Trackimage | Playbut | Trackname | Playbut | Trackname |
---|---|---|---|---|
2866977 | Play | Eleven To Your Seven | 00:00 Tools | |
2866981 | Play | It's Been A Blast | 00:00 Tools | |
2866976 | Play | Quality Revenge At Last | 00:00 Tools | |
2866984 | Play | Playing Your Song | 00:00 Tools | |
2866988 | Play | Lashing Out | 00:00 Tools | |
2866986 | Play | Knowing When To Stop | 00:00 Tools | |
2866978 | Play | Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday | 00:00 Tools | |
2866995 | Play | The Frowning of a Lifetime | 00:00 Tools | |
2866979 | Play | A-List Actress | 00:00 Tools | |
2866997 | Play | Go On Drone | 00:00 Tools | |
2866993 | Play | Police Police Me | 00:00 Tools | |
2866980 | Play | Every Turn | 00:00 Tools | |
2866994 | Play | Oh Penny | 00:00 Tools | |
2866996 | Play | Absolute Zero Drive | 00:00 Tools | |
2866982 | Play | Haven't Been This Happy | 00:00 Tools | |
2866989 | Play | Bells | 00:00 Tools | |
2866983 | Play | Que Shiraz | 00:00 Tools | |
2867002 | Play | The Slightest Idea | 00:00 Tools | |
2866990 | Play | What You're Up Against | 00:00 Tools | |
2866991 | Play | Quit | 00:00 Tools | |
2866992 | Play | Let's Go Blue | 00:00 Tools | |
2866987 | Play | Unorchestrated | 00:00 Tools | |
2867001 | Play | Stay Six | 00:00 Tools | |
2866999 | Play | The Switch | 00:00 Tools | |
2866998 | Play | Boy Destroyers | 00:00 Tools | |
2867003 | Play | The House Shook | 00:00 Tools | |
2867004 | Play | St James St | 00:00 Tools | |
2867005 | Play | Roulette Systems | 00:00 Tools | |
2867007 | Play | Save a Life | 00:00 Tools | |
2867008 | Play | Everybody's Working for the Weak | 00:00 Tools | |
2867006 | Play | The Boy Destroyers | 00:00 Tools | |
2867011 | Play | Warm Chords | 00:00 Tools | |
2867179 | Play | Let's Go Blue (live) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867015 | Play | Wearing a Wire | 00:00 Tools | |
2867013 | Play | Own Up | 00:00 Tools | |
2867017 | Play | We Lie Half the Time | 00:00 Tools | |
2867018 | Play | Unorchestrated (live) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867016 | Play | St. James St. | 00:00 Tools | |
2867162 | Play | The Slightest Idea (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867019 | Play | Weekend Starts on Wednesday | 00:00 Tools | |
48081919 | Play | Save A Life (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081920 | Play | Bells (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867184 | Play | Every Turn (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081921 | Play | Stay Six (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081922 | Play | The House Shook (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081923 | Play | St. James St. (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867181 | Play | That's Right, I Said It (Live) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867009 | Play | Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday - EP Version | 00:00 Tools | |
48081924 | Play | St James St (LP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081925 | Play | Stay Six (LP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081926 | Play | The House Shook (LP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081927 | Play | Frowning of a Lifetime (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867171 | Play | Bells (LP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867010 | Play | Save A Life - EP Version | 00:00 Tools | |
48081929 | Play | A-List Actress (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867012 | Play | Everybody's Working For The Weak - EP Version | 00:00 Tools | |
48081930 | Play | Every Turn (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081931 | Play | Eleven To Your Seven (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867030 | Play | She's an Angel | 00:00 Tools | |
48081932 | Play | Our Weekend Starts on Wednesday (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081933 | Play | Que Shiraz (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081934 | Play | Slightest idea (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081935 | Play | Haven't Been This Happy (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081939 | Play | Let's Go Blue (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081936 | Play | What You're Up Against (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867020 | Play | Everybody's Working For The Weekend | 00:00 Tools | |
48081938 | Play | Quit (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081944 | Play | Save a Life (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867072 | Play | Quality Revenge | 00:00 Tools | |
48081946 | Play | Everybody's Working For The Weak (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081948 | Play | Wearing A Wire (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081949 | Play | The Promise (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081952 | Play | A Salty Salute (Remastered) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867049 | Play | Easy Way Out | 00:00 Tools | |
2867021 | Play | The Promise | 00:00 Tools | |
2867187 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Stay Six | 00:00 Tools | |
2867038 | Play | st. james street | 00:00 Tools | |
48081928 | Play | Cigarette | 00:00 Tools | |
2867031 | Play | St. James St | 00:00 Tools | |
2867137 | Play | That's Right, I Said It | 00:00 Tools | |
48081941 | Play | A Salty Salute | 00:00 Tools | |
2867024 | Play | Wearing A Wire - EP Version | 00:00 Tools | |
2867166 | Play | 11 To Your 7 | 00:00 Tools | |
48081937 | Play | 10. Quit | 00:00 Tools | |
2867094 | Play | Everybody's Working for the Weak [#] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867174 | Play | 10 - Quit | 00:00 Tools | |
2867122 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 01 - Quality Revenge At Last | 00:00 Tools | |
48081940 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 02 - It's Been A Blast | 00:00 Tools | |
48081942 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 03 - Playing Your Song | 00:00 Tools | |
48081943 | Play | Eleven | 00:00 Tools | |
48081945 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Bells | 00:00 Tools | |
2867145 | Play | Hey_Mercedes-11toyr7-128 | 00:00 Tools | |
48081955 | Play | st james street | 00:00 Tools | |
48081947 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 04 - Knowing When To Stop | 00:00 Tools | |
2867164 | Play | 02 St. James St | 00:00 Tools | |
48081950 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 06 - Unorchestrated | 00:00 Tools | |
2867081 | Play | A Salty Salute (rough mix) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081951 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 05 - Boy Destroyers | 00:00 Tools | |
48081953 | Play | Everybody's Wokring For the Weak | 00:00 Tools | |
48081954 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 12 - Go On Drone | 00:00 Tools | |
48081956 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 08 - Police Police Me | 00:00 Tools | |
48081957 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 07 - Lashing Out | 00:00 Tools | |
48081958 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 09 - Oh Penny | 00:00 Tools | |
48081959 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 10 - The Switch | 00:00 Tools | |
48081960 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Loses Control - 11 - Absolute Zero Drive | 00:00 Tools | |
2867108 | Play | Own Up (Demo Session) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867178 | Play | We Lie Half The Time (Demo Session) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867107 | Play | Switch | 00:00 Tools | |
48081961 | Play | Hey Mercedes - The House Shook | 00:00 Tools | |
48081962 | Play | Stay Six - LP Version | 00:00 Tools | |
48081963 | Play | That's Right | 00:00 Tools | |
48081964 | Play | Easy Way Out (Elliott Smith Cover) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081965 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Save a Life | 00:00 Tools | |
48081966 | Play | Fuck You Aurora | 00:00 Tools | |
48081967 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Every Turn | 00:00 Tools | |
2867153 | Play | Haven't Been This Happy In Minutes | 00:00 Tools | |
48081975 | Play | Wearing A Wire/The Promise | 00:00 Tools | |
48081968 | Play | Save a Life (Bonus) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081992 | Play | Everynight Fire Works | 00:00 Tools | |
88982703 | Play | Frowning Of A Lifetime | 00:00 Tools | |
2867057 | Play | 10 Quit | 00:00 Tools | |
48081969 | Play | Hey Mercedes - She's An Angel | 00:00 Tools | |
2867160 | Play | Unorchestrated [live] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081989 | Play | Quality Revenge at Last (720p) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081970 | Play | Hey Mercedes - St. James St. | 00:00 Tools | |
48081971 | Play | 03 - Own Up | 00:00 Tools | |
48081972 | Play | 06 - Unorchestrated | 00:00 Tools | |
2867050 | Play | 04 - Stay Six | 00:00 Tools | |
2867073 | Play | 11 Let's Go Blue | 00:00 Tools | |
48081973 | Play | 03 - Playing Your Song | 00:00 Tools | |
2867089 | Play | 01 - Bells | 00:00 Tools | |
48081986 | Play | We Lie Half the Time [demo] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081976 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Haven't Been This Happy | 00:00 Tools | |
48081974 | Play | 04 - Knowing When To Stop | 00:00 Tools | |
2867067 | Play | 04 The Slightest Idea | 00:00 Tools | |
2867101 | Play | 08 Haven't Been This Happy | 00:00 Tools | |
48081981 | Play | Save | 00:00 Tools | |
48081980 | Play | A-List Actress [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081982 | Play | Own Up [demo] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081978 | Play | 09 - Oh Penny | 00:00 Tools | |
48081977 | Play | 08 - Police Police Me | 00:00 Tools | |
2867045 | Play | 09 What You're Up Against | 00:00 Tools | |
48081979 | Play | 10 - The Switch | 00:00 Tools | |
2867100 | Play | Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday (EP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081987 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Quality Revenge At Last | 00:00 Tools | |
48081983 | Play | 05 - Boy Destroyers | 00:00 Tools | |
48081984 | Play | 07 - Lashing Out | 00:00 Tools | |
48081985 | Play | 11 - Absolute Zero Drive | 00:00 Tools | |
2867104 | Play | Que Shiraz [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081990 | Play | Hey_Mercedes-11toyour7-64 | 00:00 Tools | |
2867058 | Play | Save A Life (EP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081988 | Play | 12 - Go On Drone | 00:00 Tools | |
2867141 | Play | Go On Drone [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081993 | Play | Haven't Been This Happy [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081991 | Play | Karma Police (radiohead cover) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081994 | Play | Slightest Idea [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081995 | Play | 04 Knowing When To Stop | 00:00 Tools | |
48081996 | Play | 03 Playing Your Song | 00:00 Tools | |
48081997 | Play | Everybody's Working For The Weak (Bonus) | 00:00 Tools | |
48081998 | Play | Our Weekend Starts On Wednesdays | 00:00 Tools | |
2867080 | Play | A-List Actress (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867083 | Play | Wearing A Wire (EP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867035 | Play | Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867042 | Play | It's Been A Blast [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48081999 | Play | Everybodys Working For the Weak (Bonus) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867040 | Play | Boy Destroyers [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867047 | Play | Quality Revenge At Last (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867025 | Play | Everybody's Working For The Weak (EP Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
88982704 | Play | Slightest Idea | 00:00 Tools | |
48082003 | Play | Everybodys Working For The Weak | 00:00 Tools | |
48082000 | Play | Our Weekend Starts on Wednesday (muzak) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867079 | Play | Eleven To Your Seven (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867059 | Play | Que Shiraz (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867188 | Play | 03 - The House Shook | 00:00 Tools | |
48082001 | Play | Haven't Been This Happy | 00:00 Tools | |
48082002 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Lashing Out | 00:00 Tools | |
2867124 | Play | Absolute Zero Drive [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867055 | Play | 02 - St. James St. | 00:00 Tools | |
2867159 | Play | Let's Go Blue [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48082004 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Absolute Zero Drive | 00:00 Tools | |
48082005 | Play | Hey Mercedes - The Frowning of a Lifetime | 00:00 Tools | |
2867097 | Play | Lashing Out [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867085 | Play | Frowning Of A Lifetime (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082023 | Play | The Promise (When in Rome Cover) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867120 | Play | Our Weekend | 00:00 Tools | |
2867191 | Play | Unorchestrated [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867082 | Play | Every Turn (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867090 | Play | Police Police Me [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867136 | Play | Oh Penny [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48082007 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Wearing A Wire | 00:00 Tools | |
48082008 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Knowing When to Stop | 00:00 Tools | |
48082009 | Play | Hey Mercedes - St James St | 00:00 Tools | |
48082011 | Play | Quit [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48082010 | Play | Everbody's Working For The Weak | 00:00 Tools | |
48082012 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Que Shiraz | 00:00 Tools | |
48082013 | Play | 01 Quality Revenge At Last | 00:00 Tools | |
48082014 | Play | What You're Up Against [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48082015 | Play | 07 Lashing Out | 00:00 Tools | |
48082016 | Play | 10 The Switch | 00:00 Tools | |
2867170 | Play | St James St. | 00:00 Tools | |
48082006 | Play | st james | 00:00 Tools | |
2867183 | Play | Quality Revenge (At Last) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867093 | Play | Playing Your Song [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867143 | Play | Wearing A Wire [EP Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867131 | Play | Let's Go Blue (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867152 | Play | The Switch [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48082017 | Play | Hey Mercedes - That's Right, I Said It | 00:00 Tools | |
48082018 | Play | a | 00:00 Tools | |
48082019 | Play | 12 - Everybody's Working for t | 00:00 Tools | |
48082020 | Play | 05.Eleven To Your Seven | 00:00 Tools | |
48082021 | Play | St. James | 00:00 Tools | |
48082022 | Play | Track 04 | 00:00 Tools | |
2867078 | Play | Knowing When To Stop [Album Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
2867158 | Play | What You're Up Against (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082025 | Play | 01 - Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday | 00:00 Tools | |
48082027 | Play | everybodys working for the wea | 00:00 Tools | |
48082026 | Play | 09.What You're Up Against | 00:00 Tools | |
48082028 | Play | Hey Mercedes - The Switch | 00:00 Tools | |
48082029 | Play | Go Blue | 00:00 Tools | |
2867146 | Play | The Promise (When in Rome) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082030 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Go on Drone | 00:00 Tools | |
48082031 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Unorchestrated | 00:00 Tools | |
48082032 | Play | Our Weekend Starts on Wed | 00:00 Tools | |
48082033 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Quit | 00:00 Tools | |
48082034 | Play | 12 Go On Drone | 00:00 Tools | |
48082035 | Play | 11 Absolute Zero Drive | 00:00 Tools | |
48082036 | Play | Track 10 | 00:00 Tools | |
2867115 | Play | Mixed Emotions | 00:00 Tools | |
2867092 | Play | Haven't Been This Happy (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082037 | Play | 02 - Save a Life | 00:00 Tools | |
2867202 | Play | Quit (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082038 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Our Weekend Starts on Wednesday | 00:00 Tools | |
2867039 | Play | It's Been A Blast (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082024 | Play | The frowning of a | 00:00 Tools | |
48082042 | Play | Fuck You Aurora (Alkaline Trio cover) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082039 | Play | Hey Mercedes - A-List Actress | 00:00 Tools | |
48082040 | Play | Police Police | 00:00 Tools | |
48082041 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Playing Your Song | 00:00 Tools | |
48082043 | Play | What You're Up Again | 00:00 Tools | |
48082044 | Play | 07 - Our Weekend Starts on Wed | 00:00 Tools | |
48082045 | Play | 02 it's been a blast | 00:00 Tools | |
48082046 | Play | Track 05 | 00:00 Tools | |
48082047 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Eleven to Your Seven | 00:00 Tools | |
48082048 | Play | Hey Mercedes - The Boy Destroyers | 00:00 Tools | |
48082049 | Play | 04 - Wearing a Wire | 00:00 Tools | |
48082050 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Oh Penny | 00:00 Tools | |
48082051 | Play | Our Weekend Starts on Wednesd | 00:00 Tools | |
48082052 | Play | 11.Let's Go Blue | 00:00 Tools | |
48082053 | Play | golden slumbers | 00:00 Tools | |
48082054 | Play | Hey Mercedes - It's Been a Blast | 00:00 Tools | |
48082055 | Play | 13.Save A Life | 00:00 Tools | |
48082056 | Play | That's Right I Said It | 00:00 Tools | |
48082057 | Play | 08.Haven't Been This Happy | 00:00 Tools | |
48082058 | Play | 01.The Frowning Of A Lifetime | 00:00 Tools | |
2867127 | Play | Our Weekend Starts on Wednes.. | 00:00 Tools | |
48082059 | Play | Track 03 | 00:00 Tools | |
86891021 | Play | Oh, Penny | 00:00 Tools | |
48082060 | Play | 05 Boy Destroyers | 00:00 Tools | |
48082061 | Play | B00004WF93001001 | 00:00 Tools | |
48082062 | Play | Track 02 | 00:00 Tools | |
48082063 | Play | 05 - The Promise | 00:00 Tools | |
2867151 | Play | The Frowning Of A Litetime | 00:00 Tools | |
48082064 | Play | 02 - St James St | 00:00 Tools | |
48082065 | Play | Promise | 00:00 Tools | |
48082066 | Play | Playing Your So | 00:00 Tools | |
2867041 | Play | Playing Your Song (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
2867096 | Play | Slightest Idea (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082067 | Play | Havn't Been This Happy | 00:00 Tools | |
2867106 | Play | Go On Drone (Album Version) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082068 | Play | Absolute Zero | 00:00 Tools | |
88982705 | Play | Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday (EP Version) [EP Version] | 00:00 Tools | |
48082069 | Play | 02-Every Turn | 00:00 Tools | |
48082070 | Play | Hey Mercedes - Police Police Me | 00:00 Tools | |
48082071 | Play | Everybody's Working For the Weak (Bonus Track) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082072 | Play | 10.Quit | 00:00 Tools | |
48082073 | Play | its_been_a_blast | 00:00 Tools | |
86891022 | Play | Police, Police Me | 00:00 Tools | |
48082074 | Play | our weekend starts on a wednesday | 00:00 Tools | |
48082075 | Play | The Frowning of a Life Time | 00:00 Tools | |
48082076 | Play | 11- Let's Go Blue | 00:00 Tools | |
48082077 | Play | 01.Quality Revenge At Last | 00:00 Tools | |
2867117 | Play | A - List Actress | 00:00 Tools | |
48082078 | Play | 01-hey_mercedes-quality_revenge_at_last-its | 00:00 Tools | |
48082079 | Play | 06.Que Shiraz | 00:00 Tools | |
48082080 | Play | Hey Mercedes - What You're Up Against | 00:00 Tools | |
48082081 | Play | 07.Our Weekend Starts On Wednesday | 00:00 Tools | |
48082082 | Play | 04.The Slightest Idea | 00:00 Tools | |
48082083 | Play | Hey Mercedes - That's Right, I Said | 00:00 Tools | |
48082084 | Play | 03.A-List Actress | 00:00 Tools | |
2867129 | Play | Confetti (Lemonheads Cover) | 00:00 Tools | |
48082085 | Play | 08 Police Police Me | 00:00 Tools | |
48082086 | Play | Track 01 | 00:00 Tools |
Hey Mercedes were an indie band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, that formed in 1999/2000 after the dissolution of Braid. The band consisted of Bob Nanna on guitar and vocals, Todd Bell on bass and vocals, Mark Dawursk on guitar and vocals and Damon Atkinson on drums. Hey Mercedes proved a more melodic antidote to Bob Nanna's previous band, Braid. With such hits as Stay Six, Our Weekend Starts on Wednesday, Let's Go Blue and Eleven to Your Seven, the band quickly gained popularity in an audience that had never been exposed to the scene. Hey Mercedes' first release was a Self Titled EP on Polyvinyl Records. Soon after its release, they signed to Vagrant Records and started touring for support of their upcoming Vagrant full length. In 2001 alone, they performed 114 shows. After the release of the band's first full length at the end of 2001, Dawursk left the band and was replaced with Mike Shumaker. With 2 full lengths, 3 EP's and 358 shows under their belt, Hey Mercedes called it quits. Their final show (#359) was at the Metro in Chicago on April 23rd of 2005. In a 2007 e-mail campaign, Threadless Tees reported that Hey Mercedes would play at the Metro, to celebrate the grand opening of the company's Chicago store. Spread Eagle, Wisconsin is a place best known for water, wilderness and paintings of the local ducks. Now it can take credit for LOSES CONTROL, the long-awaited second album from Hey Mercedes. As powerful as it is melodic, the follow-up to 2001's "Everynight Fire Works" finds the midwestern foursome's sharp, wounded songs crackling in a guitar-driven bonfire set by producers Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr., Mighty Mighty Bosstones). From the instantly catchy anthem "Quality Revenge At Last" to the more insinuating closer "Go Drone," LOSES CONTROL is remarkably tight and accomplished for a sophomore effort -- though not without good reason. Prior to forming Hey Mercedes guitarist/vocalist Robert Nanna, bassist Todd Bell and drummer Damon Atkinson played together in Braid, a band often referred to as "emo pioneers," though you probably won't find the trio pleading guilty to either description. Nanna and Bell have been musical compadres since 1993, coming together at the University of Illinois as fans of Chicago punk bands like Naked Raygun and Screeching Weasel, while Atkinson joined them in 1997. Braid broke up two years later with five studio albums and several hundred shows behind them, "but it was just so obvious that we needed to keep playing," Nanna says. The trick was to go down a different path, not just in terms of music, but logistics -- having done everything themselves for years and years, they wanted to stay connected to that grass roots ethic while cutting down on both genuine despair and "Spinal Tap"-like moments. "It's hard to focus on writing honest music when you're 3000 dollars in debt or have three more shows to book, or the show just got cancelled 'cause the cops came," Nanna says. This time, there'd be a record label and a more patient approach. Joined by guitarist Mark Dawursk, Hey Mercedes played their first show in August of 2000, put out an EP on Polyvinyl and spent the next year touring and developing their sound. Vagrant released "Everynight Fire Works," produced and engineered by old friend J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines), in April 2001. It earned rave reviews, including Audio Galaxy's Album of the Year and a Top 5 position on the CMJ chart. Along the way, the band racked up their usual 200-plus shows per annum, including the sold-out Vagrant America tour and bills with Jimmy Eat World, New End Original and Saves the Day. They also found the time to share themselves with fans on a regular basis via "Are You Wearing A Wire?" a collectively written "blog" that can be found on the band's web site. 2002 saw the release of "The Weekend EP," as well as a personnel change - Clevelander Michael Shumaker stepped in for Dawursk, adding an enthusiasm for AC/DC and an eagerness to merely play guitar after fronting his own band Sheilbound. LOSES CONTROL was recorded at Slade and Kolderie's studio in Cambridge, MA. The band went into the session’s half-afraid the unfamiliar knob-twirlers would impose a different style, but the veteran duo made sure Hey Mercedes' particular quirks and uniqueness were always at the fore. They broke down every part of every song in pre-production, built an amazing set of drums for Damon and gave Robert and Michael access to some three dozen guitars. "Because they knew our songs so well they knew which guitars would sound good on different parts of every song," Nanna says. "The guitars are awesome, really layered -- they just sound big and fat. "I think overall LOSES CONTROL is just more of a rockin' record than Fire Works," he adds. "It's really loud and in your face. Though lyrically, it's pretty bleak and desolate." Nanna's vocals bridge the gap between those poles, whether he's locked into "Boy Destroyers"' riff-o-rama or bringing a melancholy overtone to the textured spaciness of "Absolute Zero Drive" (a song the band had earmarked as B-side until Slade and Kolderie convinced them otherwise). Another highlight is "Lashing Out," angry/catchy pop-punk that unexpectedly mutates into a sweet lyrical homage to Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" - a couplet Bob sang while the song was being written, then couldn't bring himself to drop. And what of Spread Eagle? The band - three-quarters of whom currently reside in Atkinson's hometown of Milwaukee, with Nanna two hours away in suburban Chicago -- wrote much of LOSES CONTROL at a friend's home there, just a few miles from Michigan's Upper Peninsula. "It was probably a drunk moment," Nanna says. "We were like, 'y'know, what we should do is find someone with a cabin or a trailer someplace far away in the woods, where we can be as loud as we want for as long as we want, in total seclusion." So they dragged all their gear and a little bit of soundproofing up to Spread Eagle for two weeks of playing, writing, cooking and canoeing. "And we didn't go crazy," he marvels. "It wasn't like 'The Shining.'" Except maybe for this: Whether you're talking King or Kubrick, "The Shining" stands the test of time. LOSES CONTROL is a dynamite rock'n'roll record that's bound to do the same. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.