a major city had a significant impact on Michael and the other members of the band.

"We all went into Philadelphia about once a week and used to skate there, and I live there now. There were bands like Ink and Dagger, or Crud, that maybe people outside of Philadelphia hadn't heard of, that had a major influence on our music," said Weiss. The bustling environment provided a constant exposure to the artistic side of life.

"In Philadelphia, there are great cultural opportunities, like art museums, and there's always a show to see. It became a part of my growing up," Weiss said. After releasing two albums with mewithoutYou, Michael has taken nothing for granted.

"There's a lot more to life after this, we never even dreamed that we would get signed. We've already gotten there, so (it's not) all a blessing," he said.

His blessings have been sweetened by having his brother, Aaron, to partake in the band's experiences.

"I love my brother and we've always been really close. It's a pleasure to have a relationship like that in stressful situations. Just to have someone to support me, I'm really lucky. I get to add that to the list of blessings," said Weiss.

Buffalo's own clearmotive and Novus will kick off the show. Doors open at 6 p.m.