ivyTunes: Miracles of Modern Moms
Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, ambitious moms across the world were introduced to the divine sublimity of Harvard alumnus Yo-Yo Ma, and conflated highbrow musical genius with academic success, and then everything was, well, history. Yo-Yo wannabes applied to elite schools en masse, and though admissions officers grew weary of reading, for the umpteenth time, about life-altering orchestra trips to Colombia or the Balkans, they ended up having to accept several of the smarter ones anyway, which explains why MIT, a dumping ground for socially inept math nerds and future Nobel Prize-winning physicists, is also home to an impressive Symphony Orchestra.
In 2005, instead of joining the Princeton University Orchestra, a group of instrument-brandishing undergrads decided that it would be much more interesting to don spacesuit-like getups and invent music that was proudly - defiantly - peculiar. The indie (minus the rock) sextet that is the Miracles of Modern Science comprises vocalist and double bassist Evan Younger, mandolinist and backup vocalist Josh Hirshfeld, violinist Kieran Ledwidge, cellists Tina Kim and Geoff McDonald, and drummer Tyler Pines.
On the band's MySpace, underneath a snapshot of Abraham Lincoln, the group pitches itself as a "bluegrass band sent into outer space in a giant disco ball spaceship," and this is, in fact, as serious as Honest Abe's monochrome countenance itself. MOMS does sound like "futuristic pop, antebellum balladry, and sea shanty singalong" and it's all the greater because of it.
The band's self-titled EP, which is available for free on Amazing Wow, consists of four songs: "MR2," "Eating Me Alive," "Luminol," and "524". Each track is eerily entrancing; Miracles of Modern Science is like the Pied Piper's angelic cousin, leading naive listeners to a fountain of pure ecstasy.
After the jump: more review and a photo of the band.
"Luminol" and "524" are my favorite songs on the EP. The former is the more otherworldly of the two, accelerating as vibrantly as the luminiscent chemical in which it is named, while the latter, which is balladlike in the folk sense of the word, is vaguely reminiscent of Neil Young. Somehow, frontman Evan Younger's jaunty, self-assured voice manages to hold its own alongside the group's virtuostic instrumentals, and ties the entire venture together.
If this review has piqued your interest, stream the band's music on MySpace or download the EP here. Or better yet, catch the group live at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn tomorrow night; the band is performing in CMJ's annual five-day music marathon.
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October 24th, 2008 at 12:24 am
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical after reading this review. But they’re, um, actually very listenable. I mean that as a good thing.
October 24th, 2008 at 1:32 am
Wow, this band is pretty rocking. And James Yu, you’re awesome.
October 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
YAY for MOMS! I’m so glad they’re getting recognition and that their music is now downloadable.
October 24th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Hey, if you guys review student comics (or at least used to), a student band review thing might be a neat occasional feature.
Yale boasts Richard Miron ‘12
He is amazing!
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=28169626
October 25th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
why is the headline miracles of modern moms?
that’s so dumb.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
This band is so bad.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Just would like to say: after having downloaded them the first time and forgetting about them for a few months or so, I seriously can’t stop listening to them now. I love them. They are like a band made for me.
I know this comment is bizarre and belated – deal w it.