Mercury Girls

  9 November, Wednesday I saw Mercury Girls at Sub T's downstairs. I was close to deciding not to go, and so when I did, it was half-assed. It was a lazy ass post-election devastation Wednesday. But Mercury Girls are an energy drink at just the right time. I walked into the downstairs, or the first floor of Subt's not thinking anything would lift me up. Now, I'm glad I went on time. Mercury Girls are a fucking power plant. They are urgent, bouncy, aggressive and blissfully sweet. I mean this has to be what is playing in my nieces head as she chases the cat around the house. They immediately reminded me of Asobi Seksu in how they combine sweetness with muscle car aggression. Its not just that. Its the clarity of the voice over the music. For me its shoegazy without the blur or the fog. Clear sounding instruments and a clear sounding voice. And the energy..morning energy! Its urgent but..its happy, not dark and you know doomy. Its not all sweetness Its daytime, morning shoegaze...its bouncy, blunt, and  sharp and abrasive. That was just me hearing it, and I was into it. I was right in front of it. And for moments I could not believe it. After the show is when I go back on Youtube to see all the videos. But I was in the moment in front of it. Not knowing the names of the songs I liked. It was the fucking best. I always go on about what would sound nice at Scary Lady Sarah's Nocturna goth night.....because it gives me this context to see a song and what place the mood reminds me of. This band is totally for Philly and Sarah's Shimmer. It sounds perfect for a dance-floor of a certain kind. Goths can fucking dance to this in their double quick time. With....This is how You make an old goth's blood pulse fast....you now without going obvious with VNV. But yeah, I picture...where I can best frame this music, what is that ideal place but a fucking dance-floor. And Sarah and Philly have it for you, a whole night for fucking shoegaze. And yes I go to it. Slippery Slope....Hhhhhhhhhhh. Oh but now for ever I principally will recall the visual of seeing them after hearing them in all the ways that we got like bandcamp.

  Sarah, the lead singer. She likes Bjork....she said in an interview on Youtube. Its that same interview where I source the word blissful from them. I think it was Sarah who said it. The CD I bought from her is a compilation that includes two songs of theirs, Holly and Beverly. But the moment, you know. I didn't know what I heard. It was all awesome and I was in front of it.
  Mercury Girls are from Philadelphia. And actually only one is a girl. The rest are all guys. I think its the same with Asobi Seksu. I don't have a point to all this. I was just real impressed with Mercury Girls. I believe this was their first tour. I don't even recall how I got the two downloaded songs that put them on my radar, that got me into Subt's to begin with. I think it had to be recommended from a friend in the shoegaze scene. July 22nd always has me stop to check the ipod and see who it is. I would look at the name and think them so distant from me. What are the chances of me seeing them on tour? My reluctance to liking bands is hard to explain. When you got the resources to freely spend on music, you want to at least try and hear as much as possible, because then you can get it, all of it....the vinyl, shirt, CD....yeah some still do CD's. They are putting out music on cassettes. I am collecting cassettes unintentionally. The point being is that you can support the bands and not let the experience run like sand through your fingers. When you is kinda broke you don't wanna like nuthin', 'cause ya' can't afford nuthin'. So as many times as my ipod played them. The name stuck to the margins of my mind. Didn't learn anything more from them. And still somehow I learned on FB Mercury Girls are playing. I could not just keep my head in the sand, you can't breathe down there. Hmmm. Fuck it, I went, because that is me breathing. I arrived early enough for me to see the other bands but I was too focused on who I came to see. I was like, damn it am I that early? I looked towards the merch table. Damn, the shirts look good. The Mercury Girls logo, with the name and everything. Immediately I can see myself wearing one, but its a thought that I cannot indulge in for too long. I think this was their first time in Chicago and I'm glad I saw it. When I see them next I shall buy the shirt this time.
Zig