Comprised of Gena Olivier (vocals, drums), Larry Schemel (guitar), and Jason Hammons (keyboards, guitar), the indie rock trio quickly crafted a moody and stylish sound. They became a major face on the L.A. music scene within a year, and earned a nomination for Best New Artist at the L.A. Weekly Music Awards in May 2003. Just as their self-released six-song EP arrived, Midnight Movies received another nomination for Best Pop/Rock band in spring 2004. Midnight Movies' self-titled studio-length debut was released on Emperor Norton the following August. The group resurfaced in 2007 with Lion the Girl, which featured new bassist Ryan Wood and drummer Sandra Vu, with Olivier handling keyboard and vocal duties and production by Steve Fisk. ~ MacKenzie Wilson