Search - Stamen & Pistils :: End of the Sweet Parade

?End of the Sweet Parade?, the debut release from Washington DC?s Stamen & Pistils, is a collection of songs that aim to illustrate some of the follies of youth. The observation of uncertainty in ones self and others, and the result of perhaps putting too much of an emphasis on ones expecations of others. But now we?ve reached the end. The songs tell excerpts of stories that speak of the time passed, and that contained with each instant. The company of friends, the embrace of lovers, rivalries engaged, a cathartic peak, and humbled hopes. The real focus of attention here is the sincerity in lyricism, self-effacing and at once honest. Mixed by improvised electronic noise artist and sound designer Derek Morton of the Mykroknyes, and mastered by Alan Douches (Animal Collective, Def Jux, Her Space Holiday), the band present here an unconventional pop record. From the dense RIL-esque opener ?Hand Painted Characters?, through the futuristic aggression crest of ?Boys Vs. Girls?, to the innocent calm-after-the-storm sparseness of ?Friction?, Stamen & Pistils strike a balance between folksy acoustic stylings and left of center electronic sounds.