Manhattan: home to a million lost dreams, a thousand failed bands, grizzled wannabes, talentless hacks, and here and there, working as tap dancers, bookstore employees and "barristas," real talent hoping to break out into the big time.

For every live music venue that has closed in NYC over the last ten years, another two have sprouted up and mostly across the East River in Williamsburg. It's at these tiny dens of musical iniquity that bands like Murder Mystery ply their wares and push their dreams. Only Murder Mystery, like a small handful of NYC bands, has the goods to turn their dreams into reality. And these days, with diminished expectations all the rage, a happy reality could be the ability to record for your own label and establish a loving fan base. Still in their 20s, the three guys and a gal of Murder Mystery can afford to engage reality on their own terms, to heck with major labels.

Reviews among the bedhead press have already compared this gutsy four-piece's debut, Are You Ready For The Heartache Cause Here It Comes, to Buddy Holly, Television, Pavement and the Velvet Underground. Hyperbole? Hardly. You know it's the real thing when you leave the gig humming the band's tunes and Murder Mystery rates 95% on the hum-ability meter. Lead singer/songwriter Jeremy Coleman sings with the detached longing of an old soul, typically looking for sunshine but receiving a rock instead. Charlie Brown with an obvious literary bent and a toughened heart of gold? Meet Mr. Coleman. His songs bubble with introspective, universal themes and frenetic guitar work, well matched with little sister Laura Coleman's sprightly manic two-beat drumming pulse. Coleman's glowingly catchy songs (ably forwarded with the assistance of Adam Fels [bass] and Graham Roberts [guitar]) will get under your skin like a summertime rash.

Murder Mystery does resemble a barbed, heartbreaking cross between an energetic Velvet Underground matched with the good time ‘50s pummel of Buddy Holly and the modern thrum of Pavement, all focused through a prism of wry lyrics and joyous beat making. Live, Murder Mystery doesn't do much more than stand and stare straight ahead, concentrating on pure delivery, promoting music beyond style, class or trend. Laura's obvious tub thumping glee is a constant, as is Jeremy's deadpan delivery. With rising rents, Disneyland condos rising like totems to Donald Trump and an influx of well heeled European tourists, Murder Mystery recalls Manhattan's good old bad old days.

"Love Astronaut" is Murder Mystery's left turn in sound, fat buzzing guitar balancing a perky, perpetual synth line and Fels' crisscrossing bass work. As with many a MM song, it illustrates Coleman's endless quest for love. In a city of 8 million, this man deserves a break! And so does Murder Mystery.

Murder Mystery: "Love Astronaut"  (MP3, 3:00)

Past Blasting: Cake: Another band with a deadpan vocalist but delivering absurdist tales, Cake's Motorcade of Generosity established an audience of drunken frat boys and literate radio hipsters. How bizarre. Enjoy some B Sides...

Cake
"Ruby Sees All" (mp3)
from "Motorcade of Generosity"
(Upbeat Records)

More On This Album

Cake
"Jolene" (mp3)
from "Motorcade of Generosity"
(Upbeat Records)

More On This Album

Cake
"Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" (mp3)
from "Motorcade of Generosity"
(Upbeat Records)

More On This Album