Weezer names its new album after Hurley from 'Lost' and -- shocker! -- Doc Jensen has a theory

As you may be aware, I happened to be a rather intense fan of the TV show Lost back in the day. What may not be as clear to you is that I happen to intensely enjoy other things, too. For example, I really like this “rock ‘n’ roll” music that the kids are listening to these days. One of my favorite bands is Weezer. I can’t look at a Jonas brother without involuntarily hum-muttering “My Name Is Jonas.” When I drive through Beverly Hills, I immediately start pounding out the stomping beat of the Weezer tune against my steering wheel. And “Troublemaker” demands that I stop what I’m doing, crank the volume up to 11, and scream along whenever and wherever I hear it.

So I was doubly thrilled when I read the news today that not only has Weezer entitled its eighth album Hurley, but the cover art will feature the beaming mug of Jorge Garcia, the actor who portrayed the Numbers-cursed dude on Lost. Two of my favorite things come together — it’s like a pop culture Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup! In an interview with Spinner, Weezer mastermind Rivers Cuomo says that his primary motivation for naming the album “Hurley” (due in stores Sept. 14 from Epitaph Records) wasn’t Lost fandom (he’s only seen two seasons of the show; he says he likes it) but rather his peculiar fondness for the Garcia photo. “It just had this amazing vibe,” Cuomo tells Spinner. “We didn’t want to do a fourth self-titled record and we knew people would refer to it as ‘the Hurley record’ even if left it without that title, so we just called it ‘Hurley.’ No words are on the cover because all we wanted was his amazing face.”

Cuomo claims that the Hurley album doesn’t feature any songs inspired by Lost, but I don’t know if he’s telling the truth. I believe Weezer is merely acknowledging and returning the appreciative homage that Lost was paying to Weezer in the show itself. After all, this is the band that also wrote and recorded the sweet and chipper 2001 love song “Islands In The Sun,” which I’m sure must have been a big influence on the Lost writers as they were brainstorming their mythology, specifically those shiny happy Dharma Initiative hippy days. Just look at the video! All those animals must have something to do with the Hydra Station. There’s bears! Okay, not polar bears, but still! Bears! Oh, and monkey = veiled Joop reference.

Moroever, Cuomo also told Spinner that some other titles he considered — inspired by the album’s sound — included “Heavy Mental.” Now, “Heavy Mental” sounds like a good way to describe any number of Lost theories I concocted over the years, including my season 6 contention that Lost enjoys a thematic kindship with heady ’70s-era prog rock. In fact, I posted my Lost = prog rock theory on the same day that Lost aired its only season-6 episode devoted to…Hurley! Coincidence, you say? Nay! Surely this must be Synchronicity! Perhaps Hurley is actually an elaborate concept album devoted to imagining Hurley’s years as Island guardian….

Okay, I got a little wonky on the Lost theory “Hash Pipe” there. (Though I kinda like my concept album idea.) Suffice to say, I’m looking forward to the new Weezer disc just a little more than I already was. Now if we can only convince Lady Gaga to name her next album Creepy Squirrel Baby. Now there’s a costume I wanna see!

So, Music Mixing Losties, what’s the next band album/Lost character pairing you’d like to see?

Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

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