Re: A parade, or a marathon?! (A Grand Parade reviews)
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 6:40 pm
Thoughts while listening, some I only listened to once. Forgive me for not going back over them but I don't have the energy to make sure they're not total shit or too blunt or whatever. Also, breaking it up into a couple of posts because it seems pretty long.
Abjure!: I’m not sure there is a better introduction song to the fight. (I’m playing these songs via the jukebox, thereby listening in alphabetical order.) I love the doubled vocal, your voices work together very well. There’s a lovely feeling to this one. I don’t mind G&G (and adjacent) arrangements but I have to admit that after three minutes I was welcoming a change of pace.
Abominominous: I like heavier laden riff rock as a rule but it’s not my favorite. Which pretty much describes how this one feels to me.
Add: A kind of sweet take on a protest song or whatever this is. Having just taken a DEIBA course I have had my fill of reading/writing/talking about my white guilt so even though this is well put together and I don’t dislike it, it wore thin well before the 4:00 minute mark.
Agony Sauce: Great guitars (as usual) and I really like that organ in the intro. (Would like to hear more of that.) I think this is more than solid all the way through except the bridge just didn’t feel as good as the rest to me. I probably should look at the lyric to see if that would make it feel right for me. I have to admit there is something about singing about someone being a dick that is super enjoyable.
All The Robots: I love how you use the accordion on this one. Great rhythm, too. I very much enjoyed this one.
Another Future of Music: I like this but I suspect it’s an AI generated song. Feel free to relieve me of my fears if that is not the case.
Balance Lost: I think your bass line phrasing is the most recognizable bit of your music (other than your voice.) There’s a spacing that feels great and seems pretty consistent. I’m liking this one quite a bit.
Berkeley Social Scene: Wasn’t expecting that intro. GUITARS IN FRONT!!! But it was a bit too short, maybe. Your chorus is catchy as hell. I’m still wanting to sing along after the song has finished. Something joyous about this one that I’m digging.
bgm: I’m loving your vocal. The melody and vocal delivery are both great, compliment each other so well. I like this a lot.
Bjam: Your vocal is very clear and lovely but the guitar is pretty muffled, especially in comparison. I like the melody and the vocal delivery. You were able to get it done in under 2:30 so the Girl with Guitar arrangement held up pretty well.
Brian F: I like the bah bah bah’s. The background vocals in general, but the ultra distorted/growly bit was a little over the top. Still, it’s a fun bouncy chorus and those back ground vocals made me smile.
Cannonade Streete: Is that a flanger giving it that swelling feel? I think the vocals are buried a bit, a little hard to get a feeling for them while listening. Maybe the whole mix is a bit low. Still, I don’t dislike this. There’s a cool rhythmic quality that keeps me from sitting still, that’s cool.
Caravan Ray: Is this a lost 80’s goth pop / rock track? I think it would have fit right in on 80’s night at Shattered in downtown Columbia, MO back in the early to mid 90’s. Maybe a bit more 80’s production values would be needed. But I’m getting a nostalgic feeling from this one.
The Chebuctones: I think the vocal range makes it a bit harder to hear the vocals on this one. A nice little bit of tongue-in-cheek alt.country. Mabe not something I’ll take with me but I enjoyed listening.
Chthonic Black: I like short, sweet pop songs that get in and get out with no fluff. This ain’t that, now is it? A fifty second ambient intro followed by an abrupt guitar and scream assault that lasts another four minutes isn’t exactly what I was expecting… but it’s what I got. Granted the vocals come in well before the 1:30 mark.. well, barely before the 1:30 mark. And you did give us some respite at 3:00 or so. Okay, I’m kidding a bit. I think the pace is just a hair too slow. The song feels like it’s wanting to be just a bit faster. But I’d feel sorry for your drummer if you sped it up too much. Other than the barely too abrupt guitars coming in, I think you hit the genre very well.
Chumpy: I like the energy in the acoustic guitar. And the vocal for that matter. The live performance gives this a feeling that’s hard not to like. Obviously, G&G arrangements usually fail to hold up compared to more fully produced songs but I like this as a nice change of pace and it works very well in the playlist (granted, I listened out of order.)
Chumpy vs. Lichen Throat: There’s something about the rhythm track that screams Lichen Throat. I’m digging the vocal melody and take. I like the chime-y guitars, too. The arrangement is working well for me.
Cloverdance: I like the rhythm and are those guitars doing a good job of playing a horn line? The mix is maybe a little low and I’m not a huge fan of the vocal mix but it’s a decent enough song.
Cybronica & Estaphonia: I’m not sure we hear soaring vocals with technically proficient vibrato and a feeling of the dramatic enough in songfight. It almost doesn’t fit in… almost.
Dead Ambassadors: It’s a shit song and a shit mix but at least it taught me that my vocals are definitely clearer in my music room than outside of my music room. Also the timing sucks. But for a mad dash post-punk political take, I’ve heard (and written) much worse.
The Def Author: Maybe a hair too much on the nose timing-wise but I enjoyed the verses quite a bit. The doubled vocal (or they delay effect) works very well for me. The reverb washed choruses didn’t really grab me but the bridge was cool. Was the extended fade out an artistic choice? I think it’s lost in a big playlist like this one.
Dr. Spectacular's Power Circus: Doubled vocals are great in the verses. Completely solid song from the writing to the mixing. Those background ahhs are tasty. Guitars are especially tasty. I think this is a grower.
The Dutch Widows: I love the effect of the low, dark vocals but it does make it very hard to hear the lyric. There’s an almost bouncy feel to this one that I like. Ending the last syllable of parade on a high note is noticeable (and something I do far too often) when if it ended on a down note it wouldn’t be noticeable at all. Not really a big problem but I thought I’d mention it.
Abjure!: I’m not sure there is a better introduction song to the fight. (I’m playing these songs via the jukebox, thereby listening in alphabetical order.) I love the doubled vocal, your voices work together very well. There’s a lovely feeling to this one. I don’t mind G&G (and adjacent) arrangements but I have to admit that after three minutes I was welcoming a change of pace.
Abominominous: I like heavier laden riff rock as a rule but it’s not my favorite. Which pretty much describes how this one feels to me.
Add: A kind of sweet take on a protest song or whatever this is. Having just taken a DEIBA course I have had my fill of reading/writing/talking about my white guilt so even though this is well put together and I don’t dislike it, it wore thin well before the 4:00 minute mark.
Agony Sauce: Great guitars (as usual) and I really like that organ in the intro. (Would like to hear more of that.) I think this is more than solid all the way through except the bridge just didn’t feel as good as the rest to me. I probably should look at the lyric to see if that would make it feel right for me. I have to admit there is something about singing about someone being a dick that is super enjoyable.
All The Robots: I love how you use the accordion on this one. Great rhythm, too. I very much enjoyed this one.
Another Future of Music: I like this but I suspect it’s an AI generated song. Feel free to relieve me of my fears if that is not the case.
Balance Lost: I think your bass line phrasing is the most recognizable bit of your music (other than your voice.) There’s a spacing that feels great and seems pretty consistent. I’m liking this one quite a bit.
Berkeley Social Scene: Wasn’t expecting that intro. GUITARS IN FRONT!!! But it was a bit too short, maybe. Your chorus is catchy as hell. I’m still wanting to sing along after the song has finished. Something joyous about this one that I’m digging.
bgm: I’m loving your vocal. The melody and vocal delivery are both great, compliment each other so well. I like this a lot.
Bjam: Your vocal is very clear and lovely but the guitar is pretty muffled, especially in comparison. I like the melody and the vocal delivery. You were able to get it done in under 2:30 so the Girl with Guitar arrangement held up pretty well.
Brian F: I like the bah bah bah’s. The background vocals in general, but the ultra distorted/growly bit was a little over the top. Still, it’s a fun bouncy chorus and those back ground vocals made me smile.
Cannonade Streete: Is that a flanger giving it that swelling feel? I think the vocals are buried a bit, a little hard to get a feeling for them while listening. Maybe the whole mix is a bit low. Still, I don’t dislike this. There’s a cool rhythmic quality that keeps me from sitting still, that’s cool.
Caravan Ray: Is this a lost 80’s goth pop / rock track? I think it would have fit right in on 80’s night at Shattered in downtown Columbia, MO back in the early to mid 90’s. Maybe a bit more 80’s production values would be needed. But I’m getting a nostalgic feeling from this one.
The Chebuctones: I think the vocal range makes it a bit harder to hear the vocals on this one. A nice little bit of tongue-in-cheek alt.country. Mabe not something I’ll take with me but I enjoyed listening.
Chthonic Black: I like short, sweet pop songs that get in and get out with no fluff. This ain’t that, now is it? A fifty second ambient intro followed by an abrupt guitar and scream assault that lasts another four minutes isn’t exactly what I was expecting… but it’s what I got. Granted the vocals come in well before the 1:30 mark.. well, barely before the 1:30 mark. And you did give us some respite at 3:00 or so. Okay, I’m kidding a bit. I think the pace is just a hair too slow. The song feels like it’s wanting to be just a bit faster. But I’d feel sorry for your drummer if you sped it up too much. Other than the barely too abrupt guitars coming in, I think you hit the genre very well.
Chumpy: I like the energy in the acoustic guitar. And the vocal for that matter. The live performance gives this a feeling that’s hard not to like. Obviously, G&G arrangements usually fail to hold up compared to more fully produced songs but I like this as a nice change of pace and it works very well in the playlist (granted, I listened out of order.)
Chumpy vs. Lichen Throat: There’s something about the rhythm track that screams Lichen Throat. I’m digging the vocal melody and take. I like the chime-y guitars, too. The arrangement is working well for me.
Cloverdance: I like the rhythm and are those guitars doing a good job of playing a horn line? The mix is maybe a little low and I’m not a huge fan of the vocal mix but it’s a decent enough song.
Cybronica & Estaphonia: I’m not sure we hear soaring vocals with technically proficient vibrato and a feeling of the dramatic enough in songfight. It almost doesn’t fit in… almost.
Dead Ambassadors: It’s a shit song and a shit mix but at least it taught me that my vocals are definitely clearer in my music room than outside of my music room. Also the timing sucks. But for a mad dash post-punk political take, I’ve heard (and written) much worse.
The Def Author: Maybe a hair too much on the nose timing-wise but I enjoyed the verses quite a bit. The doubled vocal (or they delay effect) works very well for me. The reverb washed choruses didn’t really grab me but the bridge was cool. Was the extended fade out an artistic choice? I think it’s lost in a big playlist like this one.
Dr. Spectacular's Power Circus: Doubled vocals are great in the verses. Completely solid song from the writing to the mixing. Those background ahhs are tasty. Guitars are especially tasty. I think this is a grower.
The Dutch Widows: I love the effect of the low, dark vocals but it does make it very hard to hear the lyric. There’s an almost bouncy feel to this one that I like. Ending the last syllable of parade on a high note is noticeable (and something I do far too often) when if it ended on a down note it wouldn’t be noticeable at all. Not really a big problem but I thought I’d mention it.