Archeology: Miracle Legion and Mark Mulcahy

Fatherhood in the early 90’s brought with it the special pleasure of Nickelodeon, then a brand new television network for kids.  Their offerings were by turns sentimental or irreverent, sometimes both at once as with their priceless comedy, “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.” The Petes were two middle-school aged brothers both named -- wait for it – Pete, who struggled to make sense of the goofy adults who populated their world and the mystery of growing up.

Each episode began with with the rave-up “Hey Sandy,” credited to a band called Polaris that never appeared in my record store.  Believe me, I searched.

Two decades later in the iTunes era, I found this track again, this time digging deep enough to unearth the man behind Polaris, Mark Mulcahy, and the band which was his primary vehicle in that era,  Miracle Legion.

While never truly “famous,” beginning in the early 80’s ML had a decade long run as college radio favorites, gained indie rock cred with the likes of Oasis, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, and were regulars at New Haven’s Toad’s Place (sigh).  They did it with an Athens, Georgia sound that recalled REM and whip smart lyrics that went them one better.  Consider “All for the Best”: 

Or “The Backyard,” which could just as easily have been the “Pete & Pete” theme song.

By the late-90’s Miracle Legion would disband and Mulcahy would embark on a fitful but quietly celebrated career making music that defies categories.  His sonic palette is not as varied as Paul Simon’s (Mulcahy is a rocker at heart) but he shares with Simon a rare ability to take the stuff of adulthood (the good, the bad and the difficult) and fashion it into convincing, captivating pop music.

I saw Mulcahy perform for the first time not long ago.  Now middle-aged, he reminded me of Pete.  

Lighting Up June

Bibio, A Mineral Love

I’m fresh from a college reunion where the twenty-something DJ was spinning decades-old tunes that must have been sourced from a Wikipedia list of what was hot back in the day.  Shoot me now.   As if your musical tastes get stuck on “REPEAT” when they hand you your diploma.   Not mine.  I’ve been gorging on the sound of right now ever since and this disc couldn't be fresher.

Bibio is Steve Wilkinson, a British music producer and guitarist who makes percolating, R&B-influenced electronic music with a warm human gloss.  His guitar style is slightly reminiscent of John Mayer but a closer listen reveals a deep debt to Brazilian Joao Gilberto.  Wikinson's falsetto recalls Barry Gibb’s “Stayin’ Alive” vibe (in a good way!).  But the star of A Mineral Love is the intricate, liquid melodies that take a wide step away from the sound of current EDM and radio pop, but are completely inviting all the same. 

 “Light Up the Sky” and “Town & Country” will draw you in and make this guy’s special talent plain. 

My new rule of thumb is to seek out anything that's among the monthly picks of any two or more KCRW DJ’s (http://www.kcrw.com/music/dj-picks);  I’ve had this one on repeat since I spotted it there.   It’s going straight to my own “Best of 2016” list.  (Thanks to Jake for tipping me off to Bibio a couple of years back.)