Tiny Tuesdays: Murder by Death!
hey there! I'm truthtruthlie, aka Amita, and I'll be your Tiny Tuesday poster for the month of September.
I must start off with two apologies:
a) sorry about the delay. Horrible first impressions flt.
b) For some reason, my livejournal is cursed and/or I'm really, really bad at coding, so please forgive all the little (or major) mistakes.
(This week's post will completley rip off my bestest bandom friend, xhrkbhrl's, Music Monday format. ♥ )
This week, meet Murder by Death, a heavy metal band from Hell a "post-everything" band that was formed at the University of Indiana.
This is Little Joe Gould.
l-r, Vincent Edwards (keys), Matt Armstrong (bass), Adam Turla (lyrics, vocals, and guitar), Alex Schrodt (drums) and Sarah Balliet (cello.)
World's Most Brief History:
They were never really serious about playing, but a dude by the name of Geoff Rickly (who was involved with a little record label called Eyesocket or something) heard them play, and wanted to get them signed. At the time, they had about four songs, so they told him to come back later. So he did. Little Joe Gould released an EP with six songs in ~2001, and then their full length debut, Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing, in the summer of 2002. They then toured extensively, changed their name to Murder by Death, and did a split with their friends Volta Do Mar (now broken up) before releasing Who Will Survive, and What Will be Left Of Them? in 2003. They then toured again and lost their keyboardist in a completely amicable split before releasing In Bocca Al Lupo in 2006. Finally, after more touring and a drummer switch, they released Red of Tooth and Claw in March 2008, which brings us to the present.
So, now they look like this:
l-r Adam Turla (lyrics, vocals, guitar), Sarah Balliet (cello, keys), Dagan Thorgerson (drums) and Matt Armstrong (bass.)
b-b-b-bandom!
Their bandom connections are actually extensive. My favourite is, of course, their friendship with My Chemical Romance. There are pictures of Ray and Frank wearing LJG/MBD merch, and they've played quite a few shows together. There is also this picture, which is almost my reason for existing. Gerard does background vocals on MBD's song The Devil in Mexico, and MCR thanks MBD on Bullets and Revenge.
There hasn't been anything post-Revenge era (that I know of) so I'm not sure if they had a falling out, grew apart, or remain friends. see comments! ♥
Other connections include episode 11, season 1 of TAI TV featuring a song off Like the Exorcist, and they've opened for the Hush Sound on one of the Hushie's headlining tours.
The only thing I have that connects Murder by Death directly to Pete Wentz is an interview where Adam lists Fall Out Boy as a band he'd like to wipe from history. Yeah, that pretty much broke my heart.
They've also played a bunch of shows of more distantly related bandom bands, including Straylight Run, Thursday, and Reggie and the Full Effect.
Now, the albums. I've recomended my favourite tracks- but I didn't put these guys up for download, because I'm a strong purchase your music! advocate, especially with the littler bands. Murder by Death is still so tiny, and not even using Bah Mitzvah videographers, product placement, cheap locations, and their manager's other clients would allow them to have the budget they need to make the videos they want. (Koreatown also no, I would die of the lulz at a Murder by Death video set in a karaoke bar in Koreatown)
Lizzy tells me all the ablums are available on iTunes U.S.A., so check them out!
Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing
This is mostly an instrumental album, but the lyrics on it are still amazing. It was released under Little Joe Gould initially, but was re-released under Murder by Death. I personally think the sound is beautiful, in a very haunted sort of way. This album features the Melody of Evil, which is made up of two songs, Those Who Left and Those Who Stayed, and the collective playing time is 11:81. In the old days, they opened their set with it and it was played entirely in the dark.
Amita reccomends:
2. I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe
5. Joe Bou
Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left Of Them?
Murder By Death are all addicted to classic movies and novels, and Adam (and maybe Sarah, but don't quote me) was taking religious studies at university, which really shaped this album. This is the first MBD concept album, and the most chronological. It opens up with The Devil In Mexico, and Adam descibes it best with "The Devil is drinking away the night at a local bar and he is talking up a shitstorm, lying his face off and being the cocky bastard he is. Basically, before the sun comes up, some local has had enough so he pumps him full of lead." The rest of the album is about all the ways the Devil gets revenge on the town- there are zombies, three men hangin', and an epic battle between Good and Evil.
Amita reccomends:
1. The Devil in Mexico. Gerard starts screaming at ~4:26.
2. Killbot 2000. "We're talking zombie children here."
10. End of the Line
In Bocca Al Lupo
The literal translation from Latin is "In the mouth of the wolf," but I'm told it's commonly used as "Good luck" in Italian. That would make a lot of sense, because the characters in this story? Need a lot of luck. Bocca is described as "12 different stories, all about sin, redemption, and guilt."
Amita reccomends:
3. Dead Men and Sinners. Apparently Adam wrote this in university. One time, they actually played a show on a ship in Bristol, England, and Adam took a picture of it and added the caption "You can fuckin' bet we played our pirate song dead men & sinners"
4. Brother. Apparently, this is based off real events. For this video, they got all their friends into a bar fight.
7. Sometimes the Line Walks You. This is just a great song, and the video is amazing as well. When Adam's yelling "JAIL BREAK!" they are actually breaking out of jail. It's the most excellent thing in the world.
Red of Tooth and Claw
This is the Johnny Cash album. Adam's vocals were consistantly compared to Cash's, in both positive and negative ways. This is also an album that focuses on revenge and redemption, but follows one man's journey home. There are a few songs from the gods' point of views, and many from the man's. There are unhappy marriages, men who are animals and stolen trucks (and maps.) It's believed this album is Who Will Survive's prequel, due to the "hidden track" at the end of the last song.
Amita reccomends:
4. Fuego!
9. The Black Spot
11. Spring Break 1899
(If you're really interested, I have posted a more detailed primer at bandom_primers, here. I also have this.)
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next week, which is the first installment of my Canadian Invasion! *dun dun duuuuuuuuun*
I must start off with two apologies:
a) sorry about the delay. Horrible first impressions flt.
b) For some reason, my livejournal is cursed and/or I'm really, really bad at coding, so please forgive all the little (or major) mistakes.
(This week's post will completley rip off my bestest bandom friend, xhrkbhrl's, Music Monday format. ♥ )
This week, meet Murder by Death, a heavy metal band from Hell a "post-everything" band that was formed at the University of Indiana.
This is Little Joe Gould.
l-r, Vincent Edwards (keys), Matt Armstrong (bass), Adam Turla (lyrics, vocals, and guitar), Alex Schrodt (drums) and Sarah Balliet (cello.)
World's Most Brief History:
They were never really serious about playing, but a dude by the name of Geoff Rickly (who was involved with a little record label called Eyesocket or something) heard them play, and wanted to get them signed. At the time, they had about four songs, so they told him to come back later. So he did. Little Joe Gould released an EP with six songs in ~2001, and then their full length debut, Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing, in the summer of 2002. They then toured extensively, changed their name to Murder by Death, and did a split with their friends Volta Do Mar (now broken up) before releasing Who Will Survive, and What Will be Left Of Them? in 2003. They then toured again and lost their keyboardist in a completely amicable split before releasing In Bocca Al Lupo in 2006. Finally, after more touring and a drummer switch, they released Red of Tooth and Claw in March 2008, which brings us to the present.
So, now they look like this:
l-r Adam Turla (lyrics, vocals, guitar), Sarah Balliet (cello, keys), Dagan Thorgerson (drums) and Matt Armstrong (bass.)
b-b-b-bandom!
Their bandom connections are actually extensive. My favourite is, of course, their friendship with My Chemical Romance. There are pictures of Ray and Frank wearing LJG/MBD merch, and they've played quite a few shows together. There is also this picture, which is almost my reason for existing. Gerard does background vocals on MBD's song The Devil in Mexico, and MCR thanks MBD on Bullets and Revenge.
There hasn't been anything post-Revenge era (that I know of) so I'm not sure if they had a falling out, grew apart, or remain friends. see comments! ♥
Other connections include episode 11, season 1 of TAI TV featuring a song off Like the Exorcist, and they've opened for the Hush Sound on one of the Hushie's headlining tours.
The only thing I have that connects Murder by Death directly to Pete Wentz is an interview where Adam lists Fall Out Boy as a band he'd like to wipe from history. Yeah, that pretty much broke my heart.
They've also played a bunch of shows of more distantly related bandom bands, including Straylight Run, Thursday, and Reggie and the Full Effect.
Now, the albums. I've recomended my favourite tracks- but I didn't put these guys up for download, because I'm a strong purchase your music! advocate, especially with the littler bands. Murder by Death is still so tiny, and not even using Bah Mitzvah videographers, product placement, cheap locations, and their manager's other clients would allow them to have the budget they need to make the videos they want. (Koreatown also no, I would die of the lulz at a Murder by Death video set in a karaoke bar in Koreatown)
Lizzy tells me all the ablums are available on iTunes U.S.A., so check them out!
Like the Exorcist, but More Breakdancing
This is mostly an instrumental album, but the lyrics on it are still amazing. It was released under Little Joe Gould initially, but was re-released under Murder by Death. I personally think the sound is beautiful, in a very haunted sort of way. This album features the Melody of Evil, which is made up of two songs, Those Who Left and Those Who Stayed, and the collective playing time is 11:81. In the old days, they opened their set with it and it was played entirely in the dark.
Amita reccomends:
2. I'm Afraid of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe
5. Joe Bou
Who Will Survive, and What Will Be Left Of Them?
Murder By Death are all addicted to classic movies and novels, and Adam (and maybe Sarah, but don't quote me) was taking religious studies at university, which really shaped this album. This is the first MBD concept album, and the most chronological. It opens up with The Devil In Mexico, and Adam descibes it best with "The Devil is drinking away the night at a local bar and he is talking up a shitstorm, lying his face off and being the cocky bastard he is. Basically, before the sun comes up, some local has had enough so he pumps him full of lead." The rest of the album is about all the ways the Devil gets revenge on the town- there are zombies, three men hangin', and an epic battle between Good and Evil.
Amita reccomends:
1. The Devil in Mexico. Gerard starts screaming at ~4:26.
2. Killbot 2000. "We're talking zombie children here."
10. End of the Line
In Bocca Al Lupo
The literal translation from Latin is "In the mouth of the wolf," but I'm told it's commonly used as "Good luck" in Italian. That would make a lot of sense, because the characters in this story? Need a lot of luck. Bocca is described as "12 different stories, all about sin, redemption, and guilt."
Amita reccomends:
3. Dead Men and Sinners. Apparently Adam wrote this in university. One time, they actually played a show on a ship in Bristol, England, and Adam took a picture of it and added the caption "You can fuckin' bet we played our pirate song dead men & sinners"
4. Brother. Apparently, this is based off real events. For this video, they got all their friends into a bar fight.
7. Sometimes the Line Walks You. This is just a great song, and the video is amazing as well. When Adam's yelling "JAIL BREAK!" they are actually breaking out of jail. It's the most excellent thing in the world.
Red of Tooth and Claw
This is the Johnny Cash album. Adam's vocals were consistantly compared to Cash's, in both positive and negative ways. This is also an album that focuses on revenge and redemption, but follows one man's journey home. There are a few songs from the gods' point of views, and many from the man's. There are unhappy marriages, men who are animals and stolen trucks (and maps.) It's believed this album is Who Will Survive's prequel, due to the "hidden track" at the end of the last song.
Amita reccomends:
4. Fuego!
9. The Black Spot
11. Spring Break 1899
(If you're really interested, I have posted a more detailed primer at bandom_primers, here. I also have this.)
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next week, which is the first installment of my Canadian Invasion! *dun dun duuuuuuuuun*