Dance Gavin Dance Band • Page 9

Maybe stuff like how does he approach writing melodies? Does he have lyrics first or fit lyrics to a melody line? Also, if this isn't too big a question, ask him what the inspiration was behind each album he's been a part of whether its DGD, ALLB or solo stuff!

 

Dance Gavin Dance, A Lot Like Birds, Five Minute Ride

Fuck, marry, kill

 

I've been learning Thug City on guitar & damn I love that song now! So fun to play; one of those thats challenging but not too hard that it pisses you off when you fuck up (fucking Robot 2.5 )

 

One of my least favorite songs by them, mostly because of Jonny's lyrics being abysmal.

 

I haven't been able to get into any non-Tilian stuff. Jonny's writing, and behavior ruin that side. And while I love A Lot Like Birds, I don't think Kurt totally fit DGD and think he had some of the cringiest and most awkwardly delivered lines of any of them ("I'm down with brown town", "Let's make believe that we are capable of parallel galaxies", "I guess I still miss you, but talking's for functioning people", etc.)

 

Kurt was my favorite era of DGD. Love Tilian though.

 

Alex English, Me & Zoloft, Tree Village, Carl Barker, NASA, and Happiness are the only Kurt songs I love and still play. Overall, their work with Jonny is still my favorite by far. His voice and hooks allow me to at times (not on thug city) overlook his awful lyrics. It is quite obvious to me that the guys in Emarosa saying they helped him write a lot of his lyrics when he was with them is valid. But yeah, no denying that on songs like It's Safe To Say, Open Your Eyes, 12 Hours, Spooks, Elder Goose, and Purple Reign Jonny was really fucking on point and impresses me. Can't say the same for anything he's produced post DBM2. I watched videos of him live with Slaves/Solo and my god his voice is entirely dependent on his reverb. He cannot cleanly hit those high notes anymore.

Tilikum is great now, perfect fit for what DGD is doing.

 

I love this line!!! a DGD classic

 

I think Jonny has (or maybe had) a great voice, maybe one of the best I've heard, but I've never been able to overlook his lyrics and drama. I think he objectively has a better voice than anyone else who has been in DGD, just don't enjoy him.

Haha, I got into the band a few months after Instant Gratification released, downloaded Happiness to check out Kurt in the band since I loved A Lot Like Birds, and cringed so hard on that line (and many others). I guess it's something more long time fans like or something, I haven't liked 'em long enough to see anything as a classic.

 

I only liked that line when Tilian sang it lol

 

I thought Tilian's delivery made it a bit better, but still not a really good line. Haha

 

Tbh I think Tilian could sing a poem written by a five year old and I'd still enjoy it lol

 

Why isn't that a good line? I actually really like that part of Carl Barker.

 

Cute nickname

 

It's really the first thing I think of when I hear his name or read it haha.

 

I remember on AP Blake Solomon posted a blog saying that 'Carl Barker' was DGD's best lyrics!!! That was before DBM2 even, so who knows now. It is my fav song by them though so I am biased.

 

I really like the "but talking's for functioning people" line.

 

Oh well I'm sure DBM2 didn't change that opinion any...

I always liked this line too and I'm starting to think this is the popular opinion. In terms of lyrics, I'd even go so far as to say Jonny < Tilian < Kurt.

Jonny has his moments, especially on DBM1, but the bad outweighs the good and he's written too many corny and sometimes misogynistic lines (though that's up to interpretation). Tilian's lyrics are alright, I find them uninteresting for the most part with the exception of some lines that I love mostly off Acceptance Speech. I'd love to hear a DGD song with the lyrical approach he takes for his solo stuff. As for Kurt, his lyrics were always funkier, weirder, more interesting because of it and more relatable. I love the normalcy of his lyrics. Stuff like doing laundry, winning the lottery, it's so mundane but he made it sound so nice!

 

It's an incredible indictment on Jonny, Kurt and Tillian when I say I like Jon Mess' lyrics more than any of theirs.

 

ithinkjonmesswritestheworstlyricsiveeverseenimsorry

 

i think jon mess's lyrics are great because few screamers acknowledge that their role is mostly to add a different type of sound than the rest of the band, and so a lot of his words accentuate sounds that are very pleasing ("cold blocks pop, concocts an instant freeze). and then in those sounds he can kind of bring up emotions or feelings in really strange ways

but to each their own obviously

 

Yeah but they're hilarious. I'll take ridiculous nonsense over bland and mundane a million times out of a million.

 

I've just always viewed writing as more of an emotional thing, like I can write rhymes and flow easily, but the challenge is in having structure that also feels, and is meaningful. I'm glad there are people who enjoy what Jon does though, since he seems to enjoy doing it a lot.

 

Kurt wrote very emotional, mostly good lyrics. Tilian writes cheesy, sometimes cringeworthy ones, but otherwise tolerable. Jonny's are almost all terrible, sometimes offensive, often nonsense. Jon's are unapologetically mostly nonsense but have certain pleasant qualities, a lot of humor, and an occasional bright spot of meaning and cleverness ("I'm waiting to see if it comes to me, or if it's tied to a safe that just hit the sea floor")

 

Not being readily understood doesn't mean he lacks emotion