The Magic City September 9, 1997

The long-awaited second album from Boston’s HELIUM is an unexpected departure from the fragmented, angry pop of yore. Nearly two years after their 1995 debut The Dirt of Luck, HELIUM’s Mary Timony has broadened her songwriting in directions suggested by precursors of the 1970s and 1980s. Tracks like "Leon’s space song" boldly revisit the alienated, soaring keyboard sound of the Cars or Joy Division’s "Love Will Tear Us Apart", while Timony’s vocals suggest early ’80s vocalists like Kim Wilde and Debbie Harry. Other tracks venture into lengthy guitar jams more reminiscent of ’70s progressive outfits such as Gentle Giant and Art Zoyd, or Krautrock proto-electronica bands like Faust and Neu. More than this, the whole haunting epic is tied together with interlaced folk songs recalling such late ’60s folk-rock legends as Fairport Convention and Pentangle.

Without ditching her trademark wistful vocals or impressive guitar pyrotechnics, Timony has taken HELIUM to an entirely new chapter in the history of American alternative rock. Aware of its punk and new wave heritage, but by no means a slave to it, The Magic City remaps our perceptions of the recent popular music past and restores to dignity sections of the rock ’n’ roll heritage that conventional wisdom has already consigned to the trash.

Co-produced by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Pavement), and still anchored by the rock-solid drumming of Shawn Devlin and the increasingly assertive bass of Ash Bowie (also of Polvo), The Magic City is an incredibly courageous step forward for HELIUM, and possibly the most unusual record we’ve heard all year. A landmark album that will have an impact comparable to Tapestry or The Modern Dance.

HELIUM are:

Mary Timony - guitar, vocals, Chamberlin, harpsichord
Ash Bowie - bass, Viceroy, keyboards, and everything on "Medieval People"
Shawn Devlin - drums, drums, and more drums

with Mitch Easter (pedal steel, slide guitar, mandolin, percussion) and Andrew Emmett (violin), Ken Wilmot (trumpet)

No Guitars April 8, 1997

No Guitars finds the Boston trio taking a gigantic step forward stylistically and emotionally. This all-new five-song EP in fact contains Plenty Of Guitars, but also showcases Mary Timony’s fragile voice and beautifully fractured pop songwriting in far more complex arrangements. Organ, gong, moog, banjo, tom-toms, ukelele, strings and a full horn section anchored by Timony’s trombonist brother flesh out the sound and add an exciting new edge to Timony’s rhythmically juddering melodies. Produced by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let’s Active, Pavement) and engineered by Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let’s Active, Pavement), No Guitars is a fabulous introduction to Helium’s sophomore sound, and a taster for their upcoming August full-length album on Matador (which will contain all-new songs again).

Superball September 19, 1995

The supercool, would-be pop smasheroo from The Dirt of Luck, plus four new songs ("What Institution...," "Lucky Charm," "Elephant," and "Do You Think You’ll Die.") on the CD5 (the 7" has one extra track, "What Institution..."). Engineered by some guy from the Dentaldams (sorry, that’s Dambuilders).

We will never use the word "smasheroo" again, unless of course it is the name of a cuddly animal, such as a kangaroo that’s been hit by a truck.

Buy now! One of Shawn Devlin’s organs will be given away with a random copy of the CD!

The Dirt of Luck March 21, 1995

Entertainment Weekly says Helium ought to play the main stage at Lollapalooza ’95. Too bad they don’t booking the show, huh? 1995 sees the Boston-based trio changing their sound (Dirt is a far more expansive, ambitious work than Pirate Prude ) and lineup (bassist Ash Bowie, also of Polvo, is much taller than Brian Dunton). Other pertinent data: the album was recorded at Studio Red from July-November 1994, produced and engineered by Adam "Red" Lasus.

On the heels of the "Pat’s Trick" single, we’re certain this album will make a tremendous impact, particularly if it is dropped from the roof of a big building.

“Pat’s Trick” b/w “Ghost Car” December 5, 1994

Dramatic changes in sound from the Pirate Prude EP do not disguise Helium’s essential Feuchtigkeit. Rattling sheet-metal percussion (think Still or early Cab Volt), Mary Timony’s vocals more focused but as dry and beautiful as ever, tape loops and shimmering, elusive guitar curl over two precise pop smashes. We’re not even gonna mention Timony’s angry lyrics about disempowerment and the shackles of gender. Just a hint of the greatness of the full-length album to follow, Helium’s new material is less brutal, more gripping and everyone’s favorite at the Matador office.

Helium have been regrouping to add new bassist Ash from Polvo, and "Pat’s Trick" was recorded virtually entirely by Mary Timony alone (is this a trend?).

Pirate Prude March 8, 1994

Mary Timony’s unusually original voice floats over discomfitingly brutal stop-start song structures in an aching search for oblivion. "Less an EP than a set of three singles," says Timony. Songs about frustration, anger and disempowerment. They have toured the country, they have videos on MTV, Mary receives XXX letters every day, and still - The music just gets better!!

TIMELINE

1929 - Autoclave guitarist/vocalist Mary Timony celebrates stock market crash by leaving Washington D.C. to check out bread lines in Boston. Meets former Dumptruck bassist Brian Dunton and drummer Shawn Devlin in a Walpole soup kitchen. Shortly afterwards, the trio begins playing as a backing troupe for Jason Hatfield (who soon leaves to begin fierce war with the McCoys).

1933 - After negative review in Variety points out that "indie rock has not been invented yet," Timony and team of MIT scientists construct a time machine. Early efforts to travel backwards in time fail miserably (several researchers are eaten by dinosaurs), however a second trip, this time 59 years into the future, is a success.

1992 - Newly dubbed "Helium," the group begins playing around the eastern USA. Audiences, captivated by the unusual combination of guitar overdrive, downbeat pacing and lyrical insight, are completely unaware that the band are in fact, visitors from another time. A debut single, "The American Jean," b/w "Termite Tree" is released on Dunton’s Warped label and begins to attract so much radio and press attention that before long, the group refuse to perform either song.

1993 - Dates around the east coast supporting stadium rockers like Belly, Juliana Hatfield, Liz Phair, Polvo, Tommy Dorsey (I think this was from the old lineup) begin to attract the attention of RECORD INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. Some of these R.I.P.’s are so enthusiastic, they pool their resources and fly Helium to London. The American Embassy secures the band’s release, however, just in time for Helium to return to home and release their second single, "Hole In The Ground" b/w "Lucy" (Pop Narcotic).

1994 - Helium mistakenly sign to Matador, confusing the label name and logo with that of Mammoth. A six-song EP, recorded with longtime fan and friend Adam Lasus (previous credits include Versus, Madder Rose and some stuff we’re not gonna mention) is scheduled for February release, then pushed back when Mary insists that her head isn’t blurry enough. Technicians correct the error, the EP comes out on March 8. A video for "XXX" is filmed and directed by former Volcano Suns/Sorry guitarist David Kleiler, and features the demolition of an entire building (thanks to the budget oversight, the band are now $2,000,000 in debt).

Mary Timony - guitar, vocals
Shawn Devlin - drums
Brian Dunton - bass