Midlake
Milkmaid Grand Army
© 2001 Midlake
CD OUT OF STOCK for re-production. Expect long delays.
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Lo-fi pop music with image rich vocals, brooding melodies, and playful, infectious beats.
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Midlake was conceived in the small, quirky Texas town of Denton. Five distinctly unique musicians from the North Texas School of Music worked together to invent and reinvent a sound, tapping into an arsenal of technical skill and unbridled creativity. In 2001, their self released EP, Milkmaid GrandArmy, sold over 1,000 copies based on the strength of their live show alone. It wasnt long before townspeople began talking.
The five boys from denton then retreated to their home to begin work on their next musical venture. Soon enough, Simon Raymonde (of the seminal band The Cocteau Twins) stumbled upon a copy of this work in progress and fell deeply in love with the band, signing them to his label, Bella Union Records. Midlake continued to work day and night on this endeavor to create what would become their debut album. They recorded and mixed at their home in Denton, and mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London. A child of incredible vision, talent, dedication, and eccentricity, they named it Bamnan and Slivercork.
Midlake was soon invited across the seas to play for people everywhere. They wooed the masses at the Les Inrockuptibles Festival in France and impassioned crowds at the Wintercase Festival in Spain. The anticipation for the release of Bamnan and Slivercork grew and grew,
and the band continued to overwhelm crowds with their original sound : a delicious psych-pop tone combined with emotional complexity and textural innovation.. somehow both uplifting and melancholy, invigorating and calming.
Bamnan and Slivercork will be released on Bella Union Records in April 2004.
reviews
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- author: CD Baby
With their playful, wistful and deliciously psychedelic tone, distorted, buzzy and pleasantly crackly, yet ultimately poppy (in the vein of Brit pop) composition, Midlake cuddles up to the the likes of the Flaming Lips and Grandaddy in musical vision and as whole, will undoubtedly thrill the fan of Radiohead or Rufus Wainwright as well. They seem to have a bottomless source of creativity, surprising emotional complexity, an unusual talent for production choices and textural innovation, that track after track, never loses its kinetic energy. Catering to the well-developed palate for indie fuzz, emo, and psychedelic Brit pop, this is one of the most memorable and solid albums to dance its way into the warehouse in quite some time.
- author: Tamara Turner, CD Baby.com
With their playful, wistful and deliciously psychedelic tone, distorted, buzzy and pleasantly crackly, yet ultimately poppy (in the vein of Brit pop) composition, Midlake cuddles up to the the likes of the Flaming Lips and Grandaddy in musical vision and as whole, will undoubtedly thrill the fan of Radiohead or Rufus Wainwright as well. They seem to have a bottomless source of creativity, surprising emotional complexity, an unusual talent for production choices and textural innovation, that track after track, never loses its kinetic energy. Catering to the well-developed palate for indie fuzz, emo, and psychedelic Brit pop, this is one of the most memorable and solid albums to dance its way into the warehouse in quite some time.
melancholy -- but not enough to bring you down
author: Score! Music MagazineI dig everything from the murmury underwater vocals that remind of The Beatles, to the straightforward not-too-technical or over-thought "She Removes Her Spiral Hair," and the smart lyrics displayed throughout the EP. "Excited But Not Enough" lends a more modern style with fuzzy guitars while "Roller Skate" has a bit of (*grimace*) The Vines, but it works for them. There's obviously a very strong 60s influence and a sound that borders on melancholy -- but not enough to bring you down.
Unpolished Songs of Integrity
author: Bruce Lomet (CHINASKI)This is some of the best music I have heard in a while. Milkmaid Grand Army is recorded in low-fi style, it's edgy, and boasts influences ranging from Doves to Clinic. It's poetry meets trip-hop. More impressive still is the playfulness found in every song. This album is a keeper - worth owning and sharing with your friends.
Dark, moody rock in the Radiohead style.
author: Brandon BaileyThe Milkmaid Grand Army EP could pass as the bridge between Radiohead's OK Computer and Kid A albums. Much like Radiohead, Midlake explores a darker side of the rock genre, using distinct layers and textures that one can actually feel. However, that's not to say they can't rock when they must, as song #1, She Removes Her Spiral Hair can attest. Big, popular band or not, this is one of the best albums I've heard in years, hands down.