Movie Club is an instrumental rock duo formed in 2018 out of Venice Beach, California, that’s back with its sophomore LP, Great White. Comprised of Jessamyn Violet on drums and Vince Cuneo on guitar, Movie Club’s Great White also features some special guests, such as Tim Lefebvre on bass and David Ralicke on horns and flute. The record was released on December 12th, and the ten rocking tracks are worth checking out.
True to its name, Movie Club has become known almost as much for its stunning music videos as its music. Drawing from their deep love of film, the band produces and directs their own cinematic music videos to illustrate their visual and artistic influences. Being based so close to Hollywood might also have something to do with this.
Their most recent music video for “Trap Door” was released in July 2021, shot by Dustin Downing and Brian Feinzimer against the wild terrain of Salton Sea, California, and it won “Best Music Video” at the 2022 Istanbul Film Awards. You can check out the band’s music videos on their website here.
Movie Club is also known for its captivating live performances. Over the last few years, the band has had residencies in downtown Los Angeles at House of Machines, in Brooklyn at C’Mon Everybody, and most recently, its “Psychedelic Circus” residency at Harvard & Stone in Hollywood.
The duo arranges special guest instrumentalists and sit-ins with performers of various artistic disciplines, including spoken word, burlesque dancers, vocalists, clowns, and magicians. Sounds like a good time!
Movie Club has headlined several regional tours, including a national book/band tour for the release of drummer Jessamyn Violet’s debut novel, Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar (Three Rooms Press, 2023). The tour included historic venues across the U.S., like The Viper Room and The Bitter End.
On their new LP, Great White, Movie Club flexes its muscles as purveyors of psychedelic rock instrumentals. The album consists of ten tracks and a tightly packaged runtime of thirty-two minutes and seven seconds, with track highlights including “Spinner,” “Tiger,” and “Goblin.”
Maybe it’s their love of film, but the instrumental tunes feel cinematic in scope, even though the runtimes rarely exceed four minutes. For example, “Spinner” brings a surf-rock vibe that seems natural to a Venice Beach-based band but rocks harder than your average surf-rock song. “Tiger” is the longest song at nearly five minutes and is more atmospheric than the harder-rocking “Spinner.” The track includes an interesting ambient breakdown midway through, as well.
My other two favorites included “Goblin” and “Kitefin.” “Goblin” begins with what sounds like a field recording from a swamp, conjuring images of a classic horror B movie. The short track and its dramatic keyboard playing set an ominous mood. “Kitefin” is a more standard psych-rock instrumental, but the riffs and structure of the jam are anything but run-in-the-mill.
Movie Club’s Great White is an excellent pick for Third Eye readers looking for psychedelic rock instrumental music that’s at turns hard-rocking and haunting. Check out the band’s cool music videos and dig into their previous work, including their 2021 EP, Fangtooth, and 2020 LP, Flamingo. Enjoy!
Check out Great White by Movie Club on Bandcamp here.
Support Movie Club by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Instagram, Facebook).
Consider supporting The Third Eye on Patreon.
Sign up for email updates from The Third Eye below:
Leave a Reply