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The Velvet Teen

Out Of The Fierce Parade
2002
Slowdance

The Velvet Teen - Out Of The Fierce Parade (Cover Artwork)


Review by: Scott
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Slowdance Records (Logo)

Published on December 17th 2002

The Velvet Teen is really good.

That's a good enough opening sentence as any, right?

Figured as much, you probably want to know more. The only thing is, I'm not too sure what to say.

"Out Of The Fierce Parade" is this Santa Rosa, CA threesome's debut album, and it's a doozy. For starters, it's a ten-track concept album telling the story of life [all the way from birth to death]. You don't even have to hear the music to appreciate the lyrics, which read as beautiful as your favorite poet's work.

It's only fitting that the music sounds as beautiful and grand as the lyrics suggest. A lazy listener [or record reviewer] would make the easy comparison to Radiohead, and while that isn't too far off, singer Judah's voice can sustain his gorgeous falsetto high notes without turning into a Thom Yorke-esque warble. Think of Jeff Buckley's better vocal stuff and you'll have a good idea. The music is lush and full in tracks like "Into The Open" [unarguably the CD's best track] and rocking and catchy in tracks like "Radiapathy," but sparse and cold in tracks like the aptly titled album closer "Death." The band really pulls off this concept album, as the listener follows along with each lyric to see how this life will turn out.

This is also a situation where the album's artwork compliments the music contained within perfectly. The back cover has ten different etchings, each representing a different song on the album, and the booklet art is absolutely stunning. I'd like to shake the hand of whoever drew this.

I wish I would've gotten this album earlier in the year. Every time I listen to it I hear so much potential, but I have yet to really sit down and dig into the disc, as it's the end of the year [and my "waiting for review" pile grows deeper by the day]. If I had more time to dedicate to just listening to this album, I could almost assure that it would make my Top 10 of 2002 list. As it stands right now, this is an outstanding album and band and you should all keep your eyes out for them.

MP3s
Caspian Can Wait
Into The Open



People who liked this also liked:
The Velvet Teen - Cum Laude!The Velvet Teen - Plus, Minus, EqualsWeezer - PinkertonGet Up Kids - Something To Write Home AboutHey Mercedes - Everynight Fire WorksThe Weakerthans - Reconstruction SiteBear Vs Shark - Right Now You're In The Best Of Hands. And If Something Isn't Quite Right...Elliott - Song In The AirMotion City Soundtrack - I Am The Movie [reissue]The Weakerthans - Left and Leaving



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    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 5, 2003 at 4:18 PM (EDT)
    My Score:

    Such a great artist. If I had the guts to create music, this is the closest thing it would resemble.

    Posted by recordings on 2002-12-19 23:54:43
    My Score:

    "forty nutz" is still several times worse than this.

    now, if it were "the velvet teenz"....we'd be talkin a whole 'nother story.

    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 19, 2002 at 8:20 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    (lockdown59 says)

    Shitty name. One of the worst i have ever heard. And yes, the cover art is something else, I'll say. WOOO-EEEE, who did the art? It's really good.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 3:34 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Cool cover art, stupid, stupid band name. Scott, I think Forty Nutz is better than this.

    -sickboi

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 2:49 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I'd like to dig up Jeff Buckley's corpse & rape it again & again

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 12:42 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    If you had the album you could tell it's clearly not a drawing. I was at that Rockwood show as well. It kinda sucked they didn't play any piano songs, but a really good show. They were amazing at Gilman with Denali.

    Shane

    Posted by jer-kass on 2002-12-18 07:48:08
    My Score:

    hey, i saw this band in rockwood michigan last month they rocked the house with the Ghost, the cost, and a local band by the name of heyday. but the velvet teen stunned everyone. At the beginning of one of their songs he began to sing into his guitar. His voince echoed through the strings and came out of his guitar amp. It was the most creative and original show i had seen in a while. Keep your eyes on this fucking band.

    Posted by drewcifer on 2002-12-18 03:45:37
    My Score:

    yeah! like who doesn't know the difference between a drawing and a copper plate etching? what a homo! haha no wait i'm being sarcastic, fuck you shane.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 at 12:34 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Yeah bro. They've done one cover song. They are a cover band all right. What in the fuck are you talking about?

    Shane

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 11:27 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I've heard this band before I know it. Is it because they bore me to sleep and in my dreams I dreamt of a shitty band? Maybe. Or maybe is it because this band is a fucking shitty cover band of an even shittier band that covers an abortion-inducing radiohead cover band? Yup, that’s it. If you accidentally got your girl pregnant just pop this into the cd player and problems be gone. Radiohead? Radiohead? Are you fucking kidding me? Did you eat way too many 39 cent cheeseburgers and get some sort of wierd food high? Where do you get the balls to compare a piece of shit band to radiohead? These guys aren't even good enough to tune radioheads instruments. No, wait a sec. These guys aren't even good enough to open a guitar center catalog and order radioheads instruments. I know I keep coming back to that whole "high" thing, but it’s the only possible explanation. I didn't know someone could get stoned on their own stupidity. Congrats dude, you're the first. twat

    Posted by waste_elite on 2002-12-17 23:05:30
    My Score:

    this sounds pretty damn cool

    the album art is awesome as well

    i'll have to check it out

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 8:04 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Hahahaha one more. "I'd like to shake the hand to whoever drew this" HAHAHAHAHA. It's clearly not a drawing. It's a copper plate etching and it was done by the drummer, Logan. He has done the artwork for Tsunami Bomb(minus the Mayhem 7"), Dynamite Boy, Shut Up Donny, and a couple more bands. Check his stuff out at www.loganwhitehurst.com

    Shane

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 8:02 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    It is Santa Rosa. Wow this review sucked. Yes the No One Will Ever Love You cover is on the Immortality 7". Very good record. As for side projects, Logan is doing the next and I believe last solo record of his. His solo project is called "Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club." Judah, the singer, is also putting out an electronic cd next year. I don't know if Josh is doing anything.

    Shane

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 7:57 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    yea, i don't think it's santa ana either.
    and i don't own this album, but i must say that they put on a good live show. the singer's voice is very unique.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 7:50 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    I haven't really listened to this album yet (just once), but I bought a copy of the great beast february (now part of plus minus equals) at one of their shows a while back and it is fucking awesome. Saw them again recently and they do an awesome cover of "No One Will Ever Love You" by the Magnetic Fields. It's on a 7-inch, I think...

    They've got a bunch of side projects developing...sweet.

    Oh and Santa Rosa is where they're from, I believe, not Santa Ana. It's in the Bay Area, man.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 6:19 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    3.5/5 is good enough to make a top 10 list?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 3:58 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    These guys are touring with Cursive right now. So is a band called Race For Titles... does anyone know if they are any good?

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 at 3:56 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Not their debut album. Released a full length as The Secret Band, and two eps(The Great Beast February and Comosynthesis) that were eventually rereleased together under the name Plus Minus Equals. They also had a 7" picture disc called Immortality. Yeah, not their debut.

    Other problem I have with this review is the fact that I swear I have read it before. Did you copy and paste the whole Thom Yorke/Jeff Buckley paragraph? I know I have read that exact paragraph elsewhere.

    Other than that, this is one of my favorite bands ever. They put so much emotion into their live set it is ridiculous. Seeing Judah sit at his keyboard and just sing is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. The fact that they pull all the three part harmony parts off live as well is enough to put this band up there as one of the best live bands there is. Check them out at all costs.

    Shane