The Mercury Program- From The Vapor Of Gasoline (2000)

All of you should have A Data Learn The Language and Chez Viking by The Mercury Program. If you don't, you need to rectify this immediately. I'm sure far fewer of you have anything pre-A Data Learn The Language though. Rather than the ultra smooth grooves powered by the rhythm section and Rhodes piano accompaniment that The Mercury Program is known for on its later albums, their earlier albums were much more guitar driven and a lot less dense. There are certainly glimpses of what they would later become, the rhythm section is as tight as ever and there's a bit of vibraphone here and there, but with it's off-kilter guitar work, dissonance, sprawling song structure and sparse vocals (yes, vocals) it reminds me as much of bands like June of 44 and Karate as it does later Mercury Program. Oh, and it's fucking awesome. 

The Mercury Program on last.fm



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The Mercury Program- Chez Viking (2009)

Simply put, The Mercury Program is my favorite band ever. I was pretty anxious before this came out, I didn't believe they would be able to come anywhere near A Data Learn The Language. I was wrong. Chez Viking is just about as close to a perfect album as possible and in my opinion is superior to A Data... absolutely zero filler, every track is extremely strong. You should have this already, if you don't get it now. I mean right now. This second.

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Gems: Every. Single. Track.