Jeff Mercel
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Jeff Mercel is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and studio musician, best known for his time in the indie rock band, Mercury Rev.
Early life and education[edit]
Jeff Mercel attended SUNY Fredonia, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1993.[1] In 1996, Mercel played drums with the band Grand Mal on their self-titled album released by Number Six Records.[2]
Time with Mercury Rev[edit]
Mercel first played with Mercury Rev on their breakthrough 1998 album, "Deserter's Songs",[3] playing drums, both in studio and on tour. For the band's next album, 2001's "All is Dream", his role expanded to pianos, contributing to the arranging, mixing, and producing.[4] He stayed with Mercury Rev for the next nine years, playing on the albums "The Secret Migration" (2005),[5] "Hello Blackbird" (2006),[6] "Back to Mine" (2006), "Snowflake Midnight" (2008), and "Strange Attractor" (2008).[7] In 2011 Mercel rejoined with the band for a world tour to promote the release of the double disc reissue of "Deserter's Songs."
Work as a composer[edit]
During his time with Mercury Rev, Mercel helped score the feature-length film, Bye Bye, Blackbird (2005). In 2010, Mercel left working with Mercury Rev full-time to pursue work as a composer. His work has appeared in numerous television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS, and Showtime's This American Life. His work can also be heard in commercials for BMW, and a Got Milk? ad campaign featuring Salma Hayek.
Mercel has also worked in film scoring the animated short, Marvin (2010) starring Steve Coogan, and the live action shorts Daniel (2010), Chaser (2012), and Sam (2012). In 2012 he composed the music for the feature film "5 Shells."[8]
Discography[edit]
| Album | Band | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Mal | Grand Mal | 1996 |
| Deserter's Songs | Mercury Rev | 1998 |
| All is Dream | Mercury Rev | 2001 |
| Secret Migration | Mercury Rev | 2005 |
| Hello Blackbird | Mercury Rev | 2006 |
| The Essential Mercury Rev | Mercury Rev | 2006 |
| Snowflake Midnight | Mercury Rev | 2008 |
| Strange Attractor | Mercury Rev | 2008 |
Filmography[edit]
| Bye, Bye, Blackbird | Feature | 2005 |
| Marvin | Short | 2010 |
| Daniel | Short | 2010 |
| Chaser | Short | 2010 |
| Sam | Short | 2012 |
| 5 Shells | Feature | 2012 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Mandy Crew US jobs | MandyCrew | Mandy Crew USA". Mandy Crew. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ "Grand Mal - Grand Mal | Credits". AllMusic. 1996-03-05. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ "Deserter's Songs - Mercury Rev | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ "All Is Dream - Mercury Rev | Credits". AllMusic. 2001-09-11. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ "The Secret Migration - Mercury Rev | Credits". AllMusic. 2005-03-08. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ "Hello Blackbird - Mercury Rev | Credits". AllMusic. 2006-10-02. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ "Releases Mercury Rev Webstore". Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jeff Mercel". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
- ^ Jeff Mercel. "Jeff Mercel | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-12-07.