The Mirror Stage

Music:

Member Since: 05/06/2007
Band Website: themirrorstage.wordpress.com
Band Members: !-replace General Table-! !- myspace tutorials and code-!
{James Paul McAnally}
born of rural Mississippi, son of libraries, summer hymns, and racial tension; learned guitar right and left-handed, toy piano and hammered dulcimer; wrote a song a day one summer, memorized Derrida and Lacan, learned he could sing

{Brea McAnally}
born of rural Missouri, daughter of opera and old soul; as a child learned to play psaltry, a kind of violin-harp; over time, it was accordion, piano, zils and xylophone. known to hit everything once to see how it might sound and hum in harmony with it
{etc etc etc}
machines with wires. men with strings and hammers. a record rolling backwords. feet shuffling across the floor. a hum from ungrounded outlets. out of tune again. don't believe it. hand bells. hand claps. hand shakes. your hands are shaking on and off stage. radio on. tape deck. tape op. you sing along and don't know it. hammers striking wires once then twice then three times.

Praise for Ten Thousand Tongues:
"The Mirror Stage's debut EP is a five-song EP that plays like a grandiose work. Drawing from influences such writers as Samuel Beckett, Thomas Pynchon, Ezekiel, and T.S. Eliot, wordsmith/vocalist/guitarist James McAnally, in his words, attempts "...to take all of these disconnected sources and weave them in a story that attempts to make sense of a world in which the atomic bomb and Lazarus are supposed to coexist. Our best and worst as a society are both present in each of the songs." St. Louis, MO, had better know what they have with this inventive young band. Their indie style speaks of Radiohead mixed with elements of Sigur Ros and Arcade Fire sprinkled in for good measure. Strong lyrics and unorthodox instrumentation make the Mirror Stage recognizable in a sea of saturated music."
The Phantom Tollbooth
"A lyrical triumph."
There's Nothing Quite Like the Blinding Light
"On Ten Thousand Tongues, The Mirror Stage create music which encompasses a wide collection of sound varying from rock, to indie, artsy, and pop. With equally diverse and not surprising mus ical and literary influences, ranging from The Arcade Fire and Bob Dylan, to T.S. Eliot and Haruk i Murakami, the band's music cleverly walks the tight rope of substance and mainstream appeal. Whether you are in the mood for introspection or just rocking out, Ten Thousand Tongues is an incredibly strong debut CD worthy of a listen."
Suresh Mohapatra, Inside STL
""The Mirror Stage has created a very compelling album that dives into a slight ly darker indie rock. 'Ten Thousand Tongues' uses some light electronic elements to enhance the so und which fits well with the unique fragmented singing style."
thealbumproject.net
"'At the Still Point of the Turning World' in particular seems to resonate deeply – the song surprised me with its depth and originality...The song reaches and touches deeply at the core of what makes us human...Yes, I would recommend Ten Thousand Tongues. Keep looking out for The Mirror Stage. If this is where they’re at now, then the future should hold great things for them.."
Independent Clauses
"Cerebral, intricate indie rock with layers of dark, dreamy swirling guitars."
Flagpole Magazine (Athens)

The Oxford Local Voice
"The Mirror Stage headlines this Saturday night giving Oxford the rare opportunity to discover a genre of thinking man's music."
Oxford Town

"The Mirror Stage recently self-released their debut EP Ten Thousand Tongues t o praise from music critics and aficionados across the country. The band blends indie-rock with folk and baroque, creating a powerful sound that has earned them comparisons to the Arcade Fire and Explosions In The Sky. Lead singer James McAnally...exhibits some powerful vocal melodies on Tongues."
Louisville Eccentric Observer

"The Mirror Stage may just be a force to reckon with."
The Celebrity Cafe

"Behind a barrage of language and allusion, the music quietly creates its own vocabulary. Ten Thousand Tongues is a rare work that is immediately listenable, yet speaks in a language all its own."
Underlined Magazine

"The musical composition and the musicians follow the narration with whispers and build-ups to enhance the experience of listening. As intense as this all sounds, it is also danceable and a pleasure to participate in as an audience...well done."
eartaste.com

"What do they sound like? If you said indie rock, you'd be right. If you said art rock, you'd be right on target. You could also throw in cerebral, literature-driven and highly visual. The Mirror Stage burst onto the scene this spring with . The five songs therein are shimmering, challenging, complex, rich, deep ...And yet the songs are accessible and enjoyable...dare I say unlike anything we've heard from a brand new local band?"
Stl Sound