by Denise SullivanMiracle Legion were a Connecticut-based band that immediately sprung to life on the heels of post-R.E.M. guitar-rock boom, chiefly because lead singer Mark Mulcahys voice bore an uncanny resemblance to Michael Stipes, and the arpeggio guitar structures were akin to Peter Bucks. But the band, Ray Neal; guitar, Jeff Wiederschall; drums and Steven West; bass, and later just Mulcahy and Neal ultimately became unique in their own right.The Backyard EP, released by the small Incas Records in 1984, was an immediate college radio hit, and the band rode high on its popularity for some time. It took until 1987 to get Surprise Surprise Surprise out on Rough Trade, and they were unable to captilize on the initial buzz; the tone was no longer so sprightly. 1988s Glad was a collection of originals and some live tracks recorded with Pere Ubu. By 1989, Mulcahy and guitarist Ray Neal were working as a duo and released Me and Mr. Ray a savvy acoustic album on Rough Trade. Having abandoned the R.E.M. sound, the band found their own direction as a country-rock duo. Mulcahy continues to perform as a solo acoustic artist.