Midnight Movies

Midnight Movies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Emperor Norton
• ASIN: B0002T2R7I
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,262 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Watch "Movies", October 29, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Midnight Movies (Audio CD)

I apologize in advance for the horrible joke I'm about to make: Definitely watch the "Midnight Movies," because this Los Angeles band has unique talent. Okay, horrible joke over -- but the self-titled debut brims over with moody, gritty psychedelic rock and throaty Nico-esque vocals.

Their sound is established in "Persimmon Tree," with a shadowy, swirling growl of bass and guitar; that mix of garage rock grit and psychedelic woo-woos is carried over into songs like the funereal rocker "Oh Twilight" and eerie "Strange Design," which explodes into sputtering bass chaos at the finale. Even quiet songs explode sooner or later.

Only two songs are really pop -- "Words for a Love Song" and "Tide and Sun," both as light and crystalline as a snowflake. And the garage rock sound runs like an underground river through all of "Midnight Movies." Some songs like "Human Mind" are almost pure rock, with only a few sonic flourishes. Even as garage rock goes, these are solid songs.

Garage rock is usually pretty gritty. But Midnight Movies don't let what every other band does determine what they do. Their grinding sound is tinged with art-rock, laced with electronica. In a nutshell, it's immensely original without being unfamiliar.

Musically it's almost impossible to get bored by "Midnight Movies." The band can switch gears smoothly -- one minute it's swirling psychedelic pop, then the hard-rockin' guitars, strong drums and bass kick in. And to add to the murky atmosphere, there are stretches of electronic psychedelica that soften and expand the garage-rock sound.

Gena Olivier has a great voice for this music -- it's as dark, murky and magnificent as their music. She also has a vocal resemblance to Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico, although a little more flexible and not as deep. And she can bring all the songs to life -- even "Words for a Love Song," which goes: "Captured/consumed/cherish/flirt." Sounds positively ominous when Olivier sings it.

Keep an eye on the "Midnight Movies." This moody, dark indie-rock is mesmerizingly original, and definitely one of the better albums of 2004.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rock then Roll, September 1, 2004

By 

Dee (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Midnight Movies (Audio CD)

This is the music we've been waiting for! New, fresh and hauntingly different from anything out there. One minute you're rocking your body to the heavy drums, guitar and keyboard combinations and the next your head is rolling with the suductive vocals lulling you into a trance-like state that lets you step into another dimension for a few moments. If you want an otherworldy experience with no dangerous re-entry risk. . . . give this a listen.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Back to the Sixties, September 16, 2004

By 

Steven Moore (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Midnight Movies (Audio CD)

This is more retro than I had been led to believe, like Stereolab masquerading as one of the artier psychedelic bands of the 60s, like Ultimate Spinach. But very groovy. The female singer--no names are given, nor a photo of the band, which lost them a star--has a voice almost as low as Nico's, and the predominance of minor chords gives the music a dark feel. The guitarist is a great mimic of 60s guitar sounds; I heard echoes of the Electric Prunes and Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, among others. And is that a Vox Continental organ I hear occasionally? Recommend to people who like the "Nuggets" compilations.