Go Memphis

Alicja Trout brought high school friends Robby Grant and Robert Barnet to help with a home-recording project she called “Mouserocket”. The name was supposed to appeal to a child-like mentality, so you’d envision a toy going to space with a tiny furry astronaut. Also the name paid homage to two of her favorite bands, Rocket from the Tombs and Rocket from the Crypt, and originally the word “mouse” was supposed to be “maus” with an “umlaut” over the “a”, like a dark cartoon book she had read. Bassists Hemant Gupta was brought in to strengthen the sound, and symphony cellist Jonathan Kirkscey was brought in to play melodies and harmonies oppositional to the vocal lines. The band took on it’s own sound with catchy pop songs melting into bombastic and symphonic outros. Kirkscey now carries a giant load with his pedal rack which loops and synthesizes and echos. Everyone creates a lot of melodic noise over the simple song core. But just as you are about to stuff your ears with the wet napkin from around your sweating glass, you can relax as the band hits a striking contradiction and pulses to a quiet minimalism. Other Memphians have logged time along the way with Mouserocket like Ron Franklin.

1999 Memphis, TN

Playing and touring in Memphis vicinity, new album came out recently, titled “Pretty Loud” on Tic Tac Totally Records from Chicago.