What do you get when you cross the technical gymnastics of Dillinger Escape Plan with the melodic sensibilities of Minus The Bear? There is only one possible answer: Meet Me In St Louis - a math-rock band from Surrey who disbanded in 2008, leaving behind a legacy of loyal fans, live shows that people are still nursing injuries from, and album titles that pushed the boundaries of length to fantastically indugent levels. As Josh Hall wrote as part of Noisey's 'Fuck London' Week earlier this year, Meet Me In St Louis helped put Guildford on the map; they brought a sense of ramshackle excitement and relief for quiet-town-kids muddling through their A-Levels and part-time jobs at Waitrose.
Now, Big Scary Monsters are releasing their full discography as a double gatefold LP which includes their full length album Variations on Swing, debut EP And With The Right Kind Of Eyes You Can Almost See That High Watermark, The Place Where The Wave Finally Broke And Rolled Back as well as previously un-released demo EP Promise Me We’ll Never Be Like Them. I Don’t Want To Wind Up Like That. Relax Baby, We’re Going To Wind Up Like Us.
Promise Me... was recorded in MMISL’s practice space and used as an early promotional tool for the band, who photocopied a paper sleeve and burned countless CDR’s to give away at gigs, record shops, and local hang-outs. Alex Petersen (Vincent Vocoder Voice) recorded the 3 tracks in 2005 and now, 10 years later, was called upon to master the tracks that are getting their first official release.
We're premiering "Cory Feldman", which the band say is a pretty solid representation of who they were when they started and what they sought out to do.
Listen below and read testimonials from members of MMISL, Blakfish, Second Smile and Rolo Tomassi
“Corey was always my favourite song. Al Petersen (Vincent Vocoder Voice) recorded that whole demo disc. Smashed it out live. One note bass-lines are where it's at! Some wonky singing there though, hey... The lyrics are about my first experiences of being close to somebody that suffered with very aggressive mental health issues. Always felt good playing it live.” Toby St Louis
“This song and the way it was recorded is such a vivid reminder of how the band started and everything we had set out to be. It was the second track we ever wrote and it still makes me feel a bit fuzzy.” Oli St Louis
“I remember accidentally stumbling across the video for 'why thank you, suzie' not long after it had been released. I couldn't believe a band existed that had every single element i wanted, it was like the song was made specifically for me. I ordered the ep the same day and waited for it, watching the video over and over again, EVERYDAY. Meet Me In St Louis were not only my favourite band but also my education / introduction to the UK DIY and indie label scene. The ep and album have become seminal records and essential listening for any aspiring angular musician, and although the guys might have, the music really hasn't aged a bit. Visionaries, Legends, Heroes, Hobos.” Sam Manville, FTSE / Blakfish
“My old band, Secondsmile had the pleasure of sharing the stage with MMISL many many times, starting with a incredibly shambolic but amazing European tour back in 2005. It was carnage. We became great friends and I have wonderful memories with those chaps. Those days were truly golden.” Ross Smithwick, Second Smile / Lonely The Brave
"If I'm correct, we first met in 2007 when we did a co-headline tour of the UK in July. I would have been 18, having just finished my A-Levels that summer. I remember getting very drunk on red wine at a house in Birmingham (possibly Sam from Blakfish's) with everyone (probably 13 or 14 people) piling into a living room to sleep. MMISL were about to release Variations On Swing and their set consisted mainly of material from that. We were blown away with how consistently brilliant they were every night. Regardless of turnout they were always totally on top of their game in terms of how much they put into their live performances. I really looked up to them as musicians and as a group of people.
Later that year we were all gutted to find out Toby had decided to leave, especially considering the record had come out just before and 100% fulfilled the potential the live shows that summer had promised. Irrespective of that, 8 years later, the record still totally rips and is a perfect testament to my memories of the band." James Spence, Rolo Tomassi
MMVI - MMIX will be released via Big Scary Monsters on November 20 and available to pre-order now.
from Noisey http://ift.tt/1KUgh1Y
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