Plugging Something I've Never Heard


Mirrors playing a for-radio gig in Cleveland in September 1975.

Just received in the mail, a copy of "Hands in My Pockets," a compilation of songs by the 1970s Cleveland band, mirrors, which was formed after leader Jamie Klimek saw the Velvet Underground perform:

“We saw the Velvets at LaCave. I saw God … and realizing that I needed only 2/3 of my vast musical knowledge to play ‘Heroin’, we were off … I studied the V.U. Sub-Moronic Easy Guitar Book… From the start, we rehearsed originals along with Velvets covers… aside from loving them, we did the Velvets because they were easy.”

All Music Guide says of the record:

"Compared to the provocative rawness of the Eels, the Mirrors appear much more subtle, competent, and interesting overall. The studio tracks (over three-quarters of the album) show the band looking for a new sound, somewhere between the psychedelic rock of West Coast groups like Jefferson Airplane, the less bucolic garage rock of the late '60s, and an avant-gardist form of punk rock that would later become Pere Ubu's signature sound. The influence of the Velvet Underground, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, and early Who resurface everywhere, usually well channeled toward the aforementioned goal. A few live tracks and home recordings can be hard to listen to, but they represent only a small portion of the CD and complement the more professional output, especially since the group packed quite a bit more decibels on-stage. Fans of garage rock and proto-punk will appreciate this chunk of history, and anyone interested in '70s Cleveland punk will find it essential — and a lot cheaper than a used Mirrors 7."

Sounds interesting and I'm excited to get home and listen.