This Cursed House, the debut album from faux-Canucks Canada—they’re actually from Ann Arbor and Detroit—starts with a cowbell. But before you assume this band is gunning for the ironic rocker crown, keep in mind that this is literally a cowbell—as in a bell, looped around the neck of a cow, not a studio instrument. The […]
Ezra Ace Caraeff
Ezra Ace Caraeff is the former Music Editor for the Mercury, and spent nearly a third of his life working at the paper. More importantly, he is the owner of Olive, the Mercury’s unofficial office dog. His writing has appeared in The Fader, The Stranger, The Onion's A.V. Club, ESPN's TrueHoop network, and countless fanzines that are thankfully long out of print. He makes a mean tofu scramble and yes, Ace is really his middle name.
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Facing New York
While Facing New York cut their teeth slumming it in all-age dives and playing the smallest of Warped Tour stages, the band hasn’t really come into their own until recently. Their formative years were spent living in the dim shadow cast by a pair of At the Drive-In (and the Mars Volta) afros, in addition […]
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Once More with Feeling
Blitzen Trapper
It’s scary to go it alone. Of course, no one told that to the local fringe popsters in Blitzen Trapper. Their brand-new album, Wild Mountain Nation, hits stores this Tuesday, June 12, and it’s them against the world. In addition to recording all but two tracks on the album, the band self-released the record, despite […]
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What’s Love Got to Do With It?
The Rosebuds and Coupling
The problem with most cute couple bands—those whose feelings for each other resonate in each and every song they play—is that they are in the business of selling the commodity of love. The voyeuristic decree of “look how happy we are, in love, and playing music together,” will always overshadow any music they make. It’s […]
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Once More with Feeling
Devon Sproule
It’s no surprise that Found Magazine’s Davy Rothbart lends his endorsement to Devon Sproule. Her music is a collection of found influences: a little bluegrass here, some well-behaved jazz there, the raw jittery nerve of Joni Mitchell, and a whole heaping serving of detail-soaked songwriting. Her fourth album, Keep Your Silver Shined, is unmatched in […]
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Slanted and Enchanted
Mary Timony Keeps Us Guessing
It’s been 17 years since Mary Timony was introduced to the indie scene, via the Washington DC quartet Autoclave. Pre-grunge, at the birth of Dischord Records’ most adventurous era, Autoclave was a band whose flickering existence was painfully short-lived, although their influence still rings in the ears of musicians who forge the same post-punk route. […]
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The Truth Is Here
Brother Ali Spits the Gospel
There are a few incredibly obvious facts about Brother Ali that need to be mentioned here, albeit briefly. Yes, he’s an albino, a devoted Muslim, and don’t forget about the lazy eye and husky build that make him appear more like a bouncer who belongs in front of—but never on—the stage. Now that these details […]
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Once More with Feeling
Best Week Ever!
I don’t think there has ever been a better week for live music than the next seven days. Blame Sasquatch! or the warm spring air, but this week is the pinnacle of quality music. Here is a day-by-day breakdown on how you should spend the next seven days. Thursday: Patrick Wolf at Lola’s Room is […]
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Sasquatch Popsicle Puppets
Can’t Attend Sasquatch? Make the magic happen in your hands with these Mercury Popsicle Puppets.
If there was ever an excuse to drive five hours into the baffling abyss that is Central Washington, it’s Sasquatch! This year’s two-day music festival is the finest to date, drawing in nearly 40 acts from all over the globe, performing in front of the beautiful backdrop that is the Gorge. Below is a rundown […]
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World Peace Please
Lavender Diamond: More Love, Less War
Wait, didn’t I have a “no butterfly wings in the band” moratorium after that horrible Smashing Pumpkins album came out in the ’90s? I swore I did. Just like I had the “no long-sleeve shirts worn in conjunction with shorts” post-grunge rule, or the always popular, “no face paint, or masks, in metal” rule. Yet […]
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Once More with Feeling
Ben Gibbard
In the pantheon of rock stars, Ben Gibbard does not belong. The bespectacled frontman for Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service has clearly moved enough units, influenced enough pop culture, and had his impact on an entire generation of kids—so why do we not treat the man like the rock star he is? […]
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Reelin’ in the Years
Sea and Cake and Steely and Dan
In the long and storied history of rock, there is no band more contentious than Steely Dan. A band so powerful in sound that listeners can never just be “okay” with them. With Steely Dan, emotions flow in two polar opposite directions. There is a steady appreciation for the band, a relaxed understanding of their […]