Miracle Legion was a Connecticut-based college rock band begun in 1984, consisting of singer Mark Mulcahy, guitarist Mr. Ray Neal, drummer Jeff Wiederschall, and bassist Steven West. In their early stages they received constant comparisons to R.E.M., more in their presence, and over all sound and less about their songs or lyrical content. Other than a few similar sounding songs, the respective bands' sounds were largely dissimilar lyrically and musically, and as time progressed, the comparisons became less valid. Their first released EP, The Backyard, was released by Incas Records in 1984 and became a college radio hit. Their first full-length album, Surprise Surprise Surprise, was released in 1987 on Rough Trade Records. Released in 1988 was Glad, a mixture of new songs and live tracks (which included a guest appearance by Pere Ubu). With the departure of their rhythm section in 1988, Mulcahy and Neal changed the direction of the band, becoming a duo and touring as the opening act for The Sugarcubes. Their 1989 release of Me and Mr. Ray (recorded at Prince's Paisley Park Studios) led to the band finding a new rhythm section (drummer Scott Boutier and bassist Dave McCaffrey) and signing with the now defunct Morgan Creek label, who funded their 1992 album Drenched with producer John Porter (of Roxy Music and The Smiths note). In recent years, reruns of Pete & Pete on the Noggin channel has unexpectedly renewed interest (and led a new generation) to the music of Miracle Legion. The majority of their albums, however, remain out of print. (via Wikipedia)