mark mulcahy - in pursuit of your happiness

So does this album sound like that, or like Miracle Legion at all?

this is very cool old school indie rock, with laidback vibes, and subtle country influences .. in fact this :

"it's happy, autumnal, carefree, conjuring so many romantic images of opportunity and love in the world... it's a weird and blissful feeling that I don't really get anywhere else, oddly enough."

sums it up rather brilliantly.

suspect you are going to love this new one.

Mark's first solo album is ace, and I own the album Drenched by Miracle Legion which has some seriously ace tracks but is mostly spades.

The Miracle Legion songs "The Ladies from Town" -- is one of my favorite songs of all time. It's from one of their live discs, more accoustic than other stuff. I love Mark's voice, and can't believe he doesn't get more recognition than he does.

I think that's my fave, too, Jazzbo.

I was amused to learn that J. Mascis plays lead guitar on a few tracks (which is fine by me as long as he doesn't sing!) and that Joey Santiago (of the Pixies I assume) plays guitar on that amazing last track "He Vanished"!

So what happened to his wife, does anyone know? The tribute CD is getting mega press and the tracks that I've heard have been great.

The one thing I saw just said that his wife died suddenly. Bad bad news.

I was in CT in the mid-80s and saw Miracle Legion many times. They were an awesome live band.

BTW, the Thom Yorke version of "all for the best" on the tribute CD is strong.

So his new album's out after time away -- and it's REALLY good. And I said as much:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/18251-mark-mulcahy-dear-mark-j-mulcahy-i-love-you/

I'd rank it along the John Grant one, actually. Different backgrounds/goals/etc. but definitely a similar impulse at work in terms of reclaiming a past for one's current self.

This is way better than the John Grant. What a great listen.

I wouldn't go that far -- I find Grant's willingness to engage with a broader range of sounds while keeping a core aesthetic more to my taste -- but Mulcahy's just in a sweet spot here that I never would have guessed he'd reach at the time when he was fronting Miracle Legion.

Been following Mulcahy since his early Miracle Legion days. This is my favorite solo album of his by far. Nice review, Ned.

Thanks kindly!

Going to see him play a house concert tonight in Rhode Island. Hope he plays this one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTxomByDnEQ

Course, wouldn't mind if he performed this one too, since I was obsessed with it for the better part of a year in the late '80s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql7KUSkVNao

http://www.npr.org/2013/12/04/248802299/mark-mulcahy-is-the-moving-forward-type

http://www.npr.org/2013/09/10/221089642/mark-mulcahy-on-world-cafe

Looks like he is playing at Lincoln Center on March 19, 2014

Just listened to _Dear Mark J._, after no listens for a couple years, and this is still really good. Ned's review describes it very well, too.

Thanks!

Apartment Murders is slaying me tonight.

What's the lineage of that sound - the huge ringing chords on a lone electric guitar? I got Jeff Buckley and Billy Bragg and ?

Video is kinda, well, but the song is pretty great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuIu-uG7vY4

He's playing up the road from me in September. Can't wait.