Miracle Legion were stellar live back in the day. That first EP was magic.
― that's not my post, Friday, 26 March 2010 05:04 (fourteen years ago) link
BTW, I like what Thom Yorke did with "All for the best." It sounds great updated for 2010.
― that's not my post, Friday, 26 March 2010 05:26 (fourteen years ago) link
I repeat, when will they put out Miracle Legion’s earlier albums on CD????
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 14 December 2010 18:45 (thirteen years ago) link
I have surprise surprise surprise, me & mr. ray, drenched, and portrait of a damaged family on cd. surprise was an insanely expensive japanese import. got lucky on me and mr. ray - found it a couple of years ago on spun sitting there for 6.99 or thereabouts. would love to grab backyard and glad at some point -they've never been available on cd.From what I've heard, the back catalog will never be reissued/see the light of day in physical format. may be made available digitaly at some point but wouldn't hold my breath on that either.
― jimmy_chop, Tuesday, 14 December 2010 18:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Waiting for October!
― Lazarus Niles-Burnham (res), Tuesday, 14 December 2010 18:54 (thirteen years ago) link
Well I'll be. Surprise available as digital, remastered download from Mark's website: mezzotint.com
― jimmy_chop, Friday, 17 December 2010 11:20 (thirteen years ago) link
Yup, I just bought Surprise Surprise Surprise (my fav) as a digital download here: http://miraclelegion.bandcamp.com/Wish they'd do the same for the Backyard EP and Me and Mr. Ray.
― Jazzbo, Friday, 17 December 2010 13:05 (thirteen years ago) link
what do you guys recommend in the way of Miracle Legion?
― Poliopolice, Friday, 6 April 2012 16:31 (twelve years ago) link
HEY!
― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 19:13 (twelve years ago) link
it was pretty lame when Pitchfork slammed that Mulcahy tribute album that was trying to raise money for his semi-orphaned children
― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
Going to see Polaris play "Music from The Adventures of Pete & Pete" Saturday night in Rhode Island. I guess it's the first show of a brief reunion tour.
― Jazzbo, Monday, 29 September 2014 14:18 (nine years ago) link
Polaris - 2014 Tour Dates Oct. 4--The Met--Providence, Rhode Island Oct. 9--Hammerstein Ballroom--New York, New York Oct. 10--Spaceland Ballroom--Hamden, Connecticut Oct. 11--Pearl Street--Northampton, Massachusetts Oct. 25--Codfish Hollow--Maquoketa, Iowa Oct. 26--Lincoln Hall--Chicago, Illinois Nov. 21--Knitting Factory--Brooklyn, New York Nov. 28--Johnny Brenda's--Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Nov. 29--Baltimore Soundstage--Baltimore, Maryland
― curmudgeon, Monday, 29 September 2014 17:00 (nine years ago) link
Just learned that The Backyard EP is on iTunes, along with Surprise Surprise Surprise. Cool.https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-backyard/id539775655
― Jazzbo, Monday, 29 September 2014 17:42 (nine years ago) link
Listened to The Backyard in its entirety for the first time in ages. I still remember everything. Must have seen Miracle Legion a dozen times or so at the Cave in New Haven. Closer to the Wall always killed. Can't remember the drummer's name but he was essential. Mark & Ray got all the attention of course. Ramble mode off.
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 05:28 (nine years ago) link
the Cave meant the Grotto.
― that's not my post, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 05:53 (nine years ago) link
Can't remember the drummer's name but he was essential.Jeff Wiederschall was the original lineup's drummer.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 12:28 (nine years ago) link
Have to admit, I wasn't very familiar with Polaris or "Pete & Pete" until this week, and now I'm binge-watching/listening before Saturday's show. I'm really impressed with both so far. The songs are catchy and wistful and bring me back to an earlier time, even though I never heard them the first time around.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 12:39 (nine years ago) link
“Ivy Boy” in particular is just … wow. I wish somebody could tell me what it’s about, though.
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 13:00 (nine years ago) link
I felt the same way about all of the Polaris songs I'd never heard before the past couple of years. There is something so transportive about it, and it isn't just 90s nickelodeon nostalgia.
― Evan, Tuesday, 30 September 2014 13:34 (nine years ago) link
Seriously, this song has been stuck in my head all week. Help.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_BA6x2jFAc
― Jazzbo, Wednesday, 1 October 2014 15:24 (nine years ago) link
Wired article on Polaris tour: http://www.wired.com/2014/10/polaris-pete-and-pete-band/Thought Mulcahy lived in Springfield, Mass. these days, but this says New Haven, Conn.
― Jazzbo, Friday, 3 October 2014 15:14 (nine years ago) link
Saturday's kickoff to the Polaris reunion tour was fantastic. They opened with "Baby Tae Kwon Do" from their new cassingle (available here: https://thebandpolaris.bandcamp.com/releases). Also played a Magnetic Fields cover ("Why I Cry") and a Sesame Street song ("I Don't Want to Live on the Moon," also covered by the Queers). And, of course, Little Pete's favorite song.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmPmIARgMhk
― Jazzbo, Tuesday, 7 October 2014 18:42 (nine years ago) link
Ahhhh the Philly show is sold out! Seriously considering driving to Baltimore to see them.
― DavidLeeRoth, Tuesday, 7 October 2014 18:52 (nine years ago) link
The most recent Mark Mulcahy solo record is quite excellent and it appears most of the Miracle Legion stuff is a available once again via the Mezzotint website.
― kwhitehead, Wednesday, 8 October 2014 10:25 (nine years ago) link
Can't believe I haven't heard this until now. Mulcahy released this as a single/download in 2006. About a soldier wounded in war, it takes on new meaning in this performance from 2009, a year after his wife died. Just devastating.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEVYnGHt39k
― Jazzbo, Friday, 24 June 2016 12:04 (seven years ago) link
Caught the first show of the reunion tour last night in a sweaty little theater in Providence and it was great. Nice to see Mark and Mr. Ray back on stage together. Mulcahy had a strange getup — Member's Only jacket zipped all the way up — and he came across as a crazed homeless guy with his new Civil War-era beard, but he sang like an angel. Here's a snippet (not my video).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cAdCqMEXdk
― Jazzbo, Thursday, 14 July 2016 15:10 (seven years ago) link
Seems like some reissued stuff just showed up on Spotify.
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 June 2017 19:21 (six years ago) link
(-the Cave-) meant the Grotto.
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 June 2017 19:22 (six years ago) link
Feel like once I saw Mark + Ray did a song called "Valentine's Day," but I can't find mention of it anywhere except some weird stub on BBC music. Did they end up recording this song under another title?
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 June 2017 19:27 (six years ago) link
Oh wait BBC page has sound, so I didn't dream it after all: https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/n24bwf
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 June 2017 19:34 (six years ago) link
Weird/frustrating when you remember something pretty strongly but can't seem to find confirmation on the intranetz
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 June 2017 19:45 (six years ago) link
Maybe it became the song "Velvetine"?
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 June 2017 02:01 (six years ago) link
I've only dabbled in Miracle Legion, but thanks to this thread I finally gave Fathering a listen. Christ, it's magnificent.
― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, 9 June 2017 20:05 (six years ago) link
Cool.
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 10 June 2017 15:24 (six years ago) link
Listening now and realizing Mark Mulcahy can sound amazing like Bob Dorough. Perhaps they should have done a kid's show collabo
― Guidonian Handsworth Revolution (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 30 June 2017 03:31 (six years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZedPsqOgpbE
― MaresNest, Monday, 7 January 2019 22:19 (five years ago) link
Mark played a great but too-brief set in support of j. Mascis last night in Rhode Island. They'll be in Northampton, Mass. tonight. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt6OdBRhD9V/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
― Jazzbo, Friday, 15 February 2019 17:05 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0sWAOHgsyQ
― He’s the Listener DJ, I’m the Listener Rapper (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 14 February 2020 18:08 (four years ago) link
He’s playing in Rhode Island April 3rd
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 15 February 2020 01:02 (four years ago) link
Back to school - Autumn is the perfect time/weather for listening to Mark Mulcahy.Why is that?
There's something very meta about latter day Polaris/P&P fandom: Nostalgia for a show about nostalgia. Wistful memories of childhood are both the subject of the Polaris album and its associaiton to most listeners. For a certian age group, it was probably also your very first introduction to indiepop.
When I was about 17, I became briefly obsessed with this show and its soundtrack and endeavored to collect all the music from it, which I wasn't able to do. The best story I have about this was that when I went into the Virgin Megastore to look for Starfish by the Fat Tulips and they didn't have it, for whatever reason I was so intent on buying an album called Starfish that day that I got the one by the Church instead.
But I found the Polaris album held up a lot better alongside the rest of the music from the show: various Stephin Merritt songs, the Shackwacky cassette, a couple of tracks off the first Drop Nineteens album, Luscious Jackson, etc. Taken on its own, it tended to hammer you over the head with a particular sound and mood and became cloying long before its runtime finished.
Mark Mulcahy's voice is a thing of wonder at times and suits the more intimate material a lot better IMO than something like 'Snacks and Candy' above.
― Deflatormouse, Saturday, 15 February 2020 21:29 (four years ago) link
There were also a few songs like 'Everywhere' (or whatever it was called) that worked a lot better as 30-60 second instrumental cues on the show than as standalone songs.
― Deflatormouse, Saturday, 15 February 2020 21:46 (four years ago) link
I went to the Pete & Pete reunion tour 8ish years ago at Bowery Ballroom. It was nice. I think think there are videos online.
― Yerac, Sunday, 16 February 2020 03:28 (four years ago) link