Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
“Hey there, what you’re thinking of makes me nervous,” Mouse sings on one of these songs, and that very line sums up the vibe of Poison Apple. You know those vaguely uncomfortable, David Lynch-like dreams that are technically nightmares but you don’t want to wake up because everything is so dangerously beautiful and hypnotic? Turn out the lights, leave a candle burning, put this CD on, and have that dream while awake.
What lures you in is that beautiful voice. Mouse has been involved in a few bands and projects, but on this one, she’s a psychedelic acoustic folk rock beat poet. The voice is contemplative, musing, like she’s weaving the lyrics on the spot. Sometimes she’s brazenly childlike in the delivery, as in the title track, in which she sings like a little girl chanting a nursery rhyme while she burns ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass. On other songs, she breathes delicately, as if she has become the song. Some tracks, like “The Waltz,” just suddenly end, as if the song has taken its last breath.
The music has an orchestral feel, which adds to the moody atmosphere. Gypsies, fortune-tellers, and other mystic characters swirl tauntingly and then dissolve. Even the music sounds magically lost in thought. When the CD ends, it’s like waking up from one of those dangerously alluring nightmares, when you want to hurry up and go back to sleep so you’ll dream it again. But you leave the light on this time.
- Indie-Music.com
"Mouse is the current project of former Speed Kitty/Science Knows No Sin bassist/vocalist Susan Margolis. Now based out of the Big Apple, Mouse treads the line between Neil young's folkier moments and the fuzzy shoegaze pop of Windy and Carl or Slowdive. The results are short, sweet sonic masterpieces sure to leave a buzz in your ears". P. Wall. - The Columbia Free Times
Little Mouse sounds all grown up on this well-crafted disc, which highlights the considerable strengths of singer-songwriter Susan Margolis.
Poison Apple presents a fine range of expression for what can too often be a stylistically starved genre. Margolis's classical background in cello doubtless helps to elevate the music to a higher level. The timbre of her voice evokes the harmonies of Louise Post and Nina Gordon from Veruca Salt, but her lyrics tread a more introspective path, akin to the meditations of Suzanne Vega.
- splendidezine.com
Discography
"Poison Apple" Debut Full-Length CD, 2003
you can hear it on a bunch of indie stations, most notably University of South Carolina's WUSC90.5fm.
"For The Dogs"- Full Length CD, for release September 2005.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Mouse consists of some fine musicians with a wide variety of influences. Jon Bradley tours as percussionist for Sub-Pop supergroup Iron and Wine, Dennis Cronin has supported Vic Chesnutt and Lambchop on trumpet, Konrad Meissner is known to play with half of NYC, and tours extensively with NYC group The Silos, Pete Galub and Patrick Matera are both guitarist and songwriters with albums out themselves & Ken DuBard and Will Stuart play with all of the good bands in South Carolina. Susan Margolis now resides in Greenpoint Brooklyn and is the songwriter behind the band. Having lived in the southeast attending USC on a cello scholarship, she was corrupted by the local indie rock scene and has been taking the stage as front-lady since 1995 moving back and forth between Brooklyn and South Carolina. Susan is a multi-instrumentalist playing guitar, bass and cello. Influences include Neil Young, Lucinda Williams, Sonic Youth, Throwing Muses, PJ Harvey, My Bloody Valentine, Helium etc etc etc. What sets the band apart is that all of it's members play with so many other talented bands and bring in many influences, to create a tasteful sonic rock. Look for the new record "For The Dogs" in the Fall.
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