Midnight Radio

Midnight Radio is Big Head Todd & the Monsters' second indie album. The group was inspired by listening to board tapes of their live shows and decided to record their second album at concerts. Midnight Radio is not a live album as much as it is a record that captures the band in their element. It ended up in Top Ten lists for many national publications, before the band signed a record contract. The two-track live recording created a wonderful ambience, which is much different than the band's major label debut, the gold Sister Sweetly. Though Sister Sweetly is the better sounding album, Midnight Radio is often considered the band's best by many Big Head Todd & the Monsters fans. Song highlites include the original version of "Bittersweet," which was re-recorded for their debut and is the band's most popular song. "Vincent of Jersey" is the one-minute solo song that opens the album. Despite its brevity, it is one of the album's better songs. "Midnight Radio" is also a strong song, with vocals similar to Mark Knopfler and blazing guitar solos. This album prioritizes Todd Park Mohr's guitar work more than the bass or drums, but it is his skills around which the band — and its songs — is based. The stark recording sounds a bit tinny at times, but the material and performances make Midnight Radio one of the best of the jam band genre.