The Mendoza Line

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only heard the track 'Triple Bill of Shame'- is the rest of their out- put as good or is this a one-off?

― peter dee (peter dee), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:01 (twenty years ago) link

I've only heard the Lost In Revelry and it's wonderful (my most played a few months ago).

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:11 (twenty years ago) link

Lost Revelry being an album, of course.

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:12 (twenty years ago) link

They had a cover of "Better than the Rest" by Springsteen on an Uncut comp. that was beautiful.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:13 (twenty years ago) link

they have fantastic songs but they lack a significant uniqueness, which i suppose is not essential. "whatever happened to you baby" is just lovely lovely though, as is their cover of The Boss

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:30 (twenty years ago) link

Even if Rey Sanchez is healthy this year, I bet he'll barely hit above the Mendoza line ... oh shit, you mean this isn't the Baseball Prospectus web site ... sorry.
(dumb joke)

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:35 (twenty years ago) link

Peter - one of my favorite bands - despite Surface Noise's claims, they possess a kind of uniqueness that sets them apart from their 'indie pop' contemporaries. Like Replacements spirit with Elvis Costello style and Superchunk hooks. Highly literate, fantastic songwriters, and fun fun fun.

I can't speak highly enough about them.

Search Lost in Revelry first (their masterpiece), the as-yet-unreleased new one Fortune, We're All in This Alone, and the recent reissue on Bar None, If They Knew This was The End, in that order. Then search the rest. You'll be glad you did.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 00:33 (twenty years ago) link

i guess when i say "lack uniqueness", i was trying to illustrate why i put their songs on mix CDs, and when listening to them go "hey this is great, i wonder who it is?".. maybe it's a mental block..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 00:43 (twenty years ago) link

I feel the same way as surface noise. It seems like there are dozens of bands out there doing the same kind of thing— sweet, if kinda messy, folk/chamber-pop with brutally cynical lyrics— but I can't think of anyone who does it better than the Mendoza Line. We're All In This Alone and Lost in Revelry are both great, great records, and I really do need to check out their other albums, but I keep forgetting.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 02:27 (twenty years ago) link

Who would you say is doing anything remotely similar? Maybe Elk City?

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 02:45 (twenty years ago) link

I've only heard 'If They Knew This Was The End' but I really really like it. "The Seventh Round" is highly classic power pop, and their rootsy-folky stuff is good too. One of the few Greil Marcus reccomendations that I've felt were worth the hype.

― Dave M. (rotten03), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 05:14 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

their new song 'catch a collapsing star' is fantastic.

― Sym Sym (sym), Thursday, 24 November 2005 01:59 (eighteen years ago) link

The Mendoza Line are one of the two most underrated bands of the 2000s (other being The Glands). Haven't heard their new one, but they don't really have any bad songs.

If forced to choose, Lost In Revelry is probably their best, but Fortune is right behind it.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 24 November 2005 02:04 (eighteen years ago) link

agreed.

not so hot on the new one, overall, though - where's Pete?!?

― roger, Thursday, 24 November 2005 12:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Greil Marcus likes 'em.

― M. V. (M.V.), Thursday, 24 November 2005 17:09 (eighteen years ago) link

I've liked this band for a few years now. Really, I've listened to them a lot. It's just, I've never understood what's so good about them. They're minor, stylistically unappealing, not worthy of my affection. But, I keep coming back. I'm listening to their new album right now.

I think I love this band.

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Sunday, 27 November 2005 22:32 (eighteen years ago) link

Two best records are "We're All In This Alone" and "Poems to A Pawnshop," but its pretty much all good.

― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Monday, 28 November 2005 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link

three years pass...

Tim is recording with a new band which includes some friends of mine from Nashville - they're blogging about it here: www.tothtellsthetruth.blogspot.com

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Thursday, 5 March 2009 18:12 (fifteen years ago) link

Shannon McArdle's solo record was really good, too. Kind of depressing, but when your album is called Summer Of The Whore, you can't expect a light romp.

― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 5 March 2009 21:35 (fifteen years ago) link

psyched

― bear, bear, bear, Thursday, 5 March 2009 23:22 (fifteen years ago) link

ysi Shannon McArdle's solo plz

― ice cr?m, Thursday, 5 March 2009 23:30 (fifteen years ago) link

They've named themselves "The Jescos." What the hell is a "Jesco?"

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Monday, 9 March 2009 22:07 (fifteen years ago) link

one month passes...

MP3s posted on the band's Myspace account. Sounds like Mendoza Line!

www.myspace.com/thejescos

― If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be An Airport, Wednesday, 6 May 2009 03:56 (fourteen years ago) link

nine months pass...

Bump.
"Full of Light and Full of Fire" is killing a dude tonight.

― "I get through more mojitos.." (bear, bear, bear), Wednesday, 17 February 2010 11:21 (fourteen years ago) link

So good. One of my favorite bands.

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 17 February 2010 15:39 (fourteen years ago) link

five years pass...

They deserve their own thread, but this is the place to start talking about The Paranoid Style, Timothy Bracy's band with his wife Elizabeth Nelson. They have 2 EPs out, both earning raves from Robert Christgau. She sings everything, and they sound nothing like The Mendoza Line but they are absolutely brilliant.

― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 12 April 2015 13:59 (nine years ago) link

I looked around a bit for availability after those reviews, but I guess I didn't read them very closely--completely missed the Mendoza Line connection.

― clemenza, Sunday, 12 April 2015 14:18 (nine years ago) link

I don't know if The Mendoza Line ever made it on the Dean's radar.

― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 12 April 2015 14:26 (nine years ago) link

I was always miffed by that stray Mendoza Line diss in a Whiney piece on Animal Collective.

― fuck me, archipelago (Simon H.), Sunday, 12 April 2015 15:15 (nine years ago) link

Yeah best new (to me) act of the year so far; hope they upload lyrics soon.

― Adam J Duncan, Monday, 13 April 2015 03:01 (nine years ago) link

Yup, this band is great, but maybe they need their own thread; I can see people ignoring this thread because of 'rockist' associations with Mendoza Line or something equally ludicrous.

― Jimmywine Dyspeptic, Monday, 13 April 2015 15:30 (nine years ago) link

three years pass...

If you clicked on this thread you will want to click on this new Shannon Mcardle song which has quickly become one of my very favorites. She is such a good singer, she makes you believe every word.

https://youtu.be/UwQYEK-edEk

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 14 December 2018 05:51 (five years ago) link

Shannon McCardle.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 14 December 2018 05:51 (five years ago) link

Was very happy to be among the first...15 views? I still get annoyed when I think about Whiney's needless shade towards the 'Line.

― resident hack (Simon H.), Friday, 14 December 2018 05:55 (five years ago) link

Where? Why would he do that? Is he some kind of sick maniac?

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 14 December 2018 06:16 (five years ago) link

lol I forget where the exact comment or piece of writing occurred, but it was something about how the more experimental likes of Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear had arrived to "save" Brooklyn from the likes of the evil Mendoza Line...

― resident hack (Simon H.), Friday, 14 December 2018 06:20 (five years ago) link

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