''Meson Ray'' is the third, and last, studio album by the alternative rock band
the Ernies
The Ernies were a popular American alternative rock/ska punk band from Richmond, Virginia. They released two albums on an independent label before signing to Mojo Records and releasing their third album entitled ''Meson Ray''.
History
The Ernie ...
, released in 1999. ''Meson Ray'' was the first record by the Ernies to be released under
Mojo Records
Mojo Records was a California-based record label founded in 1995 by producer Jay Rifkin. It became a joint venture with Universal Records in 1996 and then sold to the Zomba Group in 2001, who placed it under their subsidiary Jive Records. .
The album includes the band's biggest
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "Here and Now," which was featured in the popular 1999 video game ''
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'', released as ''Tony Hawk's Skateboarding'' in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe, is a skateboarding video game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It was released for the PlayStation o ...
'', as well as in the 2004 documentary ''The Rise & Fall Of ECW''.
Critical reception
''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' wrote that "even if the band's instrumental arsenal were suddenly muted by a power failure, its lyrics would suggest an almost relentlessly manic pulse tempered by a disarming sense of irony and humor." ''
CMJ New Music Report
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
'' wrote: "Partying like it's 1989, the Ernies are to skate culture what
the Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Ge ...
are to classic rock 'n' roll--a soothing throwback to a period of time close to the heart of funk rock historians."
Track listing
All songs written by Will Hummel, except where noted.
#"Polarized" - 3:49
#"Here and Now" - 3:30
#"Fire" (Hummel, Mike Hughes) - 3:16
#"Winter Stars (You and I)" - 4:02
#"Organism" - 5:23
#"The Hitman Tommy Stearns" - 4:50
#"It's Digestible" - 3:26
#"Where Do You Hide?" - 3:35
#"Bacteria" - 3:19
#"You Are Everywhere" - 2:25
#"Mr. Benson and the Meson Ray (SOD-1)" (Hughes, Hayes Smith) - 3:33
Band members
*Mike Hughes - bass, vocals
*Matt Goves - drums
*Hayes Smith - saxophone, vocals
*Chris Bondi - turntables, theremin
*Will Hummel - vocals, guitar, keyboards
References
1999 albums
The Ernies albums
Albums produced by Howard Benson
Mojo Records albums
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