V.S. - M185

A quick update from the Walzerkönig offices: We can now proudly announce that we managed to remember the band’s name. Woop! However, when we told all our friends to check out their music, we faced yet another problem, this time concerning the pronounciation (Em-hundertfünfundachtzig? Em-onehundredandeightyfive? Em-one-eight-five?).

Luckily on the internet, we can just write M185 and proceed to things that are more certain. For example that the band and your dear Walzerkönigs share a love for outer space and all things Velvet Underground, and that for their album Let The Light In, they apparently got out of Pittsburgh, moved to New York, and met John, Sterling, Moe and Lou in the Factory.

One more certainty (and another almost-certainty): The album presentation will take place on June 11 at WUK in Vienna. But be warned! After seeing them play again at the Popfest in a once again crowded and therefore hot venue, we are convinced that the threat “There will be sweat” should be taken very, very seriously.

Even more certainties: Although the album will only officially be released on June 10, it can (and should) already be prelistened on Soundcloud.

And finally: Thanks to one Walzerkönig’s presence at the Kreisky album release gig (where M185 were the support act), we recently learned that the correct pronounciation is Em-eins-acht-fünf. Problem solved!

We saw M185 for the first time at Vienna’s 2010 Gürtelnightwalk. There was a bit of a mini-hype around them that evening; we smalltalked to non-scenester strangers who told us they were going to see this band at Das Werk because they had heard they were the new shit. More people had the same plan. Consequently, the temperature in the venuewas quite tropical.

Strangely one of your dear walzerkoenig co-authors doesn’t remember much of the gig itself (probably due to the heat and crowdedness), while the other walzerkoenig didn’t remember seeing this band at all until it was pointed out to her. She does remember enjoying one band in this particular venue on that night, though and since M185 was the only band she saw in that venue that night, she must’ve enjoyed it. Logic!

See, that’s what you get for choosing your band name based on music geekery (or love for highways in Michigan, as suggested by Wikipedia) and not based on catchiness.

Nevertheless this song and video deserve everyone’s attention, really. And while you’re busy listening to Space Bum Rocket Kid, we’ll be busy memorizing the band’s name. M185, M185, M185,…

Their second album Let The Light In will be released on 10 June via Speed Of Light. The press release suggests it was influenced by Lou Reed and David Bowie (Diamond Dogs era), which, yeah, durchaus.