The Movielife

The Movielife: Forty-Hour Train Back To PennForty-Hour Train Back To Penn (2003)
Drive-Thru Records

Reviewer Rating: 4

User Rating:

Contributed by: ThisIsNotEmoThisIsNotEmo
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on March 11th 2003I've seen these guys live twice before, and they weren't bad but I was never really into them. I heard their CD's before, but never really gave them a fair chance due to the fact that their live show didn't wow me. Moving on to this CD, don't get me wrong, this CD probably won't make my top ten .

I've seen these guys live twice before, and they weren't bad but I was never really into them. I heard their CD's before, but never really gave them a fair chance due to the fact that their live show didn't wow me.

Moving on to this CD, don't get me wrong, this CD probably won't make my top ten list, but I do admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I really didn't expect that much from this CD, but it will be getting some playing time next to the regular rotation of Pedro the Lion & the new Haunted CD (yes I have diverse tastes).

If you're not familiar with this band, The Movielife like most bands on their record label, drive-thru have a sound that is best described as pop-punk. One aspect of this CD that I enjoy is that the singer isn't extremely nasal, like Rufio and NFG. He isn't Pavarotti, but his voice is relatively distinctive with ever so slight amounts of east coast hardcore influence, unique articulations, and voice fluctuations.

The vocal lines or melodies are not overly catchy, but are well-written, and have been re-worked into a sound that is more (dare I say that misused, lousy cop-out reviewer term? yes I do) "mature" than their previous efforts. Also, the guitar riffs aren't just chuga-chuga-chuga-chuga, they vary a bit, and keep the music interesting. Finally, since the CD is once again done at Salad Days [thrice, cave in, hot water music (very good bands)], the sound of the snare is just right.

So, get past your biased Drive-Thru scene-ster hatred, don't try to be too cool, get past your assumptions of pop-punk, and give the new Movielife a shot, I'm happy i did!

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (June 20, 2005)

If there was one band that I wish could get back together, The Movielife would most definetly be one of them. If you're a fan of these guys make sure you check out Drive Thru's "I am the avalanche"
-chris

Anonymous (June 6, 2004)

That EP was one of their worst releases, this i way better.

Anonymous (August 19, 2003)

this cd blows. ever since their last ep these guys have been terrible. no wonder their guitarist quit- if you want to buy this, punch yourself and just listen to this time next year

Anonymous (March 18, 2003)

this review is for a movielife cd, how did glassjaw and finch and rx bandits get mentioned. while glassjaw and finch may be friends and from the same area, glassjaw's music is far superior to finch's. worship and tribute owns anything finch has ever or ever will produce. and yes, you can criticize a band for the label that they are on. some of us don't want to be running into 14 year old girls at shows.

Anonymous (March 15, 2003)

finchjaw is jock rock... find some better music to listen to.

and stop using the word 'gay'... it only proves that nobody on here is over 16.

Anonymous (March 13, 2003)

Movielife blows. I tried to like this album, but I couldn't do it. It's just crap. Typical Drive-Thru crap. DTR doesn't even have any real stand out bands besides Finch, Home Grown and the RX Bandits. I can't figure out what's worse, AFI's new album or this shit. Not to mention, some of Movielife's lyrics are cheesy as all hell.

As much as I love Finch (they're my favorite band) whoever mentioned that Nate acts like Daryl from GJ is right. The first minute or so of their new song "Worms Of The Earth" has Glassjaw written all over it.

Finch comes off more as hard-rock than anything else though. The only real punk-pop songs they have are "Letters To You" and "Stay With Me".

But damn, they put on one helluva show.

this score is for the real deals: Finch and Glassjaw.

Anonymous (March 13, 2003)

nah - finch tries way too hard to be like glassjaw. you can see it mostly in nate from finch. he's tries so hard to be daryl palumbo from gj. he needs to fucking be his own person- thats just gay...

Anonymous (March 13, 2003)

To the angry guy who lost his caps lock key and thinks punknews.org is bad for not telling people the label name. Everyone already knows it's drive thru records. In the review and comments drive thru is mentioned. When I read a positive review and decide to look up the band to hear more I go by the band name rather than label anyway. It's a small protest that doesn't make that much of a difference, and two positive reviews of this album have already been posted. Get over yourself.

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

i'll admit, there are similarities between finch and glassjaw, for example, the lead singer of GJ sings on finchs new album, but i'd have to say glassjaw sounds more like at the drive in/deftones and finch is more like taking back sunday/newfoundglory with a heavier edge. movielife sound like neither band. they are great live but just kinda remind me of a raw, more straight forward (more punk maybe) version of NFG. their ok, but nothing spectacular. nothing shitty, but nothing really outstanding. great live.

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

glassjaw blows finch out of the water. as a matter of fact, everyone blows finch out of the water. the new movielife album is good, much better than that last ep.

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

Glassjaw sounds like Finch, or it could be the otherway around. Either way, they're both just alright. This band sucks now though.

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

yeah i know finch are as good as the movielife... the first rx bandits record is just lame but the second one kicks ass. but the movielife is better.....

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

I really liked this album, although I wish they would go back and blend a little more hardcore in like "...this time next year," that was a great disc. The Movielife isn't one of the bands on DTR that should be written off just because they're on DTR. They're really nice guys too, and since I saw them on their second west coast show a while back, they've really improved their live show tenfold. And on top of that, they're really nice guys.

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

which label they're on that is...

Bowen

Anonymous (March 12, 2003)

The Movielife, Finch, and Glassjaw are all kickass bands, the best of which is......The Movielife. Why is "It's Something" the "hit" track? It's not even the single/video/whatever else song..."Jamestown" is. This band has paid their dues, toured their asses of and their sound has developed into what became this album, this is the best work that The Movielife has ever put out, and it sucks that people will judge and even hate them because of which label their own, now that is some real bullshit.

Bowen

waste_elite (March 11, 2003)

"this site" didn't write the review, it was user submitted