Mercury Rev

Formed in 1989 to provide a soundtrack for their friend's avant-garde films, Mercury Rev's psychedelic indie rock has always maintained a cinematic beauty through their rise from underground oddballs to critically acclaimed outsiders. Their early transient line-ups gained stability when Flaming Lips guitarist Jonathan Donahue took over as frontman in 1990, and shortly after they signed with British label Rough Trade to release debut album Yerself Is Steam (1991). Though the album was well received, the label went bust and the band descended into chaos as original singer Dave Baker was sacked after an altercation with guitarist Sean 'Grasshopper' Mackowiack. Out of the madness came the band's classic fourth album Deserter's Songs (1998). Named Album of the Year by NME magazine, it brought them commercial success for the first time and produced the singles “Goddess on a Highway” and “Opus 40.” The album has gone on to become one of the most beloved indie rock albums of all time, influencing many artists in its wake. While they never reached the same critical and commercial heights again, Mercury Rev has remained cult indie heroes, releasing albums such as All Is Dream (2001), The Secret Migration (2005), Snowflake Midnight (2008), The Light in You (2015), and Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Sweete Revisited (2019). In the summer of 2024, the group announced the release of their album Born Horses, which is their first album of original material in nearly a decade.

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