Parsons Playlists: Best Album Art

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Brianna (class of 2023) and features some music from albums with cool cover art.

Best Album Art

In keeping with my last playlist, here is a collection of my favorite songs from albums with some of my favorite album art, as well as some albums whose covers have become iconic! Enjoy.

Tame Impala – “Borderline”

Palace – “Live Well”

blink-182 – “All The Small Things”

Harry Styles – “Late Night Talking”

My Chemical Romance – “Welcome To The Black Parade”

Green Day – “Basket Case”

Childish Gambino – “Redbone”

Weezer – “Say It Ain’t So”

Collective Soul – “Run”

Nirvana – “Come As You Are”

Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zeybnb59dYL0axiA4iCUAB4B

Parsons Playlists: Best Band Names (and their best songs)

Welcome back to Parsons Playlists! Today’s playlist is curated by Music Library student manager Brianna (class of 2023) and features favorite songs from bands whose names she enjoys.

Best Band Names (and their best songs)

This playlist is made up of my favorite songs from the best band names out of the artists I listen to. Some of them are clever, some are funny, some make no sense, but all of them earned a place in my hall of fame. Enjoy!

band names

Peach Pit – “Figure 8”

Hippo Campus – “Ashtray”

Ritt Momney – “Paper News”

The Thing With Feathers – “Figure It Out”

Pearl Jam – “Even Flow”

My Chemical Romance – “Helena”

Nirvana – “In Bloom”

Lime Cordiale – “Country Club”

French Cassettes – “Dixie Lane”

Magic City Hippies – “Champagne on the Rider”

Trash Panda – “Heartbreak Pulsar”

Vista Kicks – “Gimme Love”

Here is a link to the whole playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU94rco57Zew6vMK6_SANyMQpnfy22MX2

Arachnophonia: My Chemical Romance “The Black Parade”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia (“Arachno” = spider / “-phonia” = sound) is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student manager Deisy (class of 2024) and features My Chemical Romance’s 2006 album The Black Parade. Thanks, Deisy!

My Chemical Romance
The Black Parade

MCR Black Parade album cover

One of the most legendary bands of the Punk rock/ Rock world is definitely My Chemical Romance. MCR officially debuted in 2002 with I Brought You Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, they later signed with another label which released their major hit album Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge.

MCR has many successful hits such as “Na Na Na,” “I’m Not Okay,” and “Welcome to the Black Parade” which are favorites among the fans.

Parsons Music Library has the album The Black Parade available for anyone to come listen to it. It has my top favorite songs which are “I Don’t Love You” and “Famous Last Words.” If you are looking to enter the Punk/Rock world, MCR is the place to go.

Arachnophonia: My Chemical Romance “The Black Parade”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Olivia (class of 2019) and features The Black Parade, the third studio album by American rock band My Chemical Romance, aka MCR. Thanks, Olivia!

My Chemical Romance

The Black Parade

If you would care to, imagine a flustered 13 year old girl who cut her own ragged side bangs, refused to wear colors other than red and black, and printed out pages and pages of My Chemical Romance lyrics to memorize before bed each night.

This was my reality in middle school. My parents hated it. I loved it.

MCR group

When I began listening to MCR, they had recently released their 2006 album, The Black Parade, a musical narrative telling the story of ‘The Patient’ who falls ill and dies, experiences the afterlife and reflects on the life he led. With the album came the platinum hair of Gerard Way (he had a different hair color for almost every album) and the peak popularity of the band’s career. The most popular song on the album, “Welcome to the Black Parade,” I played during my 7th grade piano recital, to my parents’ horror (ahh memories). The music video very accurately characterizes the theme, energy, and story continued throughout the album.

One of the things I love most about MCR is how they weave each album’s music into a crazy, creative and awe-inspiring narrative, and continue that narrative through music videos and live performances. It makes listening to their music an active experience. This was also demonstrated through their 2010 album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, which featured a corresponding comic book series published by Dark Horse as well as a full
character costume for each band member – and cherry red hair for Gerard Way.

MCR Danger Days

MCR Danger Days promo photo

You know I have every issue of that comic series in my room at home, by the way.

MCR comic art

The extent to which I immersed myself in The Black Parade, (along with all of MCR’s albums) has made such a lasting impact on me. Twelve years later and I still consistently listen to my favorite band from middle school – those years are impactful and to this day I have not felt the same connection to any artist or group as I felt and still feel to My Chemical Romance.

MCR Killjoys