Named after an elderly shop owner from their home of State College, Pennsylvania, Ethel Meserve's complex structure of abrasive guitars and screamy vocals helped contribute to the genre of "math rock" in which the likes of Fugazi, Kerosene 454, Slint and June of 44 first established. Two years after they first got together, Ethel Meserve debuted with the "Pierman"/ "Paladin Time" single in 1996 which was shortly followed by a split with Giant's Chair a year later. With both of these singles released on Tree Records, Ethel Meserve continued their relationship with the label by putting out their first full length The Milton Abandonment in 1997. However, shortly after their tour with the likes of The Get Up Kids and Braid, Ethel Meserve call it in 1998. Their sophomore effort Spelling the Names was released in mid-2000. ~ Mike DaRonco, Rovi
