Mercury Girls

Philadelphia, PA's Mercury Girls features Sarah Schimineck, Kevin Attics, Andrew Hagiwara, Chris Schackerman, and Kevin O'Halloran. Schimineck, formerly of NYC Popfest alums Pet Milk is flanked by the shimmery and adventurous guitar interplay of Attics (Literature, former Pitchfork Media) and O'Halloran (of indie heroes Little Big League, Run For Cover Records). Hagiwara and Schackerman provide a sturdy rhythmic base, creating a sound that's equally lush and driving, using Sarah Records-inspired pop as a basis for savvy de-/reconstruction and sonic experimentation. Despite having only started in March of 2015, the group has achieved a lot. They've collected many endorsements, including those from Chickfactor Magazine, Pains of Being Pure at Heart's Kip Berman and NPR, they've shared the stage with bands such as Expert Alterations, Joanna Gruesome, Beverly, TEEN, Eternal Summers, and their 2016 SxSW visit was a head-turning, mind-melting blast.

Now they cap of their first year with the release of their debut single, "Ariana." While their sound uses classic indiepop as a jumping-off point, there are bits of shoegaze, post-punk and 90s alt-pop in the mix that recall like-minded bands like Veronica Falls, Makthaverskan, Fear of Men and Frankie Rose. "Ariana" is gorgeous tangle of chorused, jangling guitars and Sarah's dreamlike vocals. A marvelous two and a half minutes of perfect, forward-thinking pop. On the flip, "All That Heaven Allows" leans more on the band's post-punk inspirations, marked by a careening rhythm and a huge chorus that will stick in your head for days.