Dance Gavin Dance Band • Page 10

I actually prefer Tilian's writing to Kurt's. Though, I think they both are much better writers on their solo stuff (and might actually prefer Kurt if I count the solo stuff along with DGD).

 

interesting point. i never thought of it that way but i think you're right

 

Jon Mess took a while to grow on me. It really depends on the song for me as to whether or not I like him. I like how his voice sounds now compared to DBM/Self-Titled, but his lyrical content now sometimes I think is trying too hard to be witty or clever. "Flicking the back of your ear with my finger" makes me feel weird haha.

 

Jon is a very good screamer. I don't like his lyrics, but he has a cool sound for sure.

 

I think there's certain songs that it works awesome in tandem, like Robot w/ Human Hair 4 and People You Know, but the starcraft refs are def funny

 

All I have to say about this is don't be tardy for my leaky Barbie tv party pee in the park.

Jon's said in reference to his lyrics they're supposed to add another rhythmic element to DGD's sound. But that's no reason for nonsense lyrics. Writing lyrics is not writing poetry or playing an instrument; in my opinion, you're supposed to consider sound, flow, rhythm, melody AND meaning. I forgot to include Jon in my ranking because I don't think of him as a lyricist at all. To me, he's just a screamer. Screaming...something.

I also forgot to include Will Swan, but if I'd remembered, he'd be at the bottom, right under Jon Mess. I don't like his raps at all and the more memorable of the two was pretty gross, no matter how humorously or good naturedly it was intended.

That said, I may sound super critical, but DGD is in my top five favorite bands. It's just not the lyrics that got them there.

 

Jon Mess is the GOAT. He doesn't try too hard, he tries the appropriate amount evritime...

 

dig deeper when it comes to jon's lyrics. dude writes a lot about anxiety and troubled existence, just gotta look. songs in this vein: shark dad, people you knew, and then secret band songs like giygas and wasted youth

 

Generally speaking, I like to act like Will's vocal parts, both rough and rapping, don't exist lol. Easily the worst part of DGD vocals.

I stick by what I said, but I did start to think about times where I thought Mess's lyrics were really good. People You Know is a prime example, he kills it on that track.

 

Yeah. As a whole I don't think Dance Gavin Dance has good lyrics, there's maybe a couple lines here and there that are okay but I definitely can't focus to hard on them without cringing a little. Which is fine, I don't think every band I listen to has to have an Andy Hull or Aaron Weiss or whatever great writer you can think of.

Off topic, but I think it's cool how good of a relationship DGD has with past members, even as for as to have collaborations like the solo tour (and 10 year DGD tour) with all vocalists, Kurt releasing on Will's label, etc.

 

That is one thing I have always found really cool about DGD. It's a rare thing, especially with so many former members.

 

They definitely have had their fair share of drama though, and rough patches. Most specifically around the time of the Self-Titled in which it seemed very obvious lyrics were directed at Jonny, and Zach Garren was a huge internet troll who constantly poked the fire. Seems now though that things are very different.

 

I'm so glad I've only liked this band for a year. Missed all the drama. Haha

 

Oh yeah man, the myspace days were really where it all took place. They are not the only band either.

 

I was kind of kept from music (very religious parents got swept into a cult when I was 11 until I was 17), so I missed music entirely until 2013 basically. haha I guess I missed a lot more than just release dates. Band drama is always exhausting (like A Lot Like Birds and Kurt recently)

 

Haha that ALLB stuff doesn't even remotely hold a flame to the 2006-2012 years when many bands in that scene were a soap opera. DGD, BTF, ETF, Emarosa, Misdelphia, ASD... I am ashamed to say I paid attention to it but oh well, teenagers are funny.

 

Haha dang. I couldn't imagine. Drama is entertaining, even if it is a really low form of it. Didn't realize how bad things were though.

 

Generally speaking, it almost always revolved around vocalist changes, for whatever reason.

 

Jon is blatantly the scene/skram Kool Keith and I love him for it

(it's v easy to understand how that would not appeal to like 95% of ppl doe)

 

Finally starting to warm up to pre-Tilian DGD. I really like DBMII, have Happiness, Deathstar and DBM coming in the mail.

 

Death Star is gonna change your life.

So will DBM.

Literally by definition your life will change. Today your life does not involve physical copies of those albums, but soon it will, thereby constituting a change in your life.

Truly powerful stuff, this band.

 

S/t is my fav. Burning Down the Nicotine Armoire pt.2 is probably one of my favorite songs by them.

 

This is too deep for me

 

I think DBM is such an underrated release from that era. Opinions of Craig aside, the way the vocals mesh with the guitar is something to be appreciated. Backwards pumpkin song and open your eyes and look north still give me chills. Acceptance Speech may be my favorite since then though.

 

dbm and death star, I agree, truly are their 'classic' albums. but imo dbm2 and happiness might be the best music Will Swan and company have ever written. acceptance speech is meh mostly besides the vocals from tilian and jon. instant grat was amazing but I just have this feeling that this September we will get an album with tilian that rivals the jonny and kurt eras. stoked.