photos by Chris La Putt

Melpomène ("to sing" or "the one that is melodious"), initially the Muse of Singing, she then became the Muse of Tragedy, for which she is best known now. Her name was derived from the Greek verb melpô or melpomai meaning "to celebrate with dance and song." She is often represented with a tragic mask and wearing the cothurnus, boots traditionally worn by tragic actors. Often, she also holds a knife or club in one hand and the tragic mask in the other. On her head she is shown wearing a crown of cypress. Melpomene is the daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Her sisters include Calliope (muse of epic poetry), Clio (muse of history), Euterpe (muse of flute playing), Terpsichore (muse of dancing), Erato (muse of erotic poetry), Thalia (muse of comedy), Polyhymnia (muse of hymns), and Urania (muse of astronomy).

In Roman and Greek poetry, it was traditional[citation needed] to invoke the goddess Melpomene so that one might create beautiful lyrical phrases (see Horace's Odes). [Wikipedia]

Sweden's Melpo Mene performed four times in three days in NYC, all solo. His first was at Mercury Lounge (where he wore blue makeup). His third was upstairs at Cake Shop (where he wore red). Later that night (last night) (12/12) he played a show with Takka Takka and Loney Dear at The Bell House. More pictures from Cake Shop below...

Continue reading "Melpo Mene @ Cake Shop, NYC - pics"

photos and words by Faith-Ann Young

Loney Dear

Last night (12/10), two Swedish one-man shows Loney Dear and Melpo Mene (I missed Boy Genius) invaded Mercury Lounge in NYC. First, the young and lanky Melpo Mene came on (his first time in NY) in a blue-t-shirt and blue eyeshadow drawn raccoon-style around his eyes, with a suitcase of pedals and gadgets and an i-pod. He finger-plucked ethereally, almost drunkenly, with his eyes closed most songs. It was appropriate for his dreamy, made-in-bedroom songs of being in love, having lost love, and longing for love. He's got this quirky, unique stage presence; his non-sensical chatter had the crowd laughing while his awkward shy flirtation won over most girls in the room. A surprising highlight? A mellow, slow tempo cover of MGMT's "Kids."

Melpo Mene

Loney Dear meanwhile came on in similar form. In fact, pitting the two acts next to each other actually almost diminishes each of their own appeal because they sound so similar. But Loney Dear livened up the tone of the show a bit, asking the whole crowd to snap or sing along as chorus, or baseline, to his light, lofty songs. The room was fast to react, some couples snapping while locked in each other's arms.............(which was kind of awkward for the rest of us). Bottom line is that it felt a bit like date night at Mercury, but regardless the Swedes brought dreamy, soothing respite from the rain and recession. (Um, if you've ever been to Sweden, you wouldn't be surprised......)

You've got many more chances to catch both of them in NYC this week. More pictures from last night below...

Continue reading "Loney Dear & Melpo Mene @ Mercury Lounge, NYC - pics"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Loney Dear - "Airport Surroundings" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: AC Newman - "Submarines of Stockholm" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Matador Records Intended Play sampler 2008 (ZIP file)

Loney Dear

I'm excited for Ida Maria, but those shows are a month away. As for this week, you may remember Loney Dear are in town to play two shows with fellow Swedes Melpo Mene. For most of us this will be our first taste of their new album, Dear John, which is out on Polyvinyl on Jan. 27. If the track at the top of this post, "Airport Surroundings," is any indication, the new album is going to be a lot more synthy. And is it just me or does that track start out sounding a little like Warnen G's "Regulate"?

In addition to Melpo Mene (who I wrote about before), the Mercury Lounge show Wednesday (12/10) night also features locals Boy Genius who are getting ready to record their new album with producer Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Pavement, and his own band, Let's Active). The Bell House show on Friday (12/12) is part of Union Hall/Bell House talent booker Skippy's 40th birthday party. Takka Takka and Alina Simone are also on the bill. There could be other surprises too, you never know.

Melpo Mene also has a couple shows in addition to the ones with Loney, Dear. He'll play Rockwood Music Hall on Thursday (12/11, 11PM) and and an early (6PM) free show upstairs at Cake Shop on Friday (12/12). Go see him if you can.

Next Thursday (12/18), why not hit Stanton Public from 8-10 for the AC Newman's Get Guilty listening party? It's free beer n' booze too, you just need to RSVP at Insound. You can get one track from Get Guilty on Matador's free download Intended Play sampler, and another MP3, both at the top of this post. Plus, Carl just announced some 2009 tour dates.

One final pick for this week: I highly recommend checking out School of Seven Bells at Mercury Lounge on Monday. Their debut, Alpinisms, is one of my favorite albums of 2009, and the band just got back from opening for M83 so I have a feeling they probably won't be playing places this small for much longer. And when they can get all their crazy equipment working, it's a mezmerizing show. Some of their videos below...

Continue reading "Loney Dear, Boy Genius, School of Seven Bells & more in This Week In Indie"

We're a week away from the Swedish invasion that is Melpo Mene and Loney, Dear both in NYC at the same time. As previously noted, the two artists have shows scheduled together at Mercury Lounge (12/10) and The Bell House (12/12), and Melpo Mene is also playing Rockwood Music Hall (12/11). Now you can also add a free, early show at Cake Shop to MM's list (12/12).

And as previously noted, Loney, Dear is then going on a tour with Andrew Bird in 2009, but the NYC Andrew Bird date at Carnegie Hall (1/28) has Dosh opening instead of Loney, SO rather than not play NYC at all in that general time range, Loney comma Dear went ahead and scheduled a show at Union Hall in Brooklyn on January 31st - a night that he and Andrew both otherwise had off. No tickets for that one yet. All Melpo and Loney dates below...

Continue reading "Melpo Mene & Loney Dear add shows - 2008/09 Tour Dates "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Melpo Mene - Hello Benjamin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Melpo Mene - Good With The Mothers (MP3)

Sweden's Loney, Dear has just left Sub Pop for Polyvinyl, who will release his new album, Dear John, on January 27 (track list below). Before that, they're playing a couple of NYC shows in December. As nice as it will be to have them back on these shores, I'm slightly more excited that opening for both shows will be fellow Swedes Melpo Mene who make some very lovely, understated folk-pop. breathy vocals, jazzy arrangements - it's lovely stuff. I liked his 2004 debut, Holes, quite a bit and have been waiting for him to follow it up ever since. BV Mike also did a nice feature on this very site back in February.

Melpo Mene's second album, Bring the Lions Out, just came out in Sweden on Imperial Recordings (home of Jose Gonzales) and you might have heard the album's first single, "I Adore You," in a Volvo ad. (Not my favorite song on the album but the appeal is obvious.) Hopefully these New York shows will bring some attention from U.S. labels though you can get both Melpo Mene albums Emusic. In addition to the two shows with Loney, Dear, Melpo Mene will also be playing a show at Rockwood Music Hall.

All dates, videos and ticket links below...

Continue reading "Melpo Mene playing NYC, twice w/ Polyvinyl's Loney, Dear"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

DOWNLOAD: Melpo Mene - Hello Benjamin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Melpo Mene - Good With The Mothers (MP3)

When I was offered the opportunity to do a monthly spotlight on a band that I think deserves to be heard, I knew immediately who I would present. A couple months back, I was youtubin' and stumbled on a video from a Swedish band that combined gentle acoustic folk with an electronic pulse that's hella addictive, and of the 4500 views since Auguest 20th, 2006(!), I have to be responsible for at least a hundred of them...

Continue reading "a spotlight on Melpo Mene from Sweden -- MP3, videos, SXSW"