Line #52 Music/TheBirthdayMassacre


1	[[quoteright:348:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birthdaymassacre.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:348: From left to right: Owen, Falcore, Chibi, O.E, Rainbow, and Rhim.]]
3	->''I think my friend said "I hear footsteps",\
4	I wore my black and white dress to the birthday,\
5	Massacre, birthday massacre, birthday,\
6	I wore my black and white dress.''
7	-->"Happy Birthday"
8
9	The Birthday Massacre are a [[UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} Canadian]] [[SynthPop synthrock]] / [[DarkWave alternative]] band who formed in 1999 under the name ''Imagica''. In 2002 they changed their name the name to The Birthday Massacre after one of their earlier songs in order to avoid confusion with another group. The song "The Birthday Massacre" was then renamed to "Happy Birthday."
10
11	According to their vocalist Chibi: "It kind of works well for the music that we're making. Sort of contrasty, you know? Birthday, and massacre. Light, and dark. Cute, and evil."
12
13	As the band wrote on their official website:
14	->''The Birthday Massacre is an audio/visual project that has been in development since 1999. The sights and sounds of the Birthday Massacre branch into the wide range of creative themes and blend together a colorful palette of music genres and contrasting imagery. By combining imagery, sound, fashion, and performance, we aspire to create an experience for our audience that is both unique and multifaceted. Through the use of creative media, we have developed a world inspired by emotion, memories, satire, horror, romance, fantasy, nostalgia, and tragedy; a world we hope to evolve and explore for a long time to come.''
15
16	And they are ''awesome''.
17
18	Their current line-up is:
19	* Sara "Chibi" Taylor - lead vocals
20	* Michael Rainbow - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
21	* Michael Falcore - lead guitar
22	* Owen Mackinder - keyboards, keytar
23	* Philip Elliot - drums
24	* Brett Carruthers - bass
25
26	Former members include:
27	* Dank (1999-2001)
28	* Adm (2002-2004)
29	* Aslan (1999-2007)
30	* O.E. (2000-2010)
31	* Nate Manor (2010-2020)
32	* Rhim (2003-2020)
33
34	Their discography is:
35	* ''Nothing and Nowhere'' (2002, re-released in 2004)
36	* ''Violet'' (2004)
37	* ''Walking with Strangers'' (2007)
38	* ''Looking Glass'' (EP, 2008)
39	* ''Show and Tell'' (live album/DVD, 2009)
40	* ''Pins and Needles'' (2010)
41	* ''Imaginary Monsters'' (EP, 2011)
42	* ''Hide and Seek'' (2012)
43	* ''Superstition'' (2014)
44	* ''Imagica'' (2016)
45	* ''Under Your Spell'' (2017)
46	* ''Diamonds'' (2020)
47	* ''Fascination'' (February 2022)
48
49	And their [=DVDs=] are:
50	* ''Blue'' (2005)
51	* ''Show and Tell'' (2009)
52	----
53
54	!!Violet Tropes for Violet Visions:
55
56	* {{Animesque}}: The video for "Looking Glass".
57	* AntiLoveSong: "Burn Away".
58	* AlbumTitleDrop: ''Show and Tell'' is a line from "Kill the Lights" ("This story's missing a wishing well / No mirror to show and tell.")
59	* AllJustADream: The video for "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLOfluH8mgQ In the Dark]]" [[spoiler:or so it seems]].
60	* ArcadeSounds: Briefly heard at the start and end of "Video Kid."
61	* AscendedMeme: The rabbit logo started out as nothing more than a loading screen on the band's website, and was never intended to be anything other than an interesting thing to look at while the site loaded. Fans got other ideas, and started showing up to performances wearing bunny ears; eventually the band decided it was iconic enough to incorporate into their album art.
62	* AxCrazy: The protagonist of "Happy Birthday."
63	* BreakupSong: "To Die For," "Kill the Lights," "Always," "Secret," "Forever," "Left Behind," and "Over."
64	* CoverDrop: The first verse of "Oceania" describes the cover of ''Superstition''.
65	-->From the ocean, we were washed up on the other shore.\
66	We didn't know where we'd been, or who we were before.\
67	We were two brothers and a sister with three poisoned hearts,\
68	We walked so close together, but our souls were always far apart.
69	* CoverVersion:
70	** "I Think We're Alone Now" for the ''Looking Glass'' EP by Music/{{Tiffany}}
71	** ''Film/TheNeverendingStory'' theme song by Limahl from Music/{{Kajagoogoo}}
72	** "Last Daze" by Music/LeftSpineDown.
73	** "Straight to Video" by Music/MindlessSelfIndulgence.
74	** "Open Your Heart" by Music/{{Madonna}}.
75	** "From Out of Nowhere" by Music/FaithNoMore
76	** "Photo Voltaire" by Music/JulienK
77	* CreepyDoll: The dolls in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp1FRKc24Zk Blue]]." And "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLOfluH8mgQ In the Dark]]."
78	* DarkIsNotEvil: Despite the dark lyrics and (occasionally) dark music, TBM are known as friendly, funny and really nice.
79	* DiedOnTheirBirthday: The song "Happy Birthday" is sung from the perspective of a narrator who slaughters a "birthday boy," as well as other family, friends, and assorted party guests.
80	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: TBM has quite a bit of this, actually.
81	** Their first "real" album, ''Nothing and Nowhere'', is musically distinct, featuring much softer vocals from Chibi and prominent use of digital drum machines and high-presence synthesizers. Later works feature high-production drum and guitar work with low-gain synths.
82	*** The [[https://www.discogs.com/The-Birthday-Massacre-Nothing-Nowhere/master/42287 cover art for the limited 2002 release]] looks odd next to its catalog brethren, featuring a peculiar-looking castle with none of the common motifs [[note]]that would be rabbits, skeletons, shadowy children, dilapidated Victorian architecture, etc...[[/note]]. The band's title logo is also rendered in ''Papyrus''[[note]]Back in 2002, this typeface was not as widely available and hadn't yet suffered the stigma of being an overused font.[[/note]]. The 2004 label release was re-packaged with updated artwork and logo.
83	*** ''Violet'' and ''Walking With Strangers'' contain re-recordings of several ''Nothing and Nowhere'' tracks, and these re-recordings showcase TBM's standard production value.
84	** The ''Imagica'' demos are earlier and weirder, featuring soft, lilting vocals countered by harsh, distorted instrumentation reminiscent of 1990s' synth-rock and industrial. Some of this can be attributed to budget[[note]]The demos were recorded on a frikkin' ''4 track tape machine''[[/note]], but the 2016 remasters show that it was more than just production value creating this sound.
85	*** ''Dead'' stands out even within Imagica's odd retinue as having basically no stylistic counterparts in their entire catalog. So what's different about it? Well... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eru6HRLNSRs everything]].
86	*** The "raven girl", Imagica's mascot-apparent, never appeared in any later album, merch, or web resource.
87	** Their very early fashion, shown in a [[https://i.redd.it/cw0s0bsbchh11.jpg photo set from 2000]][[note]]Credits to Reddit user Profoundemonium for posting the CD case image[[/note]], evokes standard-issue Goth fashion, making them nigh-unrecognizable compared to today. The shift away from this seems less a stylistic upgrade than an entire makeover, and the "cute/creepy" fashion theme established by 2004 has more or less stayed in place, with iterations over time.
88	* EasterEgg: Their old site, ''Nothing and Nowhere'', had an Easter Egg in each section of the site.
89	* ElegantGothicLolita: Not her main style, but Chibi can sometimes be seen in old school Gothic Lolita, such as on the insert of th ''Show and Tell'' CD.
90	* EmbarrassingNickname:
91	-->'''Owen''': When I first joined the band, they called me 'Waffles'...
92	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Of the band's present line up, all but Falcore attended the same college in London, Ontario. Despite this, Chibi and Rainbow are apparently the only ones who knew each other before this period.
93	* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: "Lovers End" is about... [[MurderTheHypotenuse Well...]]
94	** YMMV perhaps, but it seemed more like the girl was cheated on and then took her revenge by locking her (former) lover in a cellar, which eventually led to the boy suffocating to death.
95	* FadingIntoTheNextSong: All of ''Walking With Strangers'' and ''Pins and Needles''. From the other albums:
96	** ''Nothing and Nowhere'': "Promise Me" -> "Under the Stairs" -> "To Die For."
97	** ''Violet'': "Prologue" -> "Lovers End" -> "Happy Birthday," and then "Violet" -> "Red," and then "The Dream" -> "Black" -> "Holiday" -> "Nevermind."
98	* FanDisservice: [[spoiler:Chibi's severed head at the end of the "Blue" video.]]
99	* FanService: Chibi.
100	* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:The Doll in the video for "In the Dark" seems like a friendly character, but in the end of the video she returns and kidnaps Chibi.]]
101	* {{Fingore}}: The first couple of lines of "Midnight" go "I can't decide. Which one of us will leave here alive? Your fingers breaking as I place them over mine."
102	* FracturedFairyTale: "Kill the Lights."
103	* GirlishPigtails: Chibi has these occasionally.
104	* GriefSong: "Without You", and possibly "Left Behind", depending on interpretation.
105	* HairRaisingHare: The artwork of each album features at least one Franken-bunny.
106	* IfICantHaveYou: Seems like the protagonist of "Queen of Hearts" is like this.
107	* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: "Goodnight" seems to be about this.
108	* {{Instrumentals}}: "Black," "Red," "Prologue," "The Night Loop," "The Spooky Loop," "Before Dark (Intro),"Nowhere," and "Trinity."
109	* KillerRabbit: Their logo.
110	* KindHeartedCatLover: Chibi.
111	** In one interview, the band was asked what they missed most while touring. The guys all said their girlfriends. Chibi said her cat.
112	* LastNoteNightmare
113	* LondonEnglandSyndrome: The band began in London, Ontario. At least one interviewer confused this with London, England.
114	* LyricalDissonance: They practically thrive off this trope.
115	* MaleBandFemaleSinger: Every lineup has been an all male band with Chibi fronting them.
116	* MalevolentMaskedMen: The teacher in "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SREZ-ggSDjM Looking Glass]]."
117	* MindScrew: The videos for "Looking Glass" and "Blue."
118	* MoodDissonance: "Blue" whiplashes between light, airy verses with upbeat keyboard accompaniment and a much heavier chorus with dark lyrics sung in something approaching a growl. It's jarring, creepy, and ''cool''.
119	** And "Broken," which has Chibi singing sweetly on the verses and much deeper on the chorus.
120	** "Down" has beautiful melodic verses which distort into a sort of yelling and hard riff before the chorus.
121	** "Lover's End" reverses the pattern, with a deep growling verse, switching to a high, airy chorus that sounds almost like a ''terrified shriek''.
122	* MurderBallad: "Lovers End" and "Happy Birthday".
123	* MusicBoxIntervals: "Blue."
124	* MyNaymeIs: Owen, who used to spell it O-en.
125	* NerdsAreSexy
126	* NewSoundAlbum: ''Superstition'', which is very heavy on the synthesisers and has a very '80s feel.
127	* NightmareFetishist: The entire band.
128	* NoNameGiven
129	* NonAppearingTitle: "Looking Glass", "Science", "Movie", "Red Stars" (sort of - "red star" (note the singular) is heard during the chorus), "Queen of Hearts", "The Dream", "Sleepwalking", "Lovers End", "Secret", and "Midnight."
130	* OminousMusicBoxTune: "Blue."
131	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Most of the band, though finding out any of their real names is pretty easy with Google. Of every member over the years, only Owen, Michael Falcore and Nate Manor have used part of their real names.
132	* PerformanceVideo: "Nevermind", "Superstition", and "One".
133	* PerkyGoth: Chibi in spades.
134	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Chibi is 5 foot 2 inches tall, and she is ''awesome''.
135	* PowerBallad: "Movie".
136	* RapeAsDrama: "Nevermind" and possibly "Queen of Hearts".
137	* RhymingWithItself; The chorus of "Shallow Grave:"
138	-->We put her down in a shallow grave\
139	She wears a dress like a body bag, every day\
140	And this way she won't have to run away\
141	And she can keep her regrets at bay, every day.
142	* SailorFuku: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SREZ-ggSDjM Chibi]] in the video for "Looking Glass."
143	* ShoutOut: In the beginning of "Video Kid," the beeping noises sound identical to the ones made by the grandson playing the video game in the beginning of ''Film/ThePrincessBride''.
144	* SopranoAndGravel: "Blue" is definitely an example of this.
145	* StageNames
146	* StalkerWithACrush: "Over" is a BreakUpSong about 2 exes who have become this and are secretly spying on eachother.
147	* StepfordSmiler: Discussed in "Play Dead:"
148	-->''Thinking hurts and thoughts don't rhyme\
149	For those of us who've never tried\
150	To find a face behind our lipstick smiles.\
151	And as our pretty faces die,\
152	Our broken hearts will wonder why\
153	The makeup just won't hide the scars of time.''
154	** And possibly "Promise Me."
155	*** And possibly "Sleepwalking."
156	* SubduedSection: "Forever," "Burn Away," and "Blue."
157	* SurrealMusicVideo: "Blue"
158	* TakeMyHand: The video for "In the Dark" has this, though before their hands touch, the Doll is dragged away by an unknown force.
159	* TeacherStudentRomance: The main character, 6, in the music video for "Looking Glass" has a crush on the teacher.
160	* TeamPet: Gangle, Chibi's toy. From [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTq9a8WgYI this video]]:
161	-->'''Rainbow''': I think Gangle brings peace to Chibi.\
162	'''Chibi''': I bet you Gangle brings peace to us all.\
163	'''Rainbow''': I don't think we realise it. I think consciously, like I think that Gangle brings peace to you because you're his caretaker.\
164	'''Chibi''': Yeah.\
165	'''Rainbow''': But it's kind of like having...\
166	'''Chibi''': But it's kind of like having a little friend, like a little...\
167	'''Rainbow''': Gangle's like a little mini-Buddha.\
168	'''Rhim''': He's good to talk to.\
169	'''Rainbow''': I don't talk to him.\
170	'''Chibi''' talking over the top of them : A few years ago, we were playing and he came flying out of the crowd, right at me, and I looked into his eyes.\
171	'''Rhim''': Arms wide.\
172	'''Chibi''': Arms wide.
173	* TeensAreMonsters: "Play Dead."
174	* TortureAlwaysWorks: "Midnight" has the line '"The only thing I need is time / To change your mind," I said'. Combined with the line about 'your fingers breaking as I place them over mine'... Yeah.
175	* TwistEnding: How many people thought the video for "Blue" would end with [[spoiler:a shot of Chibi's severed head lying several feet from her body?]]
176	* VillainProtagonist: The POV Character of "Happy Birthday," and quite possibly the protagonist of "Midnight" too.
177	** And maybe the protagonist of "Blue."
178	* VocalEvolution: Due both to lack of experience and bad production, Chibi's voice sounds noticeably weaker on ''Nothing & Nowhere'' than on a later release like ''Walking With Strangers''. She also doesn't sing as loud on ''Hide and Seek'', due to having polyps on her vocal cords during recording (she had surgery to remove them after recording finished and quickly recovered).
179	* WalkingTheEarth: The trio in "Oceania", with hints of TheAtoner.
180	* {{Yandere}}: The protagonist of "Blue" gives off major yandere vibes.
181	** Also possibly the protagonist of "Midnight."
182	* YouAreNumberSix: A literal case in the "Looking Glass" video -- the main character's mask bears the number 6, and we have no clue as to her identity, or anyone else's, for that matter (all the students wear identical masks with numbers).

Context Music / TheBirthdayMassacre