The Mystery Lights — the Daptone/Wick Records’ five piece who make “superior Brooklyn psych-garage” (BrooklynVegan) — today release their third studio record Purgatory. Tonight at TV Eye in Ridgewood, Queens, they'll kick off a US / EU / UK fall tour with dates in London, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, and more. Listen to Purgatory here.
While The Mystery Lights make their way back from some well-earned rest and relaxation, Purgatory is their most ambitious offering yet as they deliver an eclectic mix of psychedelia, punk, art rock, and surprisingly even a splash of country — all with Wayne Gordon (Kali Uchis, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, BADBADNOTGOOD) back in the producer’s chair. Creem Magazine says, there's "something decidedly sinewy the way the clean-shave guitars go in and out of the fulsome organ like a train, the rhythm section Zombie graceful."
Though Purgatory sees The Mystery Lights playing their hand at some genre-fluidity (from the punk-meets-psych title track which "jangles and distorts with the sort of dark elation that should bring quite a few more fans into the fold” (Consequence), to The Kinks-esque earworm “Sorry I Forgot Your Name”), there’s a cohesiveness threaded by the elevated musicianship, earnest lyrics, and attention to detail that make for a fiercely raw, unabashedly catchy album.
This week's focus track is "Cerebral Crack," which creeps in the shadows – dark and trippy – landing somewhere between the guitar-driven, lysergic mayhem of the 13th Floor Elevators and the punked-up, tongue-in-cheek insanity of The Monks. Asking, “how would you even know if you lost your mind? Is it even something that's possible to find?" the existential pondering mirrors the suspicious gait of the track: the explosion of shouts from the lead vocals of Mike Brandon (who Creem says, "reminds me of Dan Sartin... he kind of makes me want to be young again, and also cry) and the wailing, crunchy guitar solos.
The Mystery Lights story begins in 2004 in the small town of Salinas, California when friends Michael Brandon and Luis Alfonso — whose shared fondness for groups like The Mc5, Velvet Underground, Dead Moon, and The Fall (to name a few) — joined forces to craft their own brand of unhinged rock and roll. From there they spent the better part of 10 years touring relentlessly before migrating to Queens, New York in 2014.
With a live show known for its visceral energy and relentless assault — leaving little to no stoppage between songs — they barreled through countless NYC haunts and DIY venues, quickly amassing a fervent local following. The buzz soon caught the attention of Daptone Records execs who were in the beginning stages of launching a new rock-centric imprint, Wick Records. Impressed by the groups’ groove, endless supply of energy, and understanding of musical history, The Mystery Lights were quickly signed to Wick. Though a rock band at heart, the parallels to what Daptone Records had traditionally looked for in their soul artists was undeniable.
The band is headed back on tour this fall, see all dates below to catch one of their viscerally psychedelic live shows.
The Mystery Lights are: Mike Brandon (lead vocals / guitar), LA Solano (lead guitar), Alex Amini (bass), Lily Rogers (keys), and Zach Butler (drums).
Purgatory is out now, buy/listen here.
TRACKLIST
Mighty Fine & All Mine
Memories
Purgatory
In The Streets
Together Lost
Trouble
Sorry I Forgot Your Name
Can’t Sleep Through The Silence
Cerebral Crack
Automatic Response
Don’t Want No Don’t Need No
Snuck Out
LIVE DATES
US
9/13/2024 - Queens, NY - TV Eye [album release show]
10/31/2024 - Maspeth, NY - Knockdown Center
11/9/2024 - Seattle, WA - Freakout! Festival
11/10/2024 - Portland, OR - Polaris Hall
11/12/2024 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone
11/13/2024 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Atrium at the Catalyst
11/14/2024 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon
11/15/2024 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
11/17/2024 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
11/19/2024 - Las Vegas, NV - The Usual Place
11/20/2024 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
11/21/2024 - Boise, ID - Shrine Social Club
EU/UK
9/29/2024 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin 2025
9/30/2024 - Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin
10/1/2024 - London, UK - Jazz Cafe
10/3/2024 - Brussels, Belgium - Le Botanique
10/4/2024 - Breda, Netherlands - Mezz @ Pier15
10/5/2024 - Lille, France - L’Aeronef
10/6/2024 - Tours, France - Le Bateau Ivre
10/7/2024 - Bordeaux, France - La Maison d’Allez Les Filles
10/8/2024 - Rouen, France - Le 106 Club
10/9/2024 - Poitiers, France - Le Confort Moderne
10/11/2024 - La Rochelle, France - La Sirene Club
10/13/2024 - Paris, France - Le Cafe de la Danse
10/15/2024 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Club
10/16/2024 - Fribourg, Switzerland - Le Nouveau Monde
10/17/2024 - St. Gallen, Switzerland - Palace
10/18/2024 - Basel, Switzerland - Sudhaus
10/20/2024 - Dresden, Germany - Ostpol
10/21/2024 - Berlin, Germany - Neue Zukunft
10/23/2024 - Köln, Germany - Bumann & Sohn
10/24/2024 - Bruges, Belgium - Cactus Club
