Mayday Parade - Tales Told By Dead Friends [EP]

[Tony Pascarella]

Mayday Parade - Tales Told By Dead Friends [EP]
Release Date: November 7, 2006
Record Label: Fearless Records

One-dimensional guitars? Fading wails of female-induced desperation? Is this really what we expect from “the best-drawing live band in Florida”? Recently signed to Fearless Records, Mayday Parade’s new EP of demos, Tales Told By Dead Friends, is maligned by technical problems more than poor songwriting. For a band with three guitarists and three singers trading off the lead and backing vocals, this EP should simply be better than it is.

About half of the songs sound solid, mostly on the vocals, but the other half suffer from “demo-itis”. If a band has three guitarists, frankly, they should be melting the listener’s face with riff after energetic riff. With the production on this EP, it is sometimes hard to tell that there’s more than even one guitar. “Just Say That You’re Into It” is a prime example where further guitar layering would improve the song. It already drags on with overlapping vocals, which duel back and forth enough to prove almost ineffective.

Many listeners will quickly point out the vocal and musical similarities to 2005’s mainstream explosion band, Panic! at the Disco, with “When I Get Home, You’re So Dead,” which is not necessarily a negative. It worked before, and Mayday Parade use that style effectively here. The transition to the weak “One-Man Drinking Games” is one step above excruciating, however. A two-dimensional mess of prolonged cries, feeble guitar riffs, and little energy, it would have been better either stripped down to fully acoustic or scrapped altogether. Fortunately, “Your Song” provides a musical rebound, despite the fact that the vocals bleed into oblivion throughout.

Instead of spending time with what essentially is an EP of demos, wait for a full-length from Mayday Parade, which will surely have better production. Fearless’ newest band has several key elements to a good record, but they still fall short in a few areas. As has been said since the beginning of time, the potential is there; the band just needs to find and embrace their sound more strongly. Albums aren’t built on ticket sales, and it seems like Mayday Parade needs to spend some time tightening their studio presence up to the level of their stage presence.

Buy Mayday Parade's Tales Told By Dead Friends on iTunes (http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=PjIvm57kicI&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos. apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStor e.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%25 3D211930010%2526id%253D211929971%25 26s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30 )

01. Just Say You’re Not Into It
02. When I Get Home, You’re So Dead
03. One-Man Drinking Games
04. Your Song
05. Three Cheers for Five Years
06. The Last Something That Meant AnythingMyspace (http://www.myspace.com/maydayparade) | Official Site (http://www.maydayparaderocks.com)

[underthetalking]

Ouch. They are good live. Really nice guys too. I hope their next release is better.

[awretchlikeme]

Perfect review, they have potential but this ep is a bore, I really hope they step it up on a full length. I feel the same way about Cartel, how come Will plays guitar? they don't need 3, and they would put on a much more energetic show if Will just sang and moved around a little.

[Greg.Kushlan]

i got this back when they were selling them at warped tour to people waiting to get into the idaho center. I never listened to it.

[whatsername104]

good review. i agree that a couple songs sound like demos still and they need more work, but i feel its rating should be a little higher.

[DrewSkylinepres]

I thought they signed to Tooth & Nail. The sound is pretty good.. but lyrical content is kinda hideous

[morris601]

The only note worthy track that catches me every time is "when i get home, you're so dead". that is wonderous pop-tastic fantasy.

[vegasbabyvegas]

The only note worthy track that catches me every time is "when i get home, you're so dead". that is wonderous pop-tastic fantasy.

Agreed. Great song but the rest all runs together for me.

[Julia Conny]

I've been meaning to check them out, but I think I might pass now.

At least their band name isn't so bad.

[M-House]

Please don't pass on this band, i actually really enjoy the ep, check it out if you get a chance

[applesandcyanid]

This review really nailed it. I really enjoy like 3 of the songs on the EP, especially "When I Get Home You're So Dead". I think this band has got a shit ton of potential and if they market themselves correctly and put out a good full length, they could make it big. What a sick name too?

[nessathull]

WOW. We dont need to get all technical about them! Damn, come on now, After I Met these guys & listened to thier music, tales told by dead friends never left my cd player. Iv' e got a bunch of my friends into them too. We saw them play 2 nights ago in houston and out of the 4 bands that played, they were by far the best ones. No one else could keep us in the building. We took cig breaks in between thier songs. Mayday Parade had us hoppin around, it was the funnest show iv'e been to in awhile. Im glad they stopped us on the side walk and made us listen to thier music. They are now my fave band.

[thesauce16]

Its catchy and fun. I like it...Take it for what it is.

[dingo805]

I love this album.... Its easy to tell when you listen that they guys put a lot of heart in to what they are playing and singing. Their songs, for me at least, are also very easy to relate to. If you've been through heartbreak and know what it feels like, take a listen. I've seen a few people say how it sounds like a demo still, but they are fairly new... give them a break. They are much better than a lot of new bands I've heard that people seem to glorify. They are awesome live, too, which I love. I respect the fact that they sound just as amazing live as they do on the album, so its easy to see there's not a lot of editing that needs to be done. These guys are great and I would advise anyone who likes good music to buy the EP. :)

[Shaved Goat]

WOW. We dont need to get all technical about them! Damn, come on now, After I Met these guys & listened to thier music, tales told by dead friends never left my cd player. Iv' e got a bunch of my friends into them too. We saw them play 2 nights ago in houston and out of the 4 bands that played, they were by far the best ones. No one else could keep us in the building. We took cig breaks in between thier songs. Mayday Parade had us hoppin around, it was the funnest show iv'e been to in awhile. Im glad they stopped us on the side walk and made us listen to thier music. They are now my fave band.

It's the reviewers job to "get all technical." It's great that you can voice your own opinion, but don't tell the reviewer not to do what reviewing IS: getting technical. Personally i really like this band, and their live show is incredible, but that's not what this is about.

[kurie]

I LOVE this EP and when you go to a show the energy fills the room. I cant even pick a favorite song off this EP because there all so good. I have had this ep in my cd player since I got it on warped tour and cant seem to take it out. The songs never get old, and every song is awesome. If you havent listened to it yet DON't pass it up, you will love it as do alot of other people. BEST 5 bucks I ever spent!!!!

[outtofrhythm]

i personally love this band. as a new band i think that they are headed in the right track. only good things can come in the future. they will improve and i think we will all be very impressed with what they have to offer.

i like the EP! i have listened to it over and over and it never gets old. if its catchy your looking for then this is for you.

[shawn/efin/down]

first of all. i love mayday.
i do. the songs mean alot to me. i appreciate that a few guys can come together and put together an album. its damn awesome in fact. i cant wait to see them live. its gonna be outrageous. outrageous? does that word mean what i think it means? i dunno. but anyway. listening to this cd makes me happy. and thats how music should be judged. if it gets you feeling and thinking about your life and times past, then you can feel about how you want. but i think its unfair to call them demo-ish.
just listen and love.

-shawn[loves his mommy]

[haw04015]

interesting review. i saw them in seattle and thought they not only had great stage presence but thought that their music was beautiful. i've since shared it with many friends who also love the ep. i listen to it a lot- which is saying a great deal considering the amount of music i listen to on a daily basis is definently more than most. i believe too many people are critical of them (probably because they themselves haven't 'made it'). Kudos to Mayday Parade for sticking out and for not caring what the pessimist's in the music world have to say.

[acl502]

does mayday parade even need a review? no. everyone should already know how effing amazing they are. they're CD is pretty much flawless, and addicting as hell. <3

[shawn/efin/down]

exactly.

[marysol]

ok, so listen. this is a small-ish florida band, who produced 6 songs by themselves, and self-promoted their way to cd sales with no one's help but their own. if it wasn't for alex talking to me for like 15 minutes at warped tour and convincing me to give up my last $5 for their CD, i would've never fallen in love with their sound. i respect any band that put that much heart into what they do. they have amazing drive.

three cheers for five years puts me on the verge of tears, and anything that emotionally stimulating deserves better judgement. their lyrics are raw and truthful and i feel like they came right out of my mouth.

even my roommate fell in love with them as soon as i played "just say you're not into it", and my roommate doesn't even really like music at all. now, i catch her humming or singing choruses to their songs randomly because she always has them in her head.

MAYDAY LOVE!!! <333

[Shaved Goat]

ok, so listen. this is a small-ish florida band, who produced 6 songs by themselves, and self-promoted their way to cd sales with no one's help but their own. if it wasn't for alex talking to me for like 15 minutes at warped tour and convincing me to give up my last $5 for their CD, i would've never fallen in love with their sound. i respect any band that put that much heart into what they do. they have amazing drive.

three cheers for five years puts me on the verge of tears, and anything that emotionally stimulating deserves better judgement. their lyrics are raw and truthful and i feel like they came right out of my mouth.

even my roommate fell in love with them as soon as i played "just say you're not into it", and my roommate doesn't even really like music at all. now, i catch her humming or singing choruses to their songs randomly because she always has them in her head.

MAYDAY LOVE!!! <333

They didn't produce it themselves. It was produced by Lee Dyess at Earthsound Recording

[lyss6363]

Ok who ever does not like this band needs to get there ears checked.
I bought there cd when i was at warp tour. I listen to it everyday.
I think that they should keep doing wait they are doing because they are amazing!

~Alyssa

[laurensays]

I totally disagree with this review, but it's all a matter of opinion I suppose.

Some bands are better live, this is true. But that doesn't make them inferior to other bands with a more impactful studio-quality album. If anything, I believe bands that are amazing live (like Mayday Parade) deserve a lot of respect for having raw talent, because many bands lack the power onstage that a studio-edited album fakes.

I put Mayday Parade into the same category that I do The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You just HAVE to see them live because no album will ever really get it.

[musicroksmylife]

Hopefully individuals don't take the review of only one person because if that were the case people would be missing out on really good albums like "Tales Told by Dead Friends." I think you can expect great things from this band over the next few years. This is a band to get to know now.

oh and their live show is amazing. They are so full of energy and great performers your eyes will never leave the stage.

[squid82]

OK, this review is just one man lashing out at a band. Plain and simple. Mayday Parade isn't that bad. Yes, one of the vocalist ( I wont name which) could use some work, and no they probably don't need 3 guitar palyers, but who cares???? Up until i read this review i had not met a person that didn't like them after i played their cd. Catchy upbeat riffs, combined with a general sense fun makes this album a definate plus. I want you all to do me a favor and go look up the definition of a falacy, that way you can go back read this review and see the corelation. To say that Mayday Parade's vocals are like that of PATD's is a falacy. PATD pigybacked off of Fall Out Boy. Pete of Fall Out Boy coddled that band. Who coddled MAyday Parade????? No one, but themselves. I just hope that you all aren't to narrow minded and at least give them a chance, because that is all it will take for you to fall in love with them.

[Tony Pascarella]

OK, this review is just one man lashing out at a band. Plain and simple. Mayday Parade isn't that bad. Yes, one of the vocalist ( I wont name which) could use some work, and no they probably don't need 3 guitar palyers, but who cares???? Up until i read this review i had not met a person that didn't like them after i played their cd. Catchy upbeat riffs, combined with a general sense fun makes this album a definate plus. I want you all to do me a favor and go look up the definition of a falacy, that way you can go back read this review and see the corelation. To say that Mayday Parade's vocals are like that of PATD's is a falacy. PATD pigybacked off of Fall Out Boy. Pete of Fall Out Boy coddled that band. Who coddled MAyday Parade????? No one, but themselves. I just hope that you all aren't to narrow minded and at least give them a chance, because that is all it will take for you to fall in love with them.I want you to do me a favor and go buy a dictionary.

I'm not quite sure how an opinion from someone who can actually form coherent sentences is "false, misleading, or erroneous," but I'll let that go.

If you're going to seriously argue that "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" doesn't sound at all like Panic at the Disco, I'm going to counter that you need to clean the wax out of your ears and take your rose-colored glasses off.

If you read my review, I brought up both the good and bad of Mayday Parade. They're very young, and they will probably be very good at some point. They have been praised for their live show, which I also mentioned. These are demos; they're not meant to be polished. The release of Tales Told By Dead Friends is an opportunity for Fearless to release something that will get their followers interested in the band and have some promotion behind them. I think their full-length will be a lot better, as I insinuated in the review.

[xjamesax]

Ouch. They are good live.

You think so? I saw them with Melee and Whetus and thought that they were just alright. I wasnt impressed.

[thetrueblood]

"One-dimensional guitars,"" two-dimensional mess of prolonged cries," rather than offering insight on the album the writers descriptions make me feel as if i'm trapped in the twilight zone. Half of his critique is hell bent on bashing the way Mayday Parade utilizes it's 3rd guitar, but he also states that "it is sometimes hard to tell that there’s more than even one guitar." It seems he went into his review with a predetermined opinion on how a band with three guitarists should sound rather than listening to it and enjoying it for what it is.

The writer describes the first tracks overlapping vocals as ineffective. Does it convey the lyrics? yes. Is it catchy? yes.

The review also leads me to believe that half of the songs suffer from "demo-itis" but he only provides examples of two songs that he doesn't like one of them being "One Man Drinking Games" which is quite possibly the best ballad since Millencolin's "The Ballad." The songs combination of vocalists and guitar beats sets up the exact feeling that the band is trying to get across. I guess that's what makes a song "weak."

I guess I don't have to go into detail about "Your Song" since the author seemed to enjoy it. Although he didn't want to appear to be too nice so he had to throw in the part about the vocals bleeding into "oblivion." He also describes the vocals on the album as "fading wails of female-induced desperation" and a "mess of prolonged cries." Which really confuses me because he said the strongest part of the songs were the vocals. I don't know, maybe he's more confused than I am.

Oh yeah and "albums aren't built on ticket sales?" come on man. Are you going to lead me to believe that mayday parade packs a venue because of their live show and not the music? How many people do you honestly know that repeatedly will attend a bands show based soley on stage presence? The bottom line is without a good album nobody is going to come see your show. Obviously there's something good about the record if the band sold 10,000 copies independently in one summer.

The best part about mayday parade's music is that it's honest. A lot of bands sing about girls because that's what songs are supposed to be about, right? The truth is, everybody has had there heartbroken and this album illustrates it perfectly- just listen to the final track.

[Joe DeAndrea]

This band isn't that bad.

[Lugorocks]

I bought this cd @ Warped tour and at first I thought, "Wow, they do sound like P!ATD", but after really listening I realized they have their own style and its pretty awesome. I like every song on the EP and can't wait for the album

[ktbaby21404]

Why is this review so bad??? I think their style is so unique and Jason Lancasters vocals are AMAZING. There is no way you can compare that voice to anything. The melodies are catchy, and you cant really critisize the lyrics for being about girls because about 70% of songs are. They sound so good live, are so nice to their fans. Everyone i show them to loves them. Listen to them you wont regret it, they truly arent like any other band out there right now.........

[watchthesky07]

Wow...I'm impressed by the strong responses to this review. When I first heard them, I just wrote them off as a P!ATD rip-off band...but hearing all of these complementary responses about them...I just might give the band another listen

[funkel]

For all the Mayday Parade fans from the Official Mayday Parade fans myspace, here's a lil' message for ya:

Chill out.

This review is Tony's oppinion. You don't have to share the same oppinion. It's ok.

EDIT:
Oh yeah, I love Mayday Parade and absolutely adore this EP, but I'm not gonna go nuts because someone disagrees.

[jaimej]

ok, so listen. this is a small-ish florida band, who produced 6 songs by themselves, and self-promoted their way to cd sales with no one's help but their own. if it wasn't for alex talking to me for like 15 minutes at warped tour and convincing me to give up my last $5 for their CD, i would've never fallen in love with their sound. i respect any band that put that much heart into what they do. they have amazing drive.

three cheers for five years puts me on the verge of tears, and anything that emotionally stimulating deserves better judgement. their lyrics are raw and truthful and i feel like they came right out of my mouth.

even my roommate fell in love with them as soon as i played "just say you're not into it", and my roommate doesn't even really like music at all. now, i catch her humming or singing choruses to their songs randomly because she always has them in her head.

MAYDAY LOVE!!! <333
And this makes them special how? Most bands out there have to do all of this themselves and rarely see anything from it. I can name 100 hard working bands off the top of my head that do and are light years better than these guys. Are these guys terrible? No, they're not, but they're nothing special. Tony's job is to be honest and I think he produced a great review. I'm sorry you disagree but I'd say that his opinion is of a little more validity than the majority of the people who have commented here.
Wow...I'm impressed by the strong responses to this review. When I first heard them, I just wrote them off as a P!ATD rip-off band...but hearing all of these complementary responses about them...I just might give the band another listen
Note that all the complementary responses are from teenage girls who only have 1 post on here. Hmmmmmmmm.

[Tony Pascarella]

I put Mayday Parade into the same category that I do The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You just HAVE to see them live because no album will ever really get it.Bahahahahahahahahahaha. :wallbash:

[stickfigures]

i see your point but i still love them and i don't care who doesn't like them. and for anyone who doesn't agree with the part of them sounding like panic! you do need to go and get your ears checked because it does

[Steve Henderson]

Dear street team,STFU plz. Thx.Love,Steve

[BrokenXGirl121]

Mayday parade
is amazing,
the Ep rocked.
I must say i know all the words to every song.
They are awsome live,
and are super nice in person.
I'd say it'd be worth it to run out and but it.
<333

[sfft]

ok i understand where people are coming from on the whole EP sounding to demoish because i myself notice some technical problems that could be changed but if you can look past that you wont be dissapointed because this band has an amazing sound not only on the EP but live. One thing that i didnt like about the review was that your saying how the band should sound and that should be doing something because they have three guitarists and six people in the band but they are different and what they do works for them. Every song on the EP just works, everything flows perfectly. although i disagree with that i still respect what the reviewer says because he does know more about music than me, however you should still give this band a chance because they do sound good... every person i have ever told about this band has always had something positive to say about this band... and like many people have said before this band is very good live with tons of energy and putting their heart into all of their music... also all the guys are amazingly nice and some of the koolest people i have ever met. also keep in mind that they are still new and still trying to work out all the problems and as time goes on they will find all of the problems they have and will fix them... but you really should listen to them because they are very good and their full length will be even better

[Steve Henderson]

Close this thread...this is getting more retarded by the second.

[thetrueblood]

the teen girl/anger response is expected on a forum like this. However, I'd question the integrity of any critic who feels the need to come on and defend himself against them.

[Shaved Goat]

I put Mayday Parade into the same category that I do The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You just HAVE to see them live because no album will ever really get it.

What!?!?! TRJA is one of the worst live bands i've seen.

[Shaved Goat]

Close this thread...this is getting more retarded by the second.

noooooooooooooo don't close it. n00b bashing these tards is way too much fun

[Tony Pascarella]

noooooooooooooo don't close it. n00b bashing these tards is way too much funNah, I don't allow anyone to close my review threads :-)

[Tony Pascarella]

the teen girl/anger response is expected on a forum like this. However, I'd question the integrity of any critic who feels the need to come on and defend himself against them.I hope that you realize that's the point of allowing review comments. I stand behind my work.

[*crying stars*]

These guys were in the line for Warped and wanted people to buy their ep.

Kind of glad I didn't.

[Greg Dona]

I hope that you realize that's the point of allowing review comments. I stand behind my work.

Tony, you're so ignorant. Comments are here so you can sit idly by and watch people bash your writing.

[funkel]

I hope that you realize that's the point of allowing review comments. I stand behind my work.
As you should. It's your oppinion, and you have the right to defend it.

I don't agree with your oppinion, but I'm not going to begrudge for that.

Again, I reiterate that because one person doesn't agree with you/gives a bad review, that doesn't mean you have to change your oppinion. Duh....

[Julia Conny]

Oh little children. Leave Tony alone. There's a good reason why he's staff here and you're not.

[Tony Pascarella]

Oh little children. Leave Tony alone. There's a good reason why he's staff here and you're not.Haha. What reason that is, I have yet to figure out. :-p

Kidding.

Street teamers, just a word of advice...you lose credibility and give the band a poor reputation when you start going after people who are actually giving the band you promote some press. Negative or positive publicity, I guarantee my review will get some people to listen to Mayday Parade who otherwise wouldn't have. It just makes you all come off as mindless teenaged girls who blindly follow a band as you try to sell them as anything other than generic (unsuccessfully), in addition to looking totally irrational.

That goes for all street teamers, not just the Mayday Parade ones.

[Steve Henderson]

As you should. It's your oppinion, and you have the right to defend it.

I don't agree with your oppinion, but I'm not going to begrudge for that.

Again, I reiterate that because one person doesn't agree with you/gives a bad review, that doesn't mean you have to change your oppinion. Duh....
"opinion."

[Pat Marquez]

Haha, this geeks me out.

[shane hennessey]

i just got back from their show with wheatus. i cant believe i missed lost and SP andmelee didnt even show up. what a bust

MP was alright though. nothing i havent seen or heard before

[Jason Tate]

Well, thanks for having 30 new females sign up Tony.

Oh. And this band isn't anything special or worth giving more than a cursory listen to ... so much better out there.

[jaimej]

Well cut my wrists and black my eyes.

[Jason Tate]

I totally disagree with this review, but it's all a matter of opinion I suppose.

Some bands are better live, this is true. But that doesn't make them inferior to other bands with a more impactful studio-quality album. If anything, I believe bands that are amazing live (like Mayday Parade) deserve a lot of respect for having raw talent, because many bands lack the power onstage that a studio-edited album fakes.

I put Mayday Parade into the same category that I do The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. You just HAVE to see them live because no album will ever really get it.
Oh dear lord.

[Tony Pascarella]

Well, thanks for having 30 new females sign up Tony.

Oh. And this band isn't anything special or worth giving more than a cursory listen to ... so much better out there.I'm all for diversity :-)

[Tony Pascarella]

So are any of you street teamers going to come up with an argument I haven't heard and refuted before?

[Steve Henderson]

So are any of you street teamers going to come up with an argument I haven't heard and refuted before?

Instigator.

[recycledphrases]

I hope that you realize that's the point of allowing review comments. I stand behind my work.

i am all for standing behind your work, but standing behind your work and and bashing the people who leave their opinions are two completely different things. i understand you may not be too fond of the street teamers/teen girls who are leaving their comments about the band and your review, but considering that you are on the staff, i would think you would come to expect such things and have a little bit more maturity about the situation. it is very hard for anyone to respect your reviews with the amount of respect you are showing other people.

[Tony Pascarella]

i am all for standing behind your work, but standing behind your work and and bashing the people who leave their opinions are two completely different things. i understand you may not be too fond of the street teamers/teen girls who are leaving their comments about the band and your review, but considering that you are on the staff, i would think you would come to expect such things and have a little bit more maturity about the situation. it is very hard for anyone to respect your reviews with the amount of respect you are showing other people.I afford people the same respect they show me. If people are going to tell me how to do my job, I'm going to offer my opinions on how they "should act", if I have any. It's a two-way street, and I won't sit idly by without responding to criticism. That's just the way I am. :shrug:

[Tony Pascarella]

Instigator.Maybe :-) I enjoy having debates in my review comments.

[MattVictory]

Dang...looks like the entire staff at AP.net hates my band now...

[Shaved Goat]

Dang...looks like the entire staff at AP.net hates my band now...

your band?

[Tony Pascarella]

your band?He's their manager.

I wouldn't say hate. I gave my honest review; the band has some colorblind fans, but every band does. :shrug:

[tcw1545]

The techincal aspects of the EP shouldn't be used as a hinder to the wonderful sound that is Mayday Parade. This EP was recorded long before they signed with Fearless Records. Fearless merely is producing more mass copies of them and to tell you the truth, for an independently made EP it sounds a helluva lot better quality-wise than many other self-made EPs by bands just starting up.

Secondly, Mayday Parade is a great band. They manage to bring together several unique sounds together to form a blend of rock music that hasn't been heard of hardly at all. I enjoy the three vocalists becuase it makes the vocals interesting and new and not the same bland vocals that sound all the same in mainstream pop-punk today (for instance, Fall Out Boy/Panic! At The Disco/The Academy Is). Also, "One Man Drinking Games" is an amazing song and not one of the lowest points on the cd, but one of the highest. With beautiful lyrics and great music to back it up, it is clearly one of the highlights of the disk.

Sure, they aren't the greatest rock band alive. But for their first attempt, and in an age where all rock sounds alike, Mayday Parade is a breath of fresh air that is clearly needed in the music industry today.

PS - They are amazingly good and full of energy and life live. I highly recommend seeing them in concert if you get the chance.

[Steve Henderson]

The techincal aspects of the EP shouldn't be used as a hinder to the wonderful sound that is Mayday Parade. This EP was recorded long before they signed with Fearless Records. Fearless merely is producing more mass copies of them and to tell you the truth, for an independently made EP it sounds a helluva lot better quality-wise than many other self-made EPs by bands just starting up.

Secondly, Mayday Parade is a great band. They manage to bring together several unique sounds together to form a blend of rock music that hasn't been heard of hardly at all. I enjoy the three vocalists becuase it makes the vocals interesting and new and not the same bland vocals that sound all the same in mainstream pop-punk today (for instance, Fall Out Boy/Panic! At The Disco/The Academy Is). Also, "One Man Drinking Games" is an amazing song and not one of the lowest points on the cd, but one of the highest. With beautiful lyrics and great music to back it up, it is clearly one of the highlights of the disk.

Sure, they aren't the greatest rock band alive. But for their first attempt, and in an age where all rock sounds alike, Mayday Parade is a breath of fresh air that is clearly needed in the music industry today.

PS - They are amazingly good and full of energy and life live. I highly recommend seeing them in concert if you get the chance.

Nice press release.

[funkel]

"opinion."
Frickin' A...I always make that mistake...

[squid82]

Congrats Mr. Pascarella, now i don't have to prove that you're a dumbass, you've managed to do it for me!!!:clap:

[elliboo]

good band. they will have theirs.
stay golden...

[recycledphrases]

I afford people the same respect they show me. If people are going to tell me how to do my job, I'm going to offer my opinions on how they "should act", if I have any. It's a two-way street, and I won't sit idly by without responding to criticism. That's just the way I am. :shrug:

i respect that, it just seems to me that you are classiyfying everyone who has made a post to this thread as a street team member or a hormonal teenage girl which is untrue and slightly offense. i do appreciate your respectful response to my post though.

[Shaved Goat]

Congrats Mr. Pascarella, now i don't have to prove that you're a dumbass, you've managed to do it for me!!!:clap:

looks like we've moved on to the personal attacks

[Steve Henderson]

i respect that, it just seems to me that you are classiyfying everyone who has made a post to this thread as a street team member or a hormonal teenage girl which is untrue and slightly offense. i do appreciate your respectful response to my post though.
Looking at your myspace, though, it seems like you are both?

[Shaved Goat]

Looking at your myspace, though, it seems like you are both?

i was thinking the same thing

[Tony Pascarella]

Congrats Mr. Pascarella, now i don't have to prove that you're a dumbass, you've managed to do it for me!!!:clap:Your reading comprehension skills (http://www.absolutepunk.net/showpost.php?p=4686368&postcount=28) need some work.

[Drew Beringer]

A band like this doesn't need 6 pages of replies for a mediocre album.

[whatswithtoday?]

A band like this doesn't need 6 pages of replies for a mediocre album.

haha neither did cute is what we aim for but look what happened there.

[tellthetruth]

Looking at your myspace, though, it seems like you are both?
Stalker

[tellthetruth]

Maybe you should lurk more, and you would find out the truth about who is posting these comments

[tellthetruth]

I want you to do me a favor and go buy a dictionary.

I'm not quite sure how an opinion from someone who can actually form coherent sentences is "false, misleading, or erroneous," but I'll let that go.

If you're going to seriously argue that "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" doesn't sound at all like Panic at the Disco, I'm going to counter that you need to clean the wax out of your ears and take your rose-colored glasses off.

If you read my review, I brought up both the good and bad of Mayday Parade. They're very young, and they will probably be very good at some point. They have been praised for their live show, which I also mentioned. These are demos; they're not meant to be polished. The release of Tales Told By Dead Friends is an opportunity for Fearless to release something that will get their followers interested in the band and have some promotion behind them. I think their full-length will be a lot better, as I insinuated in the review.


Your very young and you will probably be very good at reviews at some point.

[mygreentshirt]

oh my psycos.

of course this EP has some gray areas. i mean, come on, they were a band for what, 3 months when it was recorded. i think it's pretty damn good and they are one of the hardest working bands um, ever. sweating their asses off every day of warped tour (2 months of 100+ degree heat and driving through the entire night) to self promote themselves. try it some time. i did. it's not as easy as it sounds.
people should at least respect the guys in this band, if not their music.

if one persons opinion makes you decide to not buy the EP when it's released then high-five to you. you must be a pretty cool person. just give it a listen. maybe even get your own views.

it's just an EP. i'm anxious for them to record the full length and when they do, please give it a listen.

[recycledphrases]

Looking at your myspace, though, it seems like you are both?

ha. like myspace is any representation of who i am. make of it what you will be appearances can be deceiving.

[missyourface]

I havent listen to this EP yet but I think they should have Album Reviewers that atleast act there age......... oh wait a minute sry I just noticed your WHAT 17 wow you still have time to get another job

[Steve Henderson]

Your very young and you will probably be very good at reviews at some point.
*You're.

And he is already very good at reviews.

[Steve Henderson]

oh my psycos.

of course this EP has some gray areas. i mean, come on, they were a band for what, 3 months when it was recorded. i think it's pretty damn good and they are one of the hardest working bands um, ever. sweating their asses off every day of warped tour (2 months of 100+ degree heat and driving through the entire night) to self promote themselves. try it some time. i did. it's not as easy as it sounds.
people should at least respect the guys in this band, if not their music.

if one persons opinion makes you decide to not buy the EP when it's released then high-five to you. you must be a pretty cool person. just give it a listen. maybe even get your own views.

it's just an EP. i'm anxious for them to record the full length and when they do, please give it a listen.
*Psychos. Shit, this band has some illiterate fans. Or one illiterate fan willing to sign up for a ton of usernames.

Oh, and going on Warped does not make you "hard working." There are hundreds of bands that have done it. Get over it.

[Steve Henderson]

I havent listen to this EP yet but I think they should have Album Reviewers that atleast act there age......... oh wait a minute sry I just noticed your WHAT 17 wow you still have time to get another job
The funny thing? Tony writes like he's 24, and you write like you're 17. Or less.

[Shaved Goat]

ha. like myspace is any representation of who i am. make of it what you will be appearances can be deceiving.

meaning what? you're secretely a man?

[mygreentshirt]

*Psychos. Shit, this band has some illiterate fans. Or one illiterate fan willing to sign up for a ton of usernames.

Oh, and going on Warped does not make you "hard working." There are hundreds of bands that have done it. Get over it.

actually there were about 3 bands that did it the entire summer. i'm pretty positive mayday sold the most, too.

hey, whatever. you can be 24 and rude but i was just putting my word in. sorry, i obviously offended you in some way.
this is dumb, the EP is good. ask further seems forever, who asked them to tour with them just from playing one show with them.

[Melissa Johnson]

actually there were about 3 bands that did it the entire summer. i'm pretty positive mayday sold the most, too.

hey, whatever. you can be 24 and rude but i was just putting my word in. sorry, i obviously offended you in some way.
this is dumb, the EP is good. ask further seems forever, who asked them to tour with them just from playing one show with them.
More than 3 bands play all of Warped Tour. Most of them travel in vans too just like Mayday Parade did. This does not make them special. I knew two locals who did it last year and one of them did it two summers in a row, still does not make them special.

Steve's right. The amount of grammatical errors in this thread are atrocious. If you want your opinion to be taken seriously, take a rhetoric and writing class and learn how to properly write a paragraph and form an argument. Thank you.

[towell56]

obviously tony wasn't too fond of the album, and you know what, that's fine. he is entitled to his opinion, and he has every right to defend it in whatever matter he chooses.

now as for all of the "album reviewer's" that have posted in this chain pointing out every gramatical error that's left in a reply that they don't like/disagrees with their opinion, what's the point of that? do you guys really just not have any class? do you really have to find other people's mistakes, irrelevant to the discussion, just to carry on the arguement?

BUT WAIT.... FINDING OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES SEEMS TO BE YOUR FORTE', RIGHT?

so, with all of that being said, i hope the "street teamers" continue to support them, and the "album reviwer's" and whoever else continue to give them bad reviews/remarks. that just leads to more publicity for them, good or bad. hopefully it will make people want to listen to them and form THEIR OWN opinions.

and as for me, i wish them the best of success. they deserve it.

[Shaved Goat]

obviously tony wasn't too fond of the album, and you know what, that's fine. he is entitled to his opinion, and he has every right to defend it in whatever matter he chooses.

now as for all of the "album reviewer's" that have posted in this chain pointing out every gramatical error that's left in a reply that they don't like/disagrees with their opinion, what's the point of that? do you guys really just not have any class? do you really have to find other people's mistakes, irrelevant to the discussion, just to carry on the arguement?

BUT WAIT.... FINDING OTHER PEOPLE'S MISTAKES SEEMS TO BE YOUR FORTE', RIGHT?

so, with all of that being said, i hope the "street teamers" continue to support them, and the "album reviwer's" and whoever else continue to give them bad reviews/remarks. that just leads to more publicity for them, good or bad. hopefully it will make people want to listen to them and form THEIR OWN opinions.

and as for me, i wish them the best of success. they deserve it.

*argument
*reviewers'

sorry, i couldn't resist

[towell56]

*argument
*reviewers'

sorry, i couldn't resist


thank you for proving my point

[Shaved Goat]

thank you for proving my point

hardly. i'm not one of the album reviewers you were talking about. nice try though

[towell56]

i didn't say you were.

but your post had nothing to do with the orginal point.

just grammatical errors.

but maybe that's the arguement now?

[Shaved Goat]

i didn't say you were.

but your post had nothing to do with the orginal point.

just grammatical errors.

but maybe that's the arguement now?

nah, you just made it too easy. and you spelled argument wrong. but whatever. might as well just drop it

[calicose]

I actually love this ep. Its one of my new favs. ever since I got it i could not stop playing it.

[Jason Tate]

actually there were about 3 bands that did it the entire summer. i'm pretty positive mayday sold the most, too.

hey, whatever. you can be 24 and rude but i was just putting my word in. sorry, i obviously offended you in some way.
this is dumb, the EP is good. ask further seems forever, who asked them to tour with them just from playing one show with them.
If you're gonna come on here and say ridiculous things -- you should know we actually look at "facts" not just what a girl says happened.

[shes.a.ghost]

Wow, I don't agree with this review at all. Also, I see no similarities to P!ATD at all. Anyone who was planning on checking these guys out, but this reviewers opinion changed your mind, please remember that it is just one man's opinion. Decide for yourself.

[Shaved Goat]

Decide for yourself.

true that

[funkel]

Wow, I don't agree with this review at all. Also, I see no similarities to P!ATD at all. Anyone who was planning on checking these guys out, but this reviewers opinion changed your mind, please remember that it is just one man's opinion. Decide for yourself."When I Get Home, You're So Dead" has a very P!ATD/AAR feel to me.

[minibush]

Mayday Parade is awesome! I don't know what you guys are listening to but It's definately not Mayday! The next time you want to judge a band actually take time to listen to them. Because if you'd listened to these guys you would be in awe!

[Jason Tate]

Mayday Parade is awesome! I don't know what you guys are listening to but It's definately not Mayday! The next time you want to judge a band actually take time to listen to them. Because if you'd listened to these guys you would be in awe!
:uhno:

[GoWaitInTheCar]

Heh. I think these guys can get big, mainstream has a chance to eat these guys up and produce another cookie cutter (but good) scene record.

[discohearts]

Everyone has their own opinions, let them have it. Here's mine: Mayday Parade is an amazing band. They are hard working, just like every other band out there. They are extremely talented, and know what they're doing. I wasn't a huge fan of Mayday until I saw them live, and my entire concept changed. They put everything into their performances, and I'll tell you this. I've seen over 50 bands in the past couple of months, and they easily make it to my top 3. Derek Sanders gets so involved with the crowd, and him and Jason BOTH sing their hearts out. I think that that is what's most important. If you can't put on a good show, than it means nothing.

Not everyone is going to like Mayday Parade. But they know who they're true fans are. And they are the ones that are backing them up.

[thetrueblood]

If you're gonna come on here and say ridiculous things -- you should know we actually look at "facts" not just what a girl says happened.

well since both statements she made were true..you don't have much of an argument. and why are you quoting "facts" does that mean your facts aren't true?

[quaker]

Ok, so I understand that Mayday Parade may not be the most musically talented band in the world, but most of the bands mentioned on this website lack an understanding of actual technical musicianship. Most "bands" write music that pleases it's targeted audience, and I think Mayday Parade have accomplished that with "Tales Told By Dead Friends." Minus the track "When I Get Home...," the other 5 tracks have a slower feel, which at first I didn't enjoy, but soon grew on me. I think that sometimes the people who write reviews for discs like this one, don't have the time to let the music actually soak in. As for the lyrics, just because they didn't author any witty lines that you can use on you IM doesn't mean they can't write, as long as the words match the feeling the music emits; no matter how simple or pathetic I believe them to be a sucess. After all, scat is only a series of syllables and sounds, but are often amazing when placed properly in a song (example: the scat solo in the song "On Broadway," it kicks ass). Anyway, sorry I wrote a review, I just hate to see a good band go down with bad words, plus I love Mayday Parade!

[Heart-A-Tact]

I don't personally think that they're anything special, but I did enjoy a few songs.

[googirl8907]

i really liked this ep. im so excited for their cd

[SureShot9]

shitty review. even if you don't like this album, you set off the nerd alert for giving the vocals a 5.5. get real. these guys can sing.

[ben !]

i like them alot

i like their lyrics !!i'm in love with that band,they have great compo i'll follow them!!they rock!!

[ben !]

oh and b.t.w. this revew sucked.......

[ben !]

I want you to do me a favor and go buy a dictionary.

I'm not quite sure how an opinion from someone who can actually form coherent sentences is "false, misleading, or erroneous," but I'll let that go.

If you're going to seriously argue that "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" doesn't sound at all like Panic at the Disco, I'm going to counter that you need to clean the wax out of your ears and take your rose-colored glasses off.

If you read my review, I brought up both the good and bad of Mayday Parade. They're very young, and they will probably be very good at some point. They have been praised for their live show, which I also mentioned. These are demos; they're not meant to be polished. The release of Tales Told By Dead Friends is an opportunity for Fearless to release something that will get their followers interested in the band and have some promotion behind them. I think their full-length will be a lot better, as I insinuated in the review. i don't care what your sayin' this band remind me abit of alkaline, raw and heartfull

[ben !]

one last thing.. i don't care about my spelling... try to be good like that ,mr revewer (!) this band is ..already good ...... don't you guys change anyting......

[arel13]

A band like this doesn't need 6 pages of replies for a mediocre album.

YOUR MOM WAS A MEDIOCRE ALBUM...I DON'T SEE YOUR BITCH ASS DOING ANYTHING BETTER.

[masoninalaska]

I know this article is really old, but I would hope whoever wrote this article runs across this comment eventually. Do you think there is a reason Mayday Parade sold 20,000 copies by themselves without being signed? You bet your ass. Some people have a lot better taste than for the mainstream shit. That's the majority of warped tour fans, where they sold this album. You sound like you hated the songs I loved the most! One man drinking games can only be described with one word, epic. These guys can write good music. Their newer album went a little more mainstream but still maintained the epicness. Music is emotion put into song man, and epicness is something hard to explain. It's what makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck. It's what makes people fall in love with music. So don't feed all these people a bunch of crap about your poor point of view. You just don't like epic music. It's not Mayday's fault.

[altcheerleader]

this reviewer is waaaayyyyyy off

[mattjames1909]

Wow, just looking through some reviews on this site. This is a 3 year old review, I really hope the staff members have matured.

[Rdav1193]

Album reviews mean nothing to me, and this is why. Tales Told By Dead Friends is an unbelievable EP. Maybe the lyrics suck to you, Mr Reviewer, because you didn't listen through about a thousand and one times, but to me, each time I listen to the album I get a different meaning. The song "One Man Drinking Games" is one of the most beautiful, saddest, and well-written songs I've ever heard. Jason Lancaster is a god among amateurs in this genre, sorry you didn't get what I got out of this release.

I would score it a high 80's-90.