Merz

Just a quick recommendation for Merz. Great first album, real lovely selection of good tunes with an electronic edge. Great British talent and a nice bloke to boot. News is his second is on the way after 5 years of relative quiet. The first album really is lovely so I'm hoping the second will be as good. Snap up the first on Amazon for less than a fiver. Do it now!

 

Hi HM.

I posted something about Merz a while back with about as much response as you've got

I picked the album up a few years back for a few quid after hearing his name mentioned favourably somewhere.

It didn't impress too much at first. I liked the beats, and even the lyrics, just found his voice completely off putting. It soon found itself relegated to the bottom of the pile.

Then after a couple of years of not playing it, I thought I'd give it another chance.

WOW!

How the f#ck didn't I like this at first?

A truly great album, and I'm not sure what changed, but I find the guys voice to be great too!

10/10!

Really is a top top album!

Can't wait to hear the new one

 

Nice one Mo.
Yeah shame no other comments on this...I hope someone has taken my suggestion and gone to Amazon.
Looking forward to the new one too, hope its as good as the first. Conrad really strikes me as a nice bloke. I saw him play a little gig in Bath a while back...I mean little....it was in the basement of a pub. Pretty low key. He played all his tunes on acoustic guitar with a bass....real stripped down. Really good stuff.

 

Come on then chaps...download of couple of samples off www.merz.co.uk and then place your order!

 

Mo.
New album out mid January.

 

Another fan here for the Merz album. I bought it after reading a very weird review in a magazine who couldn't decide if it was good or not.

Took a gamble on it after seeing it in HMV. One of those albums that just keeps getting better the more you listen to it.

 

Great news on the new album! At last!!!

Really looking forward to hearing it.

 

Still no idea when the albums released

Says available for pay to download from mid jan. But no specific date for that, or any mention of the CD/Vinyl release date.

Seems he's got a gig lined up for the 30th in Oxford though. Not exactly local, but might be worth a making a night of it.

Sun 30th January; Doors 7:30

BEARD MUSEUM @ Purple Turtle

Merz
Andy Lovegrove
Under The Igloo
Stuey Mutch

 

Yeah thats gone a bit quiet on the site...maybe they're busy sorting it out for release. I'll be waiting for the CD release anyway.

Bit of a trek to Oxford for me unfortunately.

 

from mailing list....

MERZ BRISTOL SHOW AND HUDDERSFIELD SHOW.


Hello all, happy new yearo!

Merz will be playing a couple of extra shows in addition to the Oxford
date on the 30th Jan' (see Merz web site for details).

The first is as support to David Kitt at the Bristol Fleece and Firkin,
this takes place Friday 28th January.

The second is a headlining show at The Station Tavern, Huddersfield on
Saturday 5th February (details on Merz web site).

The new album, LOVEHEART, will be available to download from the Merz web
site within the next two weeks along with a new 5 track E.P.
We'll keep you up to date with news of it's CD release.

Tracks from the album have already received regular plays on BBC Radio
3's Late Junction show and LA's KCRW Jason Bentley show. Both shows can
be heard on-line (www.kcrw.com , www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/latejunction/)
Recommended.

CIAO.

 

Managed to get over to the Bristol gig

It was all a bit last minute till we were def going, but glad we did.

Thought we were going to be late, but turned out doors weren't open till 9pm, and Merz wasn't due on till closer to 10pm, with David Kitt coming on after. So had time to get a couple of pints in first. Went up to the bar to get the first round in, and who's that just walked past.... the man himself.

Pretty decent venue. One decent sized room (400 capacity I think), and decent set up, though could possibly have done with being a bit louder at points to drown out the people only just turning up and settling in.

He started with tune I assume is off the new album, a pretty low key piano/synth and vocal tune that opened up nicely. I can't remember the exact set, and am generaly not too good with song names, but he went on to play a pretty shortish set with about half and half old (Engine Heart, Asleep, and closed with AM-Good MOrning), and new stuff which I think was Butterfly, Loveheart, and one or two others. The new stuff sounded really good. The tunes recognized, and know already, were done as not so much as straight off versions of the album tracks, but adapted and such for the live show. It worked really well, but means it's hard to know how the new stuff might sound on the album.

Went over when he'd finished and had a quick chat. There doesn't seem to be any set date for a CD release of the new stuff. Hopefully soon. One of my brothers manages a club/alternative music venu down here and was talking about getting him over to play. I think he said he's looking to tour in march possibly, and seemed interested. They tend to have a lot of acoustic acts in, and it would be good to see him do a set like that. Will see what happens...

David Kitt....

Before he came on I'd gone to the toilet. While in there one of the people who I was with came in and we started sortin out getting home for after. There was another guy in there, and we asked him if he had a Bristol taxi number. He said no, and that he was only there for night himself.
Asked him "who are you here to see?"
He replied "I'm here to sing" in an Irish accent half laughing.
Took a second to realise, then we walked out and he was getting onto the stage and singing.

Ah well, any man who aplauds himself after every one of his own songs deserves to not be recognized.

I'd listened to a couple of the tracks on his website and wasn't too sure about them. Decent enough and nice in a way, but didn't really do much for me. The opening tunes of his set were the same. Things got a bit more interesting on the last few songs before our taxi (had to get back to station for last train) turned up, with a couple of covers, which I think he said were off his new album. I'll have to listen to some more of his stuff before really making my mind up.

All in all a great night and I look forward to the new album.

 

Nice one Mo, sounds good.

 

CD release for the new album "Loveheart", is being touted as end of August.

There's also a load of new samples and downloads on the site.

 

Takes his time doesn't he!

 

Well it's finally here!

The new album, Loveheart, has been available to download from the site (www.merz.co.uk) for a while, but the CD release seemed to be taking forever. But at last, it's hit the shops as of MOnday just gone.

Just about every review i've read, seems to go along the lines of how back in '99 he released the debut to much praise. Appering on Jools Holland, radio1, glasto, and with high praise from many peers. He signed a pretty good contract with sony, and much was hoped for....Then nothing!

And now Loveheart! The reviews seems great. And he's been getting plenty in tabloids, music press, websites etc...

I've played this a few times now. Been waiting for this one, and was just glad to finaly have my hands on it.

10 tracks kicking off with Postcard from a dark star. A pretty simple piano piece with an opening line of "since I left, i've been drifting..."
Things pick up tempo with a harpsicord driven tune. Hints of golden brown, and a feel of Badly Drwan Boy.
Verify seems to live up to its title. An uneasy tune about losing someone.
My name is sad and at sea has the feel of an old tale. Some beautiful acoustic and occasional bowed bass and an obvious comparison to Nick Drake.

Butterfly has been one of the fav tracks from hearing the mp3s. Again having a really nice picked acoustic guitar rolling along. It really reminds me of something, there's a lot of Dylan influence in the sound IMO. Some really nice production on show. The electro side is much subtler and when looking for the big hooks from the self titled debut, they can be overlooked. A really nice tune that'll put a smile on your face.

At night I dream your bedroom's crammed with ducks sounds like the sort of short mellow interlude you get on the likes of aphex and squarepusher.

Possibly the MOst similar sounding to the debut album is Warm cigarette room. Again, not as full on, but good use of samples and loops, with some vocal layering in parts of the upbeat chemical brothers type.
Mentor seems like a shout for someone to come down from above and show the way. The MOst verse-chorus-verse type tune on here.
The closing two tracks are pretty mellow acoustic tracks, with the last being the title track. After about 30 seconds or so of silence a short acoustic/vocal tune comes in, again with a hint of Nick Drake.

So, it's certainly very good. But I'm not totaly decided as yet. Part of me thinks maybe I just *want* it to be *that* good. There are some really good tunes on here, with some great lofi acoustic going on. And though the programing side doesn't have the same big sound as on the first, there's some great touches. So, maybe it is that good, just not fully as expected.

Well worth a listen. The debut can be had for a few quid, and I'd pick that up first. But then each might appeal slightly more to a different listener. Get them both!

 

Nice one....will get that.

 

Only just got around to getting this. Working through it at the moment. First 2 tracks are really nice but I haven't been convinced by the rest of the album yet. Some of it sounds a bit like he's running short on ideas, trying too hard. May take a few more listens to get into but its certainly not as striking as his first.

 

I'd agree with that.

However, I still think it's a really good album.... just in a different way.

The only track on there i'm not convinced about is Mentor.

He's got a tour coming up very soon. I've just ordered tickets infact

 

Bleh!

A few of us were meant to be going to the Cardiff gig. A couple of mates were over earlier and I told them to come along. So, I checked to make sure there were still tickets..... it's been cancelled!

 

Fools!!!

Darn Fools I tells ya!!!

So little interest in such a great artist.

Anyhow, the debut has been re-released as a double album. Slightly changed listing, and the second disc having remixes, alternative versions, and a couple of new tracks.

Buy it!!!

www.merz.co.uk
www.myspace.com/merzuk

For a taster.