MOG

Thanks to posts by the mighty Neill and 1234chainsaw, I have joined the cult of Charlotte Hatherley, Brit-rock’s best-kept secret – at least over here in the U.S.

She got me with those tough/tender vocals navigating lyrics that are either clever, impressionistic, wistful, or all three; with intricate, memorable tunes hiding unexpected melodic twists and turns that sound so right, and stick with you; with sinewy guitar work that just about grabs you by the ears and forces you to listen.

I am immersed in her music at the moment. Since I only have those two Charlotte solo albums to play over and over and over, I need to seek out some tracks by her old band Ash.

Meanwhile, to shake up my playlist and not lose the mood, I’ve been revisiting a little-known American band that ought to appeal to anyone who enjoys Charlotte or the Velvet Underground & Nico or Portishead: Madder Rose.

Based in New York City during the 1990s, Madder Rose featured sweet-and-sour singer Mary Lorson and deft guitarist Billy Coté who collaborated on the band’s material, supported by bassist Matt Verta-Ray and drummer Johnny Kick. They had a dark, arty, smacked-out, downtown vibe that recalled the Velvets at their dreamiest and darkest - rocking hard then shifting to folk-pop intonations. There was a bit of the shoegazer in them. The overall effect was haunting.

I was excited to see Madder Rose headline Slim’s in San Francisco way back when. I caught the gig, and I came away happy. They weren’t particularly flamboyant; in fact, Lorson was extremely reserved on stage. If they didn’t manage to transport the club to the Lower East Side, they still delivered a solid set, climaxing with a transcendent cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Sway” that was a showcase for Coté’s guitar-playing.

Alas, they never hit it big. After a handful of albums and EPs, they split in 1999. But their 1994 album “Panic On” continues to be one of my favorite recordings.

Here’s a video of the title track:

And here’s one for “Car Song” from the same album: