This is the third entry in this week’s Three Stars local music roundup. Check out Tuesday’s piece on Death By Sexy and yesterday’s take on Barakus. Today Jason Linkins spreads the news about Full Minute of Mercury. Pictures are from Full Minute of Mercury and Earlash, respectively.

Full Minute of Mercury
For many years, Washington’s most notable rock exports took the form of Dischordian austerity and the post-graduate sounds of the TeenBeat and Simple Machines family. And while the efforts of these bands have accorded DC its place in the annals of rock, it’s often come with a backhanded mock, such as the yearly “Down With Fugazi” article the City Paper keeps recycling or the criticism of “sterility” offered by Michael Azzerad in his book Our Band Could Be Your Life.

Circa now, fortunately, local bands are on the rise challenging the hegemony of the past decade. One area band that’s resolutely blazing their own unique trail across today’s soundscape are Full Minute Of Mercury, who, to date, have not penned a single song about the evils of gentrification. And that’s a good thing. The sextet instead commit themselves to id-driven, metal-tinged rock that can save the flaccid souls of just about anyone from The Hill’s “50 Most Beautiful People” list. Of course, we read Pitchfork’s review of the Diamond Night’s EP—we’re fully aware that many of you indie purists scoff at the idea that rock music is supposed to be “fun.” Well, we all have to walk our own path in life, but remember: in the hour of your death, you will cry and you will plead to have all the time you spent listening to Animal Collective back. Know what? They aren’t going to give it to you. You’ve been warned.