Mercury Rev Returns With New Album, Free Stuff

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on May 10, 2005 4:53PM

When the Doves announced they were canceling the first of several dates on their U.S. tour, openers Mercury Rev became headliners by circumstance and were thrust into a badly-needed spotlight.

When examining the history of Mercury Rev, one thought immediately springs to mind: this is no way to run a rock band. Lacking only an exploding drummer to complete the analogy, MR has suffered Spinal Tap-ian slings and arrows in its career. MR’s troubles have included bankrupt record labels, onstage and offstage intra-band battles that saw members departing and arriving with the frequency of flights at O’Hare, and the release of their previous album on September 11th, 2001.

But complacent bands will inevitably make the worst music. The chaos of Mercury Rev always ends up on their albums and they’re usually better for it. Like their other works, the influence of guitarist Jonathan Donahue’s time with The Flaming Lips is front and center on their soon-to-be-released album The Secret Migration (stream it here along with the Doves' new album). But there’s an optimism (perish the thought!) that weaves its way through this record that may have been the result of the album’s two-year gestation period. So as the Doves re-join their tour mates this Friday for their sold-out show at the Vic (though you can still try to get into the free after-party at Schuba's), the band finds itself still with something to prove but perhaps less likely to implode as a result.

Chicagoist got our hands on some Mercury Rev swag so, of course, we’re giving it away to our readers. Fill out the form below to win one of two Mercury Rev prize packages: an "In A Funny Way" DVD single, "In A Funny Way" and "Across Yer Ocean" import single CDs, and two limited edition Mercury Rev posters. The contest ends on May 13th and winners will be notified via e-mail. Good luck!