Country : Canada Label : 604 Genres and styles : Alternative / Post-Punk / Shoegaze Year : 2024

MOVIELAND – Then & Now

· by Stephan Boissonneault

I wasn’t personally around for Vancouver’s 1990s shoegaze scene and had no idea who Movieland was until the album was sent to me, but after spinning the first three tracks, I immediately felt the sonic appeal. Grunge was obviously booming back in the Vancouver ’90s scene, with Seattle right next door, but a band like Movieland was hitting the same decibels in a more washed-out, jangly way. Think The Stone Roses with a hint of Slowdive and The Verve. I even hear a bit of The Brian Jonestown Massacre’s debut, Methodrone, though Movieland predates that release.

There’s quite a bit of unknown Canadian arts history surrounding Movieland. Founder/ guitarist-vocalist, Alan D. Boyd, briefly moved to Montreal to play bass in garage rock legends the Gruesomes before settling in Vancouver in 1991. He then met up with drummer Justin Leigh and bassist John Ounpuu (who eventually left Movieland to form the art pop rock band Pluto). Before that, Movieland recorded one four-song cassette called Then & Now at the now-defunct Downtown Studios in Vancouver. Soon after, Boyd moved into a little, but big derelict artist commune dubbed The Mansion. It was all sex, psychedelic drugs, and rock n’ roll while Movieland hosted heavy and loud rehearsal parties. If it wasn’t for The Mansion’s impressive soundproofing no one knew unless you were in the know. The expertly layered song “I Relate,” was tracked on a borrowed Tascam around one of these parties.

Movieland gained a little dedicated following, but the group never attained the proper exposure to continue and Boyd dissolved the band back in 1994. Such is the life of bands, but thanks to 604 Decades—a newly launched archival series within the venerated Canadian 604 Group—Then & Now is a compilation of all of Movieland’s material. It sounds very early ’90s, right down to the drum hits feeling far away and the 12-string guitar jangles being hugged by a pillow of tasty bass riffs. Boyd’s vocals recall all of the shoegaze greats, but really remind me of Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce, especially during the 7-and-a-half minute “(A Sort of) Icarus.” Who knows, perhaps this release will raise Movieland’s cult-like aesthetic onto a more modern crowd?

Latest 360 Content

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Subscribe to our newsletter