MS MR is a musical duo hailing from New York consisting of singer Lizzy Plapinger (the MS) and producer Max Hershenow (the MR). Their alt/indie sound possesses a macabre tone made with electro-baroque instrumentals and grim lyrics, drawing comparisons to Florence + the Machine and Lana Del Rey, among others. Although still relatively obscure, they received a Colbert Bump when their song "Bones" was featured in a trailer for the third season of Game of Thrones.
Discography
- Candy Bar Creep Show (EP) (2012)
- Secondhand Rapture (2013)
- How Does It Feel (2015)
Tropes
- Album Title Drop: Included in all the dark non sequiturs in "Bones" is the phrase "candy bar creep show".
- Break-Up Song:
- "Dark Doo Wop" is about wanting to destroy the relationship, since it's unhealthy for both.
- "Think Of You" is a "don't want you back" song, an introspective on how her lover had put her through hell during their time together.
- Escapism: "Fantasy" is about being disconnected from real life, and discovering that reality doesn't match up to fantasy.
- Intercourse with You:
- "Head Is Not My Home", although the "my mouth, your lips, your hands, my hips" part can be interpreted as slow dancing.
- "BTSK" of the "awkward teenagers" kind.
- Kaleidoscope Hair: Lizzy, so very much.
- Madness Mantra: "What did you think would happen? What did you think would happen? What did you think would happen?"
- Non-Appearing Title:
- "Ash Tree Lane".
- "Btsk", with its closest appearance in the song being "big teeth small kiss".
- "Tripolar"
- Shout-Out: One line in" "Bones" is "dark twisted fantasy" turned into reality.
- "Ash Tree Lane" is titled after the street the house in House of Leaves is on.
- And the second verse of "Salty Sweet" opens with "Solemnly swear I am up to no good".
- Surreal Music Video:
- The video for "Fantasy" incorporates plenty of strange imagery, including cheerleaders vomiting glitter and Lizzy taking a call in a smoke-filled phonebooth.
- The second video for "Hurricane" is even more surreal, including the band in Body Paint, characters covered in brightly colored slime, a girl picking flower petals from her pants, a gymnast covered in heart-shaped glitter, a woman with four eyes, and so far. It's a scrapbook of misfits.
- Unholy Matrimony: "Criminals" seems to be about this sort of couple.