Midlake

Midlake is an American alternative rock band from Denton, Texas.

Band History

Midlake was founded by a group of jazz students from the University of North Texas. The original lineup consisted of Tim Smith, McKenzie Smith, Paul Alexander, Eric Nichelson, and Evan Jacobs. Your first musical experiments were under the band name The Cornbread All-Stars and instead consisted of funk and jazz improvisations, which were heavily influenced by Herbie Hancock.

After the radio wave had subsided, the band decided to move closer to the pop music. Tim Smith began writing songs that were influenced by bands like Radiohead, Travis and Grandaddy. At about this time, Evan Jacobs decided to move to Austin music to reorient themselves. Eric Nichelson took over his role on the keyboard.

Jason Upshaw, a friend of the band, joined the group and took some guitar parts. The recordings of the material from this period, referred to as The Panhandle sessions, but were never released because the band believed to have evolved over the material out. Soon Jason Upshaw was replaced by Eric Pulido, a longtime friend of the drummer McKenzie Smith, so that the current lineup had found. Jason Upshaw but remained the band as a manager and a press photographer get. Most of the shots of the band come from him. 2001 brought the band self-distributed with Milkmaid Grand Army out their first EP, which was limited to 1000 copies.

In 2004, the British label Bella Union, the band signed and released her debut album Bamnan and Slivercork that had been added to her hometown Denton, Texas and mixed at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The band combined on the album Low Fidelity with psychedelic rock. 2006 was followed by the second release for Bella Union: The Trials of Van Occupanther. This recording continues a journey of self discovery with tones that leads back to the sounds of the 70s and is influenced by Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham. Now the band was also popular in Europe and played at festivals such as Les Inrockuptibles and winter case. In response to the growing awareness of the band released in 2006 a few EPs and remixes with extractions. Also the debut Milkmaid Grand Army was reissued. 2007 Midlake went on an extensive tour of the U.S. and Europe that brought them to Germany.

After the success of Occupanther album the band in the period that followed tried einzuspielen new songs. But because of the great expectation pressure, the work on the new songs more difficult than expected. The band wanted in no circumstances take a copy of their successful album, but strove for a new sound and a different mood. After nearly four years of project end of January 2010 appeared the new album The Courage of Others, in its entirety a rather dark, psychedelic and conceptual album.

Tim Smith left Midlake in November 2012.

Discography

Albums

  • 2004: Bamnan and Slivercork (Bella Union)
  • 2006: The Trials of Van Occupanther (Bella Union)
  • 2010: The Courage of Others (Bella Union)
  • 2013: Antiphon ( Pias Coop / Bella Union)

EPs

  • 2001: Milkmaid Grand Army (Bella Union)
  • 2005: Balloon Maker ( Bella Union)
  • 2006: Milkmaid Grand Army ( Basement Front Records)
  • 2007: Milkmaid Grand Army (Bella Union)
  • 2007: Oak & Julian (Bella Union)

Singles

  • 2004: Kingfish Pies (Bella Union)
  • 2005: Balloon Maker ( Bella Union)
  • 2006: Head Home (Bella Union)
  • 2006: Roscoe (Bella Union)
  • 2006: Young Bride (Bella Union)
  • 2009: Acts of Man / Rulers, Ruling All Things ( Bella Union)
  • 2010: Children of the Grounds (Bella Union)
  • 2011: Am I Going Insane (Late Night Tales )

Documents

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