TRUTH AND LIES ABOUT THE MERCURY PROGRAM
The Mercury Program are a rock solid combo from sunny Florida featuring Tom
Reno on the guitar and occasional vocal part, David Lebleu on the drumkit
and vibes, Sander Travisano providing the bass lines, and his baby brother
Whitney filling in on the electric piano and vibes, also. They have
released two long players so fara self titled record on Boxcar Records and
From the Vapor of Gasoline on Tiger Style Records, both available at
finer records store everywhere--and describe their music as being
"atmospheric, chilled out, really minimal" with the intention of "creating
a mood."
Though they achieve these goals effectively, they have left out the part
about the passion. Their well-though out compositions, economic
constructions of rolling drums, solid bass and lyrical guitar, barely
contain the visceral heart the Mercury Program pour into their music,
creating an ever present tension. The result ranges from the atmospheric
moods they describe, to white hot bursts of sound as the space gives
way. (Due to interviewer novice and transcripter error, all quotes are
attributed to the band as a unit, rather than the individuals who are
actually responsible for the words spoken).
The Truth
- Old records and new records.
Prior to forming the Mercury Program, most members just come from a band
that was "more rocking, hectic, crazy, driving." Thus, their self-titled
long player (Boxcar), is a heavier, louder and more explosive album, as
compared to their newest one, From the Vapor of Gasoline
(Tiger Style), which is more atmospheric and balanced. The newer material
benefits from the presence of Whitney, the younger Travisano, and his
electric piano and vibes, which add a rich layer to the atmosphere. The
decision to add Whitney was based in the fact that the other three members
of the band "only have six hands" and that "he has always been there, at
practice, as a critic" and as someone "whose opinion we really value."
From the Vapor of Gasoline, rather than being a move towards a more
laid-back sound, simply reflects the state of mind of the band at the time
it was recorded: "The album is a piece of work. They aren't individual
songs which are written out over a such a span of time that they feel
differently. They do have a similar feel because they were all written at
a really short period of time," about a month and a half. "Its like a
book: it's the same story you're reading, there are just different
chapters. If you get lost between songs, that's kind of the
intention. It's a different take on that feeling or that groove." They
assure all of the rock crazed kids, though, that some of the newer material
they are writing is "more driving and crazy. Its just goes where we're are
at at the time."
The band made the move from Boxcar Records, a label ran by a local friend
in Florida, to Tiger Style to allow themselves to be able to focus more on
producing their music. "Labels make doing this much easier than doing it
yourself, gives you more time to focus on making music and going out and
touring where somebody else is taking care of the details" such as making
sure the records are being sent to stores and distributors and other things
that can't be done from the road. Tiger Style appealed to the band both as
a label and as people. "What they were able to offer at the time is what
we really needed. It's not a step to an enormous label but it was a step
up to where we had a decent budget to record . . . we didn't have to go
skimping around and cutting corners anymore."
What does this mean for the listening audience? "We revolve our lives
around being ready to kick ass in a rock and roll band. That's pretty much
it." What about when they are not on tour? "We prepare. We prepare to
kick ass in a rock and roll band . . . we kick ass at home."
- The gig vs the record.
The live show is a creative moment, more akin to the writing of the song
than recording it, "you get that kind of same good anxiety, feeding off the
other music. Its almost like rewriting the song when we get together and
we organically put together a piece of music. It just comes out of all of
us. I compare that to playing a show, its those same feelings over
again." Recording is more of a stressful experience: worrying about
whether everything was played correctly and not knowing how it is going to
ultimately sound.
Thus it makes sense that the Mercury Program seem very much in their
element while playing live. The band is both unified in and lost into
their music. While it is advisable to have their records on hand, it is
essential to experience the music live to absorb its full impact. Catch
them on a tour near you (check Tiger Style's webpage,
www.tigerstylerecords.com, or the band's own, www.mercuryprogram.com, for
tour dates).
The Lies
An unidentified "they" have leveled accusations against the Mercury
Program, including:
- they are "the next big thing" in American indie rock,
- that they are cerebral and mathematical musical intelligentsia with
a penchant for jazz riffery, and
- that rock is dead.
The Mercury Program responds.
- Don't believe the hype but do listen to the record.
Rock critics and anonymous email vampires "tend to overblow stuff" and set
an impossible standard for a mortal band to meet. If you approach their
records "with the notion that its gonna rock your world and change your
life, you're going to be disappointed." The band doesn't "set out with the
intention to make music that does that." While they appreciate all who
have praised their efforts they are fully aware of those who say " 'this is
an absolute piece of crap, I can't stand this band.' We probably fall
somewhere in the middle of that."
"Our intention is to make music we enjoy. If from the get go had people
not really been into it . . . we would probably still be playing even
without that, we just enjoy playing music together." Finally, they offer a
Zen warrior challenge: "say what you will about the band, we do what we do."
- Its more about the ass than the head.
The Mercury Program is all about an organic groove and that's their only
theory. "We just get together, the four of us, and we sit down and we
write and what comes out, really comes out . . . we improvise until we find
a groove and then we go with it . . . whatever happens, happens."
Individually, each band member has his own influences. While the pioneers
of cool jazz were bandied about (Coltrane, Davis), they explicitly deny an
attempt at playing jazz music. The influence "probably comes across more
in the rhythmic section of the band and in the space we leave between stuff
cause that's traditionally more jazz oriented than it is rock. Most rock
bands don't leave any space at all." Specifically David creates "a back
line, the swing" while the others lay "the solo and melody on top of
it. We try to lay down a decent groove and there is always a constant
pattering of drums. That's another thing that puts this unrealistic
expectation like 'oh they're jazz musicians' which we are not." (Though
Sander confesses that he plays a Fender Jazz bass).
As far as influences go, it's "anything we listen to." If they are moved
by a piece of music, any piece of music, they think "I want to move people
like that guy moved me." Current listening at the time of this reporting
included the Who, the Jayhawks, Tristeza, Sun Volt, Quicksand, and the
Lemonheads, among others.
- Rock is dead, long live rock.
Is rock dead? The Mercury Program claims to "have no idea what it means"
and that rock is not dead "in the least." Older rock music, such as Black
Sabbath, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, is "still inspiring to
people." "Rehashing a thing that has been done for so long doesn't mean it
becomes uninspiring."
If anything "music critics and people who are involved in music are
spoiled." There is too much music to choose from, too many bands, which
causes us to overlook the accomplishments of our pioneer forebears. But
the Mercury Program has not forgotten.
Conclusion
Who is the band that's a rock machine to all the kids?
Questions remain: the cover painting on From the Vapor of Gasoline.
was inspired by the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was portrayed in the
film Basquiat by the actor Jeffery Wright. Jeffery Wright plays the
thug drug dealer Peoples Hernandez in the John Singleton film,
Shaft. Is there a similar connection between Shaft and the
Mercury Program? Where Shaft delivers ten times out of ten, the Mercury
program will only guarantee "eight times out of ten."
Shaft also features Busta Rhymes in a supporting role. Will there
been future collaborations with Busta? "If we could!" They would "do
anything with Busta Rhymes: he's got some kick ass fashion!" Right on!
Related links:
|
