Mirrors (Ohio band)

Mirrors
OriginCleveland, Ohio, United States
GenresRock, proto-punk, punk rock, art punk
Years active1971 (1971)–1975 (1975), 1986 (1986)–1988 (1988), 2013 (2013)–2014 (2014)
LabelsHeathen, Resonance,Overground Records, ROIR, Violent Times
Past membersJamie Klimek
Jim Crook
Mike Weldon
Craig Bell
Jim Jones
Paul Marotta

Mirrors (a.k.a. the Mirrors) was an American rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States, forming in 1971 and originally active playing live gigs between 1972 - 1975.[1][2] Their sound has been described as "psychedelic garage" and "proto-punk".[1][3] In his review of a 2009 LP of their 1970's material for Mother Jones former Maximumrocknroll editor Mark Murrmann described them as "not as bent as the Electric Eels...nor as throttling as Rocket from the Tombs."[3] The band's founder, Jaime Klimek, who sang and played guitar, said they "were ferociously loud."[4] The other members were Jim Crook, guitar; Mike Weldon (who started Psychotronic Video magazine in 1980), drums; and a succession of bassists—first Craig Bell (later of Rocket from the Tombs), followed briefly by Paul Marotta, who soon switched to keyboards (and also played with the Electric Eels), then Jim Jones (who later played guitar in Pere Ubu), then Bell again, and finally Jones again.[1] In some of their recordings Jones played drums.[5] They played original songs and covers originally by the Velvet Underground, the Kinks, the Troggs and Brian Eno among others.[1][4] After they broke up Klimek, Jones, Marotta, other former members of the Electric Eels and Anton Fier formed the Styrenes.[1] In 2013 and 2014 Klimek, Crook, Bell and other musicians played some reunion shows in Cleveland.[6]

Their only release when the band existed was a 7" single on Heathen Records: "Shirley" b/w "She Smiled Wild."[1] Between 1986 and 1988, the original lineup, produced by Marotta, recorded the album Another Nail in the Coffin, which only saw limited release in 1989 before the Dutch record label went bankrupt.[1][7] In 1997 Scat Records released Those Were Different Times: Cleveland 1972-1976, a CD with songs by Mirrors, the electric eels and the Styrenes.[5] In 2001 Mirrors put out Hands in My Pockets, a 19-song CD of material they had recorded in the 1970s. Mostly made up of studio tracks, it also included some home recordings and live material.[8] In 2004 ROIR released Another Nail in the {Remodeled} Coffin, a reissue of the 1989 album plus a second CD with demos, live tracks and alternate takes.[8] In 2009 Violent Times Records issued Something That Would Never Do, a limited edition LP of previously released songs recorded 1974–75.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Mirrors: Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  2. ^ Murrmann, Mark (June 19, 2009). "Music: Mirrors, Something That Would Never Do". Mother Jones. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Kaufman, Gil (May 26, 1997). "Early Cleveland Punk Surfaces". MTV. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Klimek, Jaime. "Mirros Liner Notes". Scat Records. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Those Were Different Times: Cleveland 1972-1976". Discogs. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  6. ^ Petkovic, John (January 23, 2014). "Cleveland rock pioneers Mirrors are bigger than ever and back in action Saturday at Beachland Ballroom". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  7. ^ "Another Nail In The Coffin". Discogs. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Anderson, Rick. "Another Nail in the Remodeled Coffin". AllMusic. Retrieved October 13, 2016.