Prick Tunes: Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles "Million Things" and

So I had leaped down the rabbit hole that is dicking around on NPR Music's YouTube page and followed it to The Current, Minnesota Public Radio's open format music station. While I won't bother decrying the sad state of Minneapolis's radio landscape for the entire goddamn time I lived in that town, The Current came about after I left and makes me a bit sad that I missed out on its existence. Sure I could stream it, but this is the fucking future and I have other shit I can do for music on a daily basis that doesn't require my sapping the battery on my iPhone all day listening to open format radio from Minnesota when we've got that here in Austin.

Anyway, I started watching the Justin Townes Earle video from his in-studio performance a couple of days ago when I noticed that Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles had recently been in-studio as well. My knowledge of the band is fairly limited. If I'm not mistaken, I worked at the same Minneapolis coffee shop as the titular frontLady (capital 'L' to signify class) of the band, but a year or two before she did. The reason I think I know this is that they actually played at word mule's (a person who at some point will begin posting content here as his schedule permits and who is also one of my oldest, dearest friends) wedding reception in La Crosse a few years back. It occurs to me that his wedding may, in fact, have been the last time I found myself back in my old stomping grounds, and it has to have been four years since word mule was betrothed to his lovely wife. Jesus Christ, this is getting tangential and less and less interesting as I go.

Inspiration? Likely.

Getting back on track and down to brass tacks, Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles were great--much better than any band I've ever seen play a wedding. According to their website, they've got a new album coming out May 29th, which is only two-and-a-half weeks away. The LP entitled Heat, no doubt inspired by the 1986 Burt Reynolds star vehicle by the same name, is described as follows (from their website):

Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles have completed work on their fourth full length release, HEAT, at Vacation Island Recording Studios in Brooklyn with acclaimed producer/engineer Matt Boynton (MGMT, Beirut, Bat for Lashes). The new record is comprised of all original material written predominantly by Lucy Michelle during the bone-chilling Minnesota winter of 2010. Many of the songs center around the feeling of being trapped and isolated while yearning to be somewhere else; physically or psychologically. HEAT showcases the artistic growth and sonic evolution of the band’s sound which translates into a magnificent record laced with scorching lyricism, hauntingly beautiful melodies and gorgeous harmonies that create an expansive, yet highly focused and cohesive body of work.

Here are two tracks as performed on April 17th at The Current.

"Million Things"


"Just a Kid"


If you want to listen to the whole interview, here it is, complete with the performance of "Wise Eyes."