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Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

MS MR Get Cozy At The Echo

Lilian Min |
January 23, 2013 | 1:59 a.m. PST

Music Editor

There are a few musical artists that embrace the social media platform Tumblr in all of its visual organization capacity (this one's a particularly good example), but few artists use the site as innovatively as MS MR.

Pronounced "Miss Mister," the NYC-started duo, comprised of Lizzy Plapinger (whose record label, Neon Gold Records, also houses some early releases by indie pop favorites like Passion Pit and Marina & the Diamonds) and Max Hershenov, released their entire debut EP "Candy Bar Creep Show" through their Tumblr. The two are also avid rebloggers, who tend to favor things in the "soft grunge" aesthetic that characterizes so many of the blogs that populate the site.

The twosome have gained most of their recognition with their bombastic single "Hurricane," but all of their songs invoke a spooky, spiritual feeling, something that was in full effect at their debut Los Angeles show Tuesday night at the Echo.

The venue's closed-off environment was lit with the sparsest of stage lights, with most of the light coming from decorative electric candelabras set up on the stage itself. As Plapinger and Hershenov, along with their live backing band, took the stage, a cheer erupted from the crowd, which was populated almost exclusively by 20-somethings in fashion conscious attire.

MS MR kicked off their set with a rousing rendition of "Bones," the EP's opening tune. Plapinger's voice wavered a bit throughout the night, but she started off roaring, hurling her Florence-esque voice into the audience as the instrumentals pounded their ominous accompaniment.

MS MR carried that same intensity through their performances of "Hurricane" and "Ash Tree Lane," as well as unreleased songs (perhaps from their upcoming full album release) such as the one shown at the very bottom of this review, which, according to the Internet, is named "Fantasy." These songs also showcased Hershenov's strong backing vocals, something that is lost in the recorded versions of the songs.

The one thing this writer would have enjoyed more from the show is a more solid performance of "Dark Doo Wop." The song is perhaps the band's darkest jewel, with a recursive motif of destruction and apathy centered around the chilling titular vocal: "Dooooo wop."

The live version didn't live up to the unnerving quality of the recorded version, but there's also something to be said about the song's effect in the cramped, claustrophobia-inducing Echo show floor.

MS MR started making (chill)waves late last year, but as they release new material (hopefully through Tumblr or other non-traditional outlets) and solidify their performance style, this band should be on the rise in 2013. Hell, they've already booked a gig on the hottest lineup of the year (so far).

Read more of NT's show reviews here.

Reach Music Editor Lilian Min here; follow her on Twitter here and on Google+ here.



 

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