MERCURY REV was formed in Buffalo, New York in the late 1980's. Consistently
driven by Jonathan Donahue (vocalist/acoustic guitar), Grasshopper (moth-light
guitars, clarinet, tettix wave accumulator), Jeff Mercel (drums, piano,
keyboards) with Dave Fridmann (bass explore, telescope, knob twiddler),
Mercury Rev have continued to surprise and enlighten listeners for over
a decade and a half with their maverick musical explorations. In the
beginning, MERCURY REV's first recordings emerged simply as a means for
creating soundtracks to experimental films that they and their friends
were creating. David Baker (sometimes vocals), Suzanne Thorpe (flutes),
and Jimy Chambers (percussion) joined this loosely connected ensemble,
and eventually recorded a demo during off-hours at the SUNY Fredonia
studio. This demo somehow made its way to the British offices of the
Jungle/Mint label, who contacted Donahue about signing the group. MERCURY
REV reconvened to record their debut, YERSELF IS STEAM. Highlighted by
distorted art-pop epics like "Chasing
a Bee", "Coney Island Cyclone", and "Frittering",
YERSELF IS STEAM was released to widespread acclaim in 1991. Later that
year, the CAR WASH HAIR E.P. further convinced pundits of MERCURY REV's
volatile genius. The group's second show (playing to over 10,000 people)
at the Reading Festival in the UK, showed the dynamics of their live
show, and during the next year and a half they found themselves performing
at such diverse venues as the Royal Albert Hall in London and in an opening
slot for Bob Dylan at Yale University. The release of BOCES in 1993 was
a continuation of their marriage of searing noise with crystalline pop.
Although this became their first record to hit the UK Top 50, by the
next year, musical differences led to the departure of David Baker. Dave
Fridmann, on the other hand, decided to focus on sound engineering and
production, and ceased touring with the band (continuing to work with
them in the studio). By the time the beautiful SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE
appeared in 1995, the first chapter in MERCURY REV's maverick career
had drawn to a close. While critics marveled over the wonderfully eclectic
pop-jazz experiments of "Everlasting Arm", and "Racing
the Tide", the band grappled with puzzling personal predicaments.
Switching record labels and nearly broke, Donahue and Hopper relocated
to the Catskill Mountains in New York State with newcomers Adam Snyder
(keyboards) and Jeff Mercel to begin writing new material. Chambers and
Thorpe, unable to deal with the band's continuous chaos, decided to move
on. The band began recording what was to become DESERTER'S SONGS during
1997 at Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Recording Studio. DESERTER'S SONGS was
released in 1998 to world-wide acclaim. On this influential album, MERCURY
REV reinvented itself with sweeping orchestrations and poetically heartfelt
lyrics. It would herald a rebirth for the band, allowing for further
experimentation and thrill-seeking. MERCURY REV toured extensively for
DESERTER'S SONGS, which was chosen as album of the year by the NME, MOJO,
and many other international music publications. The songs "Goddess
on a Hiway", "Holes", and "Opus 40" have become
classics which have taken on a mythical life all their own. Recorded
at the end of 2000/early 2001, their follow-up ALL IS DREAM found MERCURY
REV once again broadening their musical horizons with cinematic bombast.
Older and slightly wiser, the band stumbled into exhilarating new musical
galaxies on such songs as "The Dark Is Rising", "Little
Rhymes", and "Tides of the Moon." They toured the world
for most of 2002, and began recording songs with Dave Fridmann during
the early months of 2003. During this "time off" they were
also involved with composing pieces for various film soundtracks (including
HELLO BLACKBIRD, the soundtrack for the film BYE BYE BLACKBIRD). THE
SECRET MIGRATION came out at the beginning of 2005 and David Fricke wrote:"Mercury
Rev have finally made their great life-cycle album, their own DARK SIDE
OF THE MOON, except this one ends in promise and light." MERCURY
REV have finished recording a brilliant new album, SNOWFLAKE MIDNIGHT
which will be released on September 29, 2008. Check for all the latest
updates and info here!
-Jack Bishop THE HOLOGRAPHIC PRESS (senior editor)