A one way trip to insanity, an orgasm of sorts, the 21st Century answer to White Rabbit now that we are sure the world is not going to survive much longer.- Jeff Schneider talking about the band’s sound
Along with Chinese Stars and Athletic Automaton, MIM are one of the bands that were formed in the wake of dissolution of Providence, RI band Arab On Radar. Aside from Jeff Schneider from AoR, the band also includes members of Bossman, Six Finger Satellite and La Machine.
The band was formed when one of the members (Rebecca Mitchell) moved from Providence to Oklahoma and invited two members of Providence band La Machine to join her. They also invited Jeff Schneider along for the ride and thus the line-up was complete. They started rehearsing and playing music by some of their favorites – songs by Devo, Chrome, Captain Beefheart and Teenage Jesus & The Jerks. Their live debut was happened at Safari Lounge in Providence. During the show one of the fans yelled out “Arab On Radar!”, to which Schneider replied “Made In Mexico” and recieved “It’s Magic!” response back.
Their debut was a split CD with Athletic Automaton (which includes Stephen Mattos from AoR), which came out on New Addition label in 2004. In their review of the album, Dusted Reviews website described the band’s sound as “amalgam of the spaghetti-strung guitar contortions Schneider slung in the past, unsteady rhythms and structure shifts, and a dose of heavy punk aggression filtered through the mix”, but they also point out that the quality of tracks on the split was suffering from a poor production.
Their first proper release (and their first release for Skin Graft) was 2006 “Zodiac Zoo”. Splendid Magazine review of the album concludes with the idea that “as with most pill-popping art-rock, the deeper you allow Zodiac Zoo to burrow into your cerebral cortex, the more hallucinogenic treasures you’ll unearth.” The Good 5 Cent Cigar website described the album’s sound as “Providence Noise-Rock” and pointed out that “The most noteworthy feature of this album is vocalist Rebecca Mitchell’s zeal in her delivery. Most female vocalists in bands of this sort try to be really slick and cool and Kim Gordon. But Mitchell shrieks and hollers and freaks out like her aim is to sound more unhinged than Iggy Pop in “LA Blues.””
2006 saw the release of another split that MoM did with Microwaves (Pittsburgh trio that includes Steve Moore from the band Zombi). KFJC radio station website described Made In Mexico side of the record as being “Sinister”, “Hissy”, “Harsh” and “Odd” with “Long drawn vibrata notes sung out over a chunky rhythm with blasto-jazz/rock guitar breaks”.
Their last release (as of 2009) is the last year’s “Guerillation” (on Skin Graft). The sound of the album was described as no wave meets reggaeton or, alternatively, Daddy Yankee meets Teenage Jesus & The Jerks. Aversion.com website pointed out that “With a loopy, bubbly bass line wobbling around like a first time drunk, tinny guitars shred with all the uncontained violence of The Birthday Party or The Stooges” and overall the album is “as confrontational and domineering as anything to crawl out of the punk, hardcore or post-hardcore glory days”.
Band Members:
Dare Matheson
Jeff Schneider (Arab On Radar)
Jon Loper (Six Finger Satellite)
Rebecca Mitchell
Discography:
Made In Mexico / Athletic Automaton Split 12″ / CD ( New Addition, 2004 / Armageddon Label, 2005)
Zodiac Zoo CD / LP (Skin Graft, 2005)
Made In Mexico / Microwaves Split 7″ (Rampage Recordings + Rococo, 2006)
Guerillaton CD (Skin Graft, 2008)
MP3: Guerillaton / Mundovision
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NB01w9HFfw&feature=related]
International Zombie (Live)