Music
Press
"...the religiosity of down south collided with a full throttle rock band creating a haunting spiritually engrossing psychedelic rock experience...Every single song unique and larger than life with their densely layered guitar riffs, dual drum tribal beats and bold melodic full band harmonies that enveloped the howl of Fulbright." - The Tripwire
“Heaven is an appropriate title for such an enlightening, beautifully lush set, with washy guitars and dozens of vocals, recalling acts like Spiritualized. Fulbright attests that this, and Midnight Masses on the whole, is the result of tragedy turned inspiration. His father –a minister & fanatical music fan –passed away just prior to last year’s SXSW, and from that emotional outpouring came lyrical passion and cathartic performances.” - Billboard
"Lush and washy. If Billie Holiday were to sing with The Doors, the outcome might sound something like this.
- Wired Magazine
“Brooding and open, daring and depressing and inside of it there’s no escaping.” - Daytrotter
"Midnight Masses is a new side project from ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead multi-instrumentalist Jason Reece and Dragons of Zynth bassist Autry Fulbright. They'll open for Trail of Dead on tour this spring, and T.O.D.'s Conrad Keely will produce their debut album alongside TV on the Radio bassist Gerard Smith. Pretty soon, every single cool-band sideman in Brooklyn will have something to do with this thing."
- Pitchfork
"Mellow, melodic, gospel-tinged rock with vocal harmonies."
- Dallas Observer
"Despair can be quieted by many things: friends, family, music and art. And thus, Midnight Masses began as an outlet for Autry Rene Fulbright's grief following his father's untimely death in 2008. Fulbright called on some of his closest friends to help him channel his grief, and they did so with reverb pedals, gospel choirs and instruments. The result is a short collection of songs that are equal parts uplifting and mournful...The short collection ends with a cover of Sonic Youth's, "Do You Believe In Rapture?,” which ends the album on a hopeful and uplifting note. When Fulbright croons, "Do you believe in second chance?" it is enough to make any listener say yes." - CMJ
"The massive side project is equal parts darkly Gothic and cathartic folk rock."
- Austin Sound Check
Discography
Heaven Tour 7" (digital/vinyl) - Released 3/10/09 - Self-released
Tracklisting:
1. Heaven
2. Deserter Song
3. Redemption Rain
Daytrotter Session
Tracklisting:
1. Burial Song
2. I Was A Desperate Man
3. Debtor's Song
4. Walk On Water
Rapture Ready, I Gazed At The Body - Release 12/08/09 - Collect Records/Team Love
Tracklisting:
1. Walk On Water (ft. Jaleel Bunton)
2. Preacher's Son
3. I Was A Desperate Man (ft. Katie Eastburn)
4. Do You Believe In Rapture?
Photos
Bio
Midnight Masses is an ever-expanding collective of mostly Brooklyn-based artists, led and formed by Autry Fulbright in the wake of his fathers untimely death. Fulbright began the project with cathartic, marathon recording sessions in Austin, Texas, alongside longtime-friend Jason Reece of Trail of Dead. But as the months wore on, the long-distance duo would bring more and more members into the fold.
Truly communal, the songs bear the mark of countless musicians, all shepherded under the watchful eye of Brooklyn-By-Way-Of-Bible-Belter Fulbright. Water features TV on the Radios Jaleel Bunton signing lead vocals on each verse, while Desperate Man finds Fulbright relinquishing lead duties to the milky-voiced Katie Eastburn. Longtime collaborators Conrad Keely and Kevin Allen of Trail of Dead both lend their talents to the record, on keys and guitar respectively. But the core of the group is Eric Rodgers (guitar/vocals), Miyuki Furtado (drums/bass/guitar/vocals), Danny Wood (bass/vocals), and Destiny Montague (guitar/vocals/percussion), a group of musicians able to make songs about death sound unmistakably alive, emerging as a tangle of dark hued soul, yearning minimalism and warmly reassuring rock music. Montagues crystalline vocals serve as the haunting backdrop for most of Fulbrights ruminations, and Rodgers guitar playing heaves and sighs underneath the din, while Furtados expert drumming and Woods dark bass routinely trades might and heft for understatement and grace.
With a national tour alongside Trail of Dead and an East Coast run with Thursday under their belts and an increasing stable of friends charmed by the Heaven 7 that they self-released earlier this year, Midnight Masses is preparing to release their debut EP, Rapture Ready, I Gazed At The Body, on November 10, 2009 via Collect Records.
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