This was my second time seeing Mice Parade brainchild of NYC’s Adam Pierce, who leads an ensemble full of the most gorgeous layers and tectures between the instrumentation and the vocals. The balance between the feminine and the masculine vocal wise is always well kept and with so many instruments going on (seven musicians on stage!) it is an incredibly enriched and pleasing auditory experience. It’s also worth mentioning that your typical instruments: keyboard, bass, and guitar are really supplemented well by the melodic sounds of the vibrophone. (Schubas new sound system also helped fill the room with music!)
The one difference between this time and last time I saw them was that there was a different female lead on stage who doesn’t have the same voice as former Múm lead singer Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, though no one does and though she did provide that needed feminine presence, it’s Kristin on the album singing those songs so it felt strange to hear and see someone different. All things considered, it was a great set from a band who has put out seven stellar albums (the latest release being self titled) which really fuel a sense of organic creativity that makes you wonder how the world isn’t much more aware of them.
I blogged about Tom Brosseau separately but I also wanted to say a good word for David Karsten Daniels who performed with three others at his side to create beautiful vocal effects with Sara Morris and John Ribo both harmonizing with him. The music itself reminds me a bit of Palace Music at times with its fragility and insights with the ability to provide some of the more jarring rock riffs needed to present a real dramatic sense to at all. There’s a delicate juxtaposition there and having just walked into hearing anything by them for the first time, I was incredibly impressed both with their live performance and their songs off of their most recent album Sharp Teeth. All three bands helped make this an incredible night of music!
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