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E. A Solinas | MD USA | 10/30/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Back to the Sixties

Steven Moore | Ann Arbor, MI USA | 09/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Best Album of 2004

Max Pax | Belgium | 11/21/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I got this album for 4 months now, and it's still highly recommended. They have one of the most original sounds of todays music. 'Blue Babies' grew on me, and it's also really good. Gina has a sweet, slightly numbing voice, so it's an excellent CD if you need to calm down, or just chill. I also have the enchanted version with an extra track on it. It's called 'Breathing In Dust' and I must say it's one of my favourites on this CD. This comes with high recommendations.



EDIT: Oh, and it does sound like Broadcast's Haha Sound (thanks for referring to that album in the review above this one, I hadn't heard of them before), so Midnight Movies might not be as original as I thought first. But I still love it, and even if they sound alot like Broadcast, they still add something to their music. Check this album and Broadcast's Haha Sound out, they're both top quality.."