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B A N D H I S T O R Y
* MISTLE THRUSH BIO *
With influences ranging
from icons such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd to contemporary artists
like PJ Harvey and The Verve, Mistle Thrushs sound has been described
as everything from sonic
rock to dream pop. Steve Morse of the Boston Globe recently labeled
the band "an expansive,
psychedelic-spiced rock unit with influences from Jim Morrison to Kate
Bush," while the CMJ
New Music Report called them "remarkable" and "enchantingly
moody." Virtually Alternative wrote,
"like Sonic Youth, Mistle Thrush pushes the borders of indie guitar
rock...combining the ethereal
and the unforgiving."
Upon releasing their
first 7" in 1994, Mistle Thrush developed a partnership with Washington,
D.C.-based
Bedazzled Records. A string of releases followed, culminating in the
acclaimed full-length
Silt, which earned the band national attention including a full-page
profile in Alternative Press.
Mistle Thrush then recorded their third album, Super Refraction, in
New York City with producer
Kurt Ralske (Rasputina, Swell, Ultra Vivid Scene). After shopping the
CD to labels and booking
agents, years of self-promotion and self-management grabbed the attention
of August Artists
Group, the company responsible for bringing Madonna into the public
eye. After signing with
Camille Barbone of August Artists, the band soon had a deal with independent
label Egg Records.
The resulting alliance also earned Mistle Thrush a publishing deal with
Warner Chappell Music.
Following the release
of Super Refraction, a year of relentless touring took its toll on the
band,
resulting in the departure of two original members followed by a split
with their label. Still
committed to promoting the album, however, a determined Mistle Thrush
continued to tour with
friends filling in throughout 1999. During this time, the band shared
the stage with such acts as
Sonic Youth, Garbage, Spiritualized, Luscious Jackson, Morphine, and
Love and Rockets, to
name a few. Super Refraction received national airplay and attention,
charting on CMJ's Top 100,
entering daily rotation on WBCN, and earning a "pick hit"
in Friday Morning Quarterback, all of
which contributed to increased exposure for the band. Mistle Thrush
finished the year by
performing at Rolling Stone magazine's holiday party in New York City
and were honored back
home at the Boston Music Awards with Best Indie Album and Best Female
Vocalist.
With two new compilation
tracks released in the Spring of 2001 ("Heavy Set John" on
Arch Enemy's
Know Your Enemy and "Drowning For William" on the BDC's Maximum
Wage), and two new tracks
on Chicago-based Invisible Records' ambitious compilation Notes From
Thee Real Underground
(October 2001), Mistle Thrush are back in full swing. Their fourth album,
entitled Drunk With You,
was produced with Grammy-nominated engineer Andrew Schneider (Blue Man
Group) and released
nationally February 26, 2002 on Ecstatic Records. Initial reaction to
the album has been
overwhelmingly positive. WBCN has once again gotten behind the band
and added the first
single, "Small", to regular rotation. Along with commercial
airplay, "Small" is also making its way
into area dance clubs, further proving Mistle Thrush's cross-over potential.
Never one to be pigeon-holed,
Drunk With You showcases Mistle Thrush's genre-straddling ability
with nods to 60's soul, 80's New Romanticism and bombastic nu beat.
For those seeking refuge
from a market dominated by regurgitated metal and fluffy teen stars,
Mistle Thrush deliver
both substance and a solid kick in the ass.
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