Mercury Rev: A Gasp of Air for the Faint Pulse of Today’s Alternative Music

The debate has begun: who defines alternative music today in the most authentic sense? One answer to this question is Mercury Rev, tentatively a five piece all of which reside in New York (Buffalo, Poughkeepsie). The band has become an institution, members coming and going—one of the latest recruits being a young bassist, Jason Russo (picked up after the studio session for their latest LP See You On the other Side).

Mercury Rev has emerged with an eccentric album after a two year recording hiatus. It’s psychedelia-lounge with an experimental twist of jazz, blues, and nostalgia—truly an eclectic mix of puzzling rhythm, noisy guitars, flamboyant horns, keyboards, and timid vocals. Original vocalist David Baker went his separate way some time ago (now of Shady) and recently Dave Fridmann (recording bassist on the latest LP) jumped ship—spending more time with his family and perhaps logging more production credits—he did Radial Sprangle’s ‘94 release Syrup Macrame. Grasshopper (Mr. Mackowiak) is still around, fiddling with the Tettix Wave Accumulator (according to Jason, this technology fills an entire room) along with present vocalist, Jonathan Donahue (sounds like Thurston Moore sometimes), Suzanne Thorpe (horns, flutes), and drummer Jimy Chambers.

Mercury Rev is now touring the states after a European outing, opening for the likes of Pavement and playing festivals of 10,000 Belgians staring in awe! No European tour, or for that matter, no tour at all is completed without some anecdotal incident, usually many. Every band on tour can relate to the broken-down-van story. Jason explained, “We broke down in a desert in Spain…somewhere between the south of France and Barcelona, and it was 110 degrees and there were millions of flies stuck to our bodies. The only thing we had to drink was wine that had been sitting on the dashboard that was warmer than coffee.” Eventually a tow-truck salvaged Mercury Rev from their hardship—these kinds of stories make one question: whether they have what it takes to survive a career as a musician. 

Past and present, tension and conflict have been a theme in the Mercury Rev camp both fueling and inhibiting the creative process. Plus or minus five minds (only one woman!) trying to develop sounds in the studio and perform them live, and compromising at that, is bound to lead to temporary fall-outs if not permanent ones (as had taken place with this band)—coming to fisticuffs appears to be something of the past for Mercury Rev members, or is it? 

Currently, Mercury’s chemistry on stage would best be described as a cathartic experience of improvisation. In regard to performing live, Jason comments that “it’s scary…a threat of violence kind of hangs in the air.” A reader of the Old Testament, Donahue occasionally utters passages in between songs during a concert, revealing some kind of fascination with biblical literature (listen closely to Everlasting Arm on the LP!) Here’s a band that sounds like they have a show worth attending! 

Mercury Rev is no typical occurrence, they are a rejuvenating factor in the music industry—without them, there would be no balance, only pop-mania. Sometimes hearing a formulaic song eight times a day on the radio results in a driving force to create, well, Mercury Rev. Behold ye all, for there is one last insight to be unveiled, the band is to release a video for “Young Man’s Stride,” directed by none other than techno savant, Moby! —Gary Savelson