Missed the Mark — Ayria

Ayria is back and on tour!!! I will be seeing her for the first time in 5 days. I can’t wait. If that wasn’t enough, Project Pitchfork is opening for her. I’m literally counting down the minutes. The new CD, “Plastic Makes Perfect” is incredible, and so completely diverse in terms of genre. I haven’t stopped listening to it since it was released on Friday. There is no way I am not picking a song from the CD to blog about today.

“Missed the Mark” shows the ultra Pop side of Ayria. In fact, in an interview Jennifer Parkin did for Carpe Nocturne Magazine (conducted by your’s truly…hopefully that doesn’t come across as smug), she stated “Missed the Mark” was the most perfect Pop song she has ever written. She is extremely proud of the song, and she has every reason to be. It’s incredible. Of course, I’m ultra biased and I love everything this woman does. I think “Missed the Mark” proves my point in an earlier blog that Ayria could be successful with mainstream audiences, while still pleasing her core underground fan base. Jennifer Parkin has mass appeal, I truly believe this.

On a quick note, I hate the delay of the lyrics on this video. I really didn’t have many options. I hope you enjoy the song as much as I do.

Ayria

If you are a reader of Carpe Nocturne Magazine, you may know one little fact about me…Ayria (Jennifer Parkin) is my favorite artist.  If you haven’t picked up on that yet, wait until the 2013 Summer Issue.  I discovered her music roughly four years ago.  Maybe it was five.  I was writing a novel and I needed some inspirational ambiance.  At the time, I was listening to more Ethereal-Goth.  Bands like This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, and Mira comprised my playlists.  I needed something more upbeat.  I downloaded “Disease” by Ayria.  This marked the moment I stepped into the world of Industrial/EBM.  The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

“Disease” was this infectious Synth-Pop/Industrial song you might hear in a dance club of the black clad community (who actually don’t always wear black).  Infectious…I use this word a lot to describe Ayria.  I downloaded a few more songs, and eventually everything she ever did.  To say she is my favorite artist, understand I often go days without listening to anything but Ayria.  I’m listening to her new CD “Plastic Makes Perfect” as I am typing this.  It’s not released to the public yet…it’s the perks of writing for the magazine.  Let me tell you, the CD is amazing.  It is difficult for me to describe it, because every song is different.  Every song fits into a different genre.  Yet, it is undeniably Jennifer Parkin.  It’s a must buy.

Jennifer Parkin is one of those artists who transcends strict genre classification and appeals to listeners of various musical tastes.  There is not a single person I have played her music for who didn’t like her.  I believe Ayria could hit the mainstream if given the right kind of media push.  I take nothing away from her label Alfa Matrix.  They are great.  I listen to their artists more than any other label’s.  I cover all of their bands for Carpe Nocturne.  I think the mainstream markets are not ready to embrace the Industrial underground.  That’s the problem.  It’s a shame because the world is missing out on some truly great music.

How is Jennifer Parkin as a person?  A total sweetheart.  She is a little goofy…in a very good and lovable way, and extremely passionate about what she does.  How do I know this?  Funny you should ask.  I was in the habit of checking her website regularly for any news about her upcoming CD.  She announced she will be performing on the 2013 Gothic Cruise.  I clicked the link to get more info.  The cruise, as it turns out, was being sponsored by a magazine called Carpe Nocturne.  I clicked the link.  Two months later I was interviewing Jennifer Parkin for Carpe Nocturne.  How is that for irony?

So what do I love about Ayria so much?  Everything.  She is industrial, dark, can slide towards Pop, her voice is amazing, her lyrics touch me…they are so clever, but I think it is how she conveys emotion I love most.  Jennifer Parkin projects her emotions and you feel it.  She has the gift of being able to deliver a wonderful melancholy slow song.  It gives you the right kind of despair and sadness.  “Lovely Day” is my favorite Ayria song for just this reason.  But…she can also make you want to dance, make you thrust your fists in the air, or just simply laugh.  I listen to tons of music. There is no single artist I prefer more than Ayria.

The Birthday Massacre

The Birthday Massacre…one of those truly great bands.  Their songs are so diverse.  To hit shuffle on their playlist is like spinning a wheel and waiting to see what the needle points to.  You can end up with something Goth-Metal, pure rock, or Synth-Pop, just to name a few.  Usually the song is somewhere in between, combining elements from many different genres.  There is definitely a retro feel to the synths…almost Nu-Wave or Post-Punk, but then they often have futuristic elements to them as well.  The vocals?  I consider Chibi to have the best pure voice among the music I listen to.  She is extremely melodic, feminine, has a great range, and can unleash a frightening growl of a verse that makes you hide under the bed sheets.  That is talent.

My love fest with TBM began on a Friday night.  I was on YouTube.  I clicked on the song “Nevermind.”  Over the course of the weekend I must have watched that video over a hundred times.  I’m not exaggerating.  I can still hear my daughter’s voice screaming down the steps, “Dad, are you listening to that song again?”  There was just something infectious about it.  The song was more old school Goth-Pop, but with a modern rock twist.  The genre doesn’t really matter here.  Chibi’s voice, her expressions, the music, the black outfits set against the white background, the subtle use of red and purple throughout the video…all combined to make this amazing experience for me.  Within two weeks, I owned everything The Birthday Massacre has ever done.

Colors…this is an important concept when listening to TBM.  The band members are strong believers in mixing visuals with the audio.  Are they good at it?  Just reread the last paragraph.  Violet is their color of choice.  You will find it in the forefront of any band merchandise, CD cover, etc.  Hell, they even have a song called Violet.  Then again, they have songs called Red, Blue, Pale, and Black as well.  It is the imagery of their lyrics that captivate me more than anything.

The Birthday Massacre is mood music for me.  I can always relate an emotion or an experience to one of their songs.  I connect with so many of their lyrics.  They make me think.  They make me feel.  The songs are often haunting, bordering on horror, but the sensitivity and passion of Chibi’s voice shines through.  It is a balancing act of magnificence.  Then there are the times she doesn’t want to comfort you.  Yep, bed covers.  I can describe TBM all I want, but you really need to listen to them to understand what I’m talking about.  I’m sure I’ll post a couple videos, and then you can see why The Birthday Massacre is considered a powerhouse within the Goth genre.