Monster Movie (band)

Last updated

Monster Movie
Origin Asheville, North Carolina and London, England
Genres Dream pop, alternative rock, electronica, indie rock
Years active1989 (1989)–present
LabelsClairecords, Alison Records, Graveface

Monster Movie is a British dream pop band originally formed by Christian Savill and Sean Hewson in 1989.

Contents

The band reformed in 1999, with Rachel Goldstar. In 2009, Ryan Graveface and Sophie Pittaway made recording contributions. In 2011, seeking to do more live performances, Gregg Cox and Sam Williams joined on bass and drums, respectively.

Savill previously played as guitarist in shoegazing band Slowdive, until he left shortly before they changed musical direction and became Mojave 3. Both Savill and Hewson had played together in the pre-Slowdive band Eternal. They released one single on Sarah Records in 1990.

In September 2009, Monster Movie announced the completion of their album Everyone Is A Ghost. The album was released by Graveface Records in March 2010. [1] Along with occasional radio airplay on Seattle's KEXP, DJ John Richards described their debut album as "very beautiful, jangly atmospheric pop featuring smoothly strummed guitar." [2]

Notable performance

Discography

Albums

EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stabbing Westward</span> American industrial rock band

Stabbing Westward is an American industrial rock band. Christopher Hall and Walter Flakus formed the band in 1985 in Macomb, Illinois. The band released an extended play in 1992, followed by four studio albums: Ungod (1994), Wither Blister Burn & Peel (1996), Darkest Days (1998), and Stabbing Westward (2001). The band announced a dissolution on February 9, 2002. Two compilation albums were later released in 2003. Stabbing Westward reunited in 2016 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its formation and continued to perform live shows. The band's first new album in 21 years, Chasing Ghosts, was released in 2022.

Shoegaze is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. It emerged in Ireland and the United Kingdom in the late 1980s among neo-psychedelic groups who usually stood motionless during live performances in a detached, non-confrontational state. The name comes from the heavy use of effects pedals, as the performers were often looking down at their pedals during concerts.

<i>Souvlaki</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Slowdive

Souvlaki is the second studio album by English rock band Slowdive. It was recorded in 1992, and released on 1 June 1993 by Creation Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slowdive</span> British shoegaze band

Slowdive are a British rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. The band consists of Rachel Goswell on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Neil Halstead on vocals and guitar, Christian Savill on guitar, Nick Chaplin on bass guitar and Simon Scott on drums, all of whom have played on the band's debut studio album Just for a Day (1991). Halstead is the band's primary songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Jurado</span> American singer-songwriter

Damien Troy Jurado is an American singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington, United States. Over the years, he has released albums on Sub Pop, Secretly Canadian, Loose, and is currently on his own label Maraqopa Records.

Dreamend is an American, Savannah-based shoegazer musical group signed to Graveface Records, whose music is characterized by textured guitar work and prominent drums and percussion. Song styles range from post-rock to bluegrass. The group has been compared to groups such as Mono and Explosions in the Sky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Goswell</span> British singer-songwriter

Rachel Ann Goswell is an English singer-songwriter and musician who rose to prominence as vocalist and guitarist of the shoegaze band Slowdive, which formed in 1989. Goswell, along with Neil Halstead, Ian McCutcheon and former Chapterhouse member Simon Rowe became Mojave 3 when Slowdive transitioned to a more country/folk rock style. She released a solo album in 2004, titled Waves Are Universal on 4AD Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Schaff</span>

William J. Schaff Jr. is an artist and musician based in Warren, Rhode Island and Oakland, California. He is known for artwork for the bands Okkervil River, Songs: Ohia, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haley McCallum</span> American singer-songwriter

Haley McCallum, professionally known as Haley and formerly Haley Bonar, is a Canadian-born American singer and songwriter who was raised in Rapid City, South Dakota. She has lived in Duluth and currently St. Paul, Minnesota. In 2009, she moved to Portland, Oregon, where she spent a year writing songs for her 2011 album Golder. She plays acoustic guitar, baritone electric guitar, electric guitar, and Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric piano, either solo or with her Twin Cities-based band, including Jeremy Ylvisaker, Robert Skoro, and Jacob Hanson.

<i>Just for a Day</i> 1991 studio album by Slowdive

Just for a Day is the debut studio album by English rock band Slowdive. It was released on 2 September 1991 by Creation Records.

The Little Ones is an indie pop band based in Los Angeles, California. The music of the band, which features tambourines and handclaps, has garnered comparisons to 1960s pop bands such as The Beach Boys, The Zombies, The Kinks, modern-day pop group The Shins, and the Elephant Six collective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Moth Super Rainbow</span> American experimental electronic band

Black Moth Super Rainbow is an American psychedelic electronic indie rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. BMSR is a solo music project created by Thomas Fec, who is also known as Tobacco. Fec writes, records, and produces the work of BMSR independently. As a live performance it features members Tobacco whose vocals are altered via a vocoder, synth players The Seven Fields of Aphelion and Pony Diver, drummer Iffernaut, and bassist STV SLV.

Math and Physics Club are an American indie pop band based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Its members are Charles Bert and Ethan Jones. James Werle played lead guitar until he died in 2018. Kevin Emerson (drums) continues to play on recordings though no longer a full time member of the band. The band has released three EPs and four full-length albums on Santa Barbara-based Matinee Recordings, with UK distribution on Fika Recordings. They are often associated with Australian labelmates The Lucksmiths and twee pop band Tullycraft, and Pitchfork Media described their work as "music to hold hands to" after The Lucksmiths' song on the album "Why That Doesn't Surprise Me".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Sight Below</span> Musical artist

The Sight Below is an American ambient techno/shoegaze act from Seattle, Washington. Its main member is the American post-minimalist composer Rafael Anton Irisarri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty Willoughby</span> American musician

Rusty Willoughby is an American musician born in Staten Island and currently living in Vashon, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. As of 2011, he has been vocalist, songwriter and guitarist or bass guitarist for several Seattle based bands: Pure Joy, Flop (1990–1995), Llama (2005–2008), and Cobirds Unite (2010–). He also briefly played drums for the Fastbacks. He also played with Kurt Bloch of the Fastbacks, Jonathan Poneman, and Scott Sutherland in a Cheap Trick cover band called Sick Man of Europe, and appeared in the film Hype!, a documentary directed about the popularity of grunge rock.

Destroyalldreamers was a Canadian four-piece instrumental post-rock band from Montreal consisting of guitarists Eric Quach and Mathieu Grisé, drummer Shaun Doré and former bassist Michèle Martin. Their sound has often been described as a mix of classic 1990s shoegazing with Godspeed You! Black Emperor-like aesthetics. They released two full-length studio albums, both of them on Montreal's independent record label Where Are My Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Union Trade</span> American indie rock band

The Union Trade is an American Indie rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 2006. An early and leading member of the Bay Area post-rock scene, The Union Trade is also the founding band of San Francisco independent music label, Tricycle Records. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Nate Munger, Don Joslin (guitar), and Eric Salk. The founding drummer was Dan Rodkewich. The band's current drummer, Eitan Anzenberg, has been with the band since 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Of Monsters and Men</span> Icelandic folk-rock band

Of Monsters and Men is an Icelandic indie folk/rock band formed in Garðabær in 2010. The members are lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer and guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, lead guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson. The band won the Músíktilraunir in 2010, an annual battle of the bands competition in Iceland. In 2011, Of Monsters and Men released an EP titled Into the Woods. The band's 2011 debut album My Head Is an Animal, reached the No.1 position in Australia, Iceland, Ireland and the US Rock and Alternative charts, while peaking at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, No. 3 in the UK, and Top 20 of most European charts and Canada. Its lead single "Little Talks" was an international success, reaching the Top 10 in most music charts in Europe, including No. 1 in Ireland and Iceland, and No. 1 on US Alternative Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whirr</span> American shoegaze band

Whirr is a shoegaze band from Modesto, California. The group formed in 2010, originally as Whirl, but had to legally change its name after a woman performing acoustic covers of Black Sabbath songs trademarked the name and threatened a lawsuit. Whirr's shoegaze sound is often compared to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Founding guitarist Nick Bassett also played in the band Deafheaven surrounding and including the release of their 2011 album Roads to Judah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Savill</span> Musical artist

Christian Savill is an English musician best known for his work as guitarist of Slowdive.

References

  1. Ramirez, AJ (16 June 2010). "Monster Movie: Everyone Is a Ghost". Monster Movie: Everyone Is a Ghost. PopMatters. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  2. Richards, John (15 February 2002). "KEXP 90.3 FM - Album Review". www.kexp.org. KEXP. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  3. "A Short History of Eternal and the Birth of Monster Movie". www.souvlakispacestation.com. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.