Every year around this time, I’m reminded of the late Boston Phoenix’s annual 50 Bands 50 States feature, which selected the best new bands across the good ol’ U.S. of A. The staff meetings I oversaw as Music Editor were some of the best late-night music-listening sessions I’ve ever been a part of; we’d call up a state, then one of us would nominate a handful of suggestions and we’d dig in to the tunes. Some states were easier than others, some states generated huge debate.
Virginia, on my three-year watch, at least, was a string of shoo-ins: Wild Nothing in 2010, Eternal Summers in 2011, and then, in the Phoenix’s final year, Mirror Kisses in 2012. I’m reminded of all this today not just by the markings on the calendar — the 50 States issue dropped annually around Independence Day — but by this sterling new track by Mirror Kisses, “Bleed.”
It’s more of George Clanton’s masterful, moody dance-pop-for-one; a track that bubbles under the surface before exploding in a funhouse reflection of synths. And “Bleed” has already garnered approval of Heroes DJ and Future Bible Heroes electronic-pop wiz Chris Ewen. “This percolates and punches,” Ewen says, “that point at 1:58… I love it. This is brilliant.”
We agree.
“Bleed” is the first single from an upcoming EP we’re promised at some point later this summer, and those in the New York area can catch Mirror Kisses at the Bowery Electric tomorrow night with our BFFs in Grand Resort.