via K. of Escape Sounds
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Miracles of Modern Science, a band that I barely caught at a show, but they've become one of my current obsessions. Last night, I made my way to Glasslands Gallery, a space with a bizarre paper-mache backdrop, to check them out properly.
Right before the MOMS set, a huge crowd of people came into the venue and crowded around the front of the stage. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of Princeton alums/students who were eager to support one of their own. I asked someone standing by me to confirm that there were indeed a lot of Princeton people in the vicinity. To that, he made a comment about how it's hard to be cool when you have high SAT scores. My friends and I were from a certain school uptown and one in Providence, and we find that it's not that difficult to be normal, but we don't generally discuss SAT scores.
MOMS put on a great, energetic show in their silver (and one blue) spacesuits. They were walking around the venue earlier, but I almost didn't recognize them without their show gear on. I could have used a little more sound from the violin, but man did those strings sound fantastic live. But, you can read here about why MOMS musically intrigues me. They closed with one of K.'s favorites, a track that is unfortunately not on the EP. I guess they're making us wait for this one.
I also saw some CMJ badges in the crowd, which I hope will help to get this awesome band more exposure. It doesn't hurt that Brooklyn Based listed MOMS as one of their CMJ must-sees.
MOMS released their first EP yesterday, and you can grab it here. It's a short one with only four songs, albeit most of the songs exceed the 5-minute mark. All the songs have been remastered from their previous demo versions, so you should definitely check it out. I especially like the reworked version of "MR2." Now I can finally share "Luminol" with you!
Luminol - Miracles of Modern Science
Eating Me Alive - Miracles of Modern Science
October 25, 2008
Miracles of Modern Science - Glasslands Gallery 10.24.08
October 11, 2008
Miracles of Modern Science - "Eating Me Alive"
via brooklynvegan
Over a week ago, my friend convinced me at the last minute to check out Parenthetical Girls and Evangelicals at Cake Shop. Good thing I did, otherwise I wouldn't have discovered Miracles of Modern Science.
A six-piece from Brooklyn and Princeton, Miracles of Modern Science describes itself as an "orchestral space-pop" band that uses classical instruments (mandolin, double bass, violin, cello) to drive their sound. I'm not really sure what space-pop is supposed to be, but they do wear spacesuits when they perform, and I suppose there are some lyrics about the sun and moon. Initially, their instruments caught my attention when I saw them at Cake Shop. When was the last time you saw a singer play an upright bass?? Although MOMS uses non-traditional instruments for a rock-pop band, there is definitely an accessible pop feel to their music. The combination of pop chord progressions and an acoustic instrumental foundation make MOMS a unique listen that's hard not to enjoy. Maybe it's my background in classical music, but I really like that the strings are the focus rather than embellishments, as they often are.
I've been playing "Eating Me Alive" on repeat for about a week now. This is one of the few songs that I caught at the MOMS set at Cake Shop since, unfortunately, I arrived too late to see the whole thing. The vocals are sprinkled on top of the strings in such a way that this song is very much about the instrumentals. I love the plucked strings that start around 1:24. Gives me chills, in a good way.
With the use of classical instruments (and some whistling), it is not surprising that many people are comparing MOMS to artists like Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, and Broken Social Scene. In an interview, MOMS even cites Broken Social Scene as an influence. "Luminol," my second favorite track, definitely reminds me of BSS. Compared to the track that I have posted here, "Luminol" has more of a post-rock feel (Check it out here). I'm excited to hear their debut EP, which is expected to be released this fall.
Miracles of Modern Science will be appearing at the CMJ showcase at Glasslands Gallery on October 24. Suckers, Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears, Little Teeth, and Netherfriends will also be performing. See you there!
Eating Me Alive - Miracles of Modern Science
MR2 - Miracles of Modern Science
