Mercurial Rage-It's Christmas
Another band that was early to sign on to this project, they did not disappoint. While this song was on their MySpace page in 2007 they remastered it and submitted it for this compilation. It's previously unreleased on CD. They are from Minneapolis, MN.
HWTS: Walk me through your writing process -- how do you get from the first inkling of an idea to a complete song?
MD: The writing process with our current lineup is like clockwork. Using “Moonlight” as an example, Chris had a drum beat in his head that needed to be laid down electronically. Therefore, he rushed over to Butch's place and they created the timing, sound and basic arrangement for the song. A few days later, we demoed this song as a band out in Butch's home studio, writing the bass, guitar and keyboards. Chris always has the lyrics and melodies in his head, so while Butch is doing his guitar takes, Chris is writing down the lyrics on a random piece of paper that he finds on the floor. After that, he brings me to the side of the room, sings it for me once or twice, and I lay down the vocals. We cut and print our template for “Moonlight,” listen to it at home and start jamming it out at practice the following week. This is often how it happens, but all of us have written things electronically that Chris the "Architect" turns into pop magic. If there was one thing that Mercurial Rage does not have a problem with, it is writing music. In fact, we are currently in the studio recording a full-length’s worth of new tracks that we wrote!
Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses is old enough to be legally served a drink this year, but as it and many of its counterparts age, they seem to influence more and more bands. DM's title was meant as irony, but it has become more and more apparent that many who listened took that title at face value and decided to carry the torch. Mercurial Rage are near the top of this ever-growing heap, taking careful steps to separate the wheat from the chaff along the way. The bitter, wry wit is still in place as are the pounding synth hooks and sharp, crystalline guitars that saturated the new wave countryside. Gone, however, are the overdone, bleached-out haircuts and the godawful fashion choices so often associated with the original new wave band template. (Why did tapered pants, skinny ties, and too-big, boxy sport coats look good together again?) This, of course, erases any feelings of nostalgia you feel for the good ol' days of British synth-pop. Mercurial Rage aren't British; they were born during the era they are referencing and they give fuckall about the look (or any look really). All of which is to say: They have taken a good thing and made it better. With the Alarmists, White Light Riot, and the Mood Swings. 18+. $8. 8 p.m. 318 First Ave. N, Minneapolis; 612.338.8100. —Pat O'Brien
Just two weeks short of 13 years since I'd first seen Polara, I visited Minneapolis' Varsity Theater to see if they were still the band I remembered so fondly.
Their first opener, Mercurial Rage, performed an entertaining, if not amazing, electro-rock set. Being the fashionably late sort, I actually missed most of it, so it wouldn't be fair to judge them entirely, but I did see some potential there and certainly didn't dislike what I saw. The Faint meets INXS, perhaps. They seemed a bit like a work in progress. I'll definitely have to check them out again down the line.
Mercurial Rage are an electronically inclined outfit hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota who are part Depeche Mode, part New Order all filtered through the smooth intentions of Michael McDonald with a touch of Morrissey‘s emotional wanderings. They are also preparing to release their self-titled EP on June 7th.
Sharing a mutual love for all things right and proper in this world, bassist and all around good guy, Christopher Church decided to sit down and talk about the new EP, his influences and why he thinks Michael McDonald is a silver fox.
Involved in making music since he was a teenager, Chris was involved in more rock orientated bands prior to Mercurial Rage.
“I’ve been playing since I was 16. I started off writing lyrics, and making up songs for my friend’s punk band. He wanted me to start a new band with him and be the singer/front man, but I couldn’t sing on pitch to save my life. I got demoted to bass right then, and have been there ever since.”
The following were taken when the charming and talented Mercurial Rage came to Chi-Town a few months ago to play at Goose Island. (A huge thanks to Steve Krock of Swizzle Tree for booking them) Good times always when these kids are in town.
I wrote and played the whole thing myself, for the most part -- the guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, and whatever other nib-nobs you hear in there are most likely me. I was helped by the fabulous Michael [DiGregarrio] of Minneapolis electro-rockers Mercurial Rage (on low harmonies) and of course Diablo Cody (on high harmonies), who made it sound less like I was a giant chorus of clones.