The Melismatics, Mania!

By Danny R. Phillips

There are many things in life that I find perplexing, things that occur or don’t despite what the world thinks or needs. Why did MTV give Pauly D. from The Jersey Shore his own show while still ignoring videos? How can someone listen to Skrillex for more than two minutes without committing ritual suicide? How in the world is Keith Richards still alive? Why aren’t the Minneapolis, Minnesota band The Melismatics famous yet?

The band’s latest album Mania! could indeed bring about a change in their fortunes and level of exposure. Sure, Cars-influenced electro-pop shot directly from the 1980s womb is not the first musical style that springs to mind when thinking of Minneapolis. That blessed distinction belongs to bands like Husker Du, The Replacements, Soul Asylum and The Jayhawks . . . and rightly so. Those bands set music listeners on their collective asses on a level rarely, if ever, duplicated.

The Melismatics have crafted a sound (also check out 2008’s The Acid Test) that will call out to the broader world at large; it harbors enough synths to grab hold of the old listeners like myself that once (or still do) love New Order, Duran Duran, or The Eurythmics. It showcases enough guitars and spacey-ness to collect the hipsters in droves but also possesses some flecks of darkness that will whisper to the Hot Topic groupies. These, my friends, are all good things.

The Melismatics are rare: an independent band that is making it happen through their music, not an image. The Melismatics have talent and charisma as well as the ability to be original in their sound while still being familiar. They have what it takes to “make it” in a music world sadly flooded with cookie cutter acts and no talent hacks.

Mania! is the album that will bring them into the light; saving them from an existence of cult love and fringe fandom. Many of the songs are catchy and radio ready. “Your Love is a Poison” (watch the video here), “Smoke and Mirrors,” and “Lost the Feeling” could and should be played on any college rock, alternative, or modern rock radio stations throughout the known universe.

Mania! is a solid offering from a band that, since the release of Postmodern Rock in 2001, have continually released albums that were full of potential hits and quality material. Now that they’ve unleashed Mania! upon all of us, the question is no longer: If The Melismatics hit it big? It is now a question of when.

Mania! was released through Pravda Records on January 10 and is available from Amazon.com and iTunes. Check out the band’s website for more info.

Tour Dates:
March 12, 2012 8:00 p.m.
Jerry’s Bait Shop, Lee’s Summit, MO

March 13, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Downtown Lounge, Tulsa, OK

March 14, 2012 10:00 p.m.
Bryan Street Tavern, Dallas, TX

March 15, 2012 10:00 p.m.
SXSW Showcase at Lambert’s, Austin, TX

March 16, 2012 12:00 p.m.
Dirty Dog, Austin, TX

March 17, 2012 9:00 p.m.
The Grotto, Ft Worth, TX

March 19, 2012 8:00 p.m.
Lowbrow Palace, El Paso, TX

March 20, 2012 7:00 p.m.
The 806, Amarillo, TX

March 22, 2012 9:00 p.m.
The Lost Leaf, Phoenix, AZ

March 23, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Hotel Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge, Flagstaff, AZ

March 24, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Hotel Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge, Flagstaff, AZ

March 25, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Low Spirits, Albuquerque, NM

March 30, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Malarkey’s Pub, Wausau, WI

March 31, 2012 8:00 p.m.
The Crunchy Frog, Green Bay, WI

April 6, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Cranky Pat’s, Neenah, WI

April 7, 2012 8:00 p.m.
Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA

April 13, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Upfront & Co, Marquette, MI

April 19, 2012 8:00 p.m.
Beloit College at Coughy Haus, Beloit, WI

April 20, 2012 8:00 p.m.
R, Dubuque, IA

April 21, 2012 4:00 p.m.
Dibs Cafe, Winona, MN

May 17, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Double Door, Chicago, IL

May 18, 2012 9:00 p.m.
Melody Inn, Indianapolis, IN