Victoria Parks

Victoria Parks,
Bardic Balladeer and Court Jester of Our Time.

Victoria Parks is a performing songwriter known for her lyrics and irrestiable melodies. She writes humorous, and contemporary ballads. She writes in multiple genres. Her soaring voice ranges from deep and rich to lilting and ethereal. She has a love of impersonating politicians in her vocal styles. She has a good voice for Broadway. This is how she came to be nicknamed "Victrola." Be prepared. Some material may not be suitable for those who don't get irony, metaphor or satire. She does not shy away from subjects. "If I do not make you feel something, I have done nothing. What I love the most is making people laugh." New fans remark on how they love her humorous material but long-time fans appreciate the entire body of her work. Powerful, timeless lyrics cross cultures and history. She writes with a special affinity for folklore and historical subjects. Wry humor mixed with a strong dose of irony are characteristic of her songwriting. Her love of traditional writing is very much in keeping with bardic tradition. Her contemporary material is full of passion, humor, joy and pathos. Ballads are a strong suit for her. Her songs reveal a woman of her time though her musical feet are rooted firmly in tradition. She is known for her folk and folkrock debut CD Sure Feels Like Home and the traditionally influenced 2003 release, Wild English Rose (read reviews below).

Victoria "Victrola" Parks' comments on Duhmocracy:

hear the song samples on DUHMOCRACY at www.duhstbunnies.com

Duhmocracy is the first full-length CD of musical satire from Victrola & the Duhst Bunnies. The songs are irreverent, unrepentant, political. With Duhmocracy I enjoy exploding cultural myths and telling tall tales while mercilessly lampooning stupid politicians, indefensible media, religious hypocrites. Duhmocracy is a complete left turn from my traditionally influenced music. I decided to release Duhmocracy because I have simply written such a volume of material related to these strange and outrageous times we live in. Fans kept asking me when I was going to release my funny songs. The humorous material has finally been produced with Duhmocracy. It is my response to a world gone collectively mad. The times are extraordinary and the characters on this world stage are too rich. Song fodder is in the newspapers and on the blogs. Our democracy is being assaulted on all fronts in unprecedented ways. While we sit back in a self-assuming state of powerlessness, we are allowing our leaders to infantilize us while our once great republic devolves into a Duhmocracy and the world suffers.

However, we are smarter than they think!!

As a songwriter, the times demand I be contemporary. Duhmocracy is my first full-length CD of musical satire from Victrola & the Duhst Bunnies, and hey, sometimes I just love to be off the wall. Blue Meanies, Borg and Orks beware, these songs are not for the blissfully unaware or the willfully ignorant! Heads will explode!

I am taking advantage of my First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America while I still can! Perhaps we need to start over by taking it back laughing! Then we all need to swing into action to turn this tide. We have to act like we own a real democracy, not a Duhmocracy. We do own it. We just need to act like it. We must demand publicly financed campaigns and elections conducted on hand counted and cast paper ballots. Support your local Low Power FM community, or Internet radio station, and ask the FCC to protect Net Neutrality. Lets take back our elections and our media.

Life is loud, laugh louder, because you are smarter than they think!!

"It takes more than words like tarry, hither, elixer or sacred oath, to contribute to this feeling of discovered tracks rather than originals. Parks has succeeded in packaging ideas, words and melody lines to render a presentation that suggests the times of which she sings. Parks's historical settings capture the hardships of these lives so perfectly that one can picture the songs' choruses being sung ages ago to the rhythm of swinging pints." Sing Out! Magazine, Fall 2003

If you are lucky enough to have Victoria's debut album, "Sure Feels Like Home," she needs no introduction. If not, I hope you'll take this opportunity to discover her. Victoria is a master storyteller and songwriter with a beautiful, powerful voice. This is a voice that deserves to be heard!"--Fred Dolan, host Visiting the Folks, WUJC

"Wild English Rose showcases Victoria Parks' clear and resonant singing voice and her spirited, well crafted songs. The instrumentation is largely of Celtic influence, and you think you are listening to a collection of centuries-old folk songs until you realize that Parks herself has written all but one. Parks recounts her family history, commemorates ancient Celtic holidays, and shares stories of herself, gently pulling the listener in to her world. I was particularly struck by "Beautiful Hands," a tribute to a loved one who's passed on, and "Dear Sister," a song based on letters written by her great (x5) grandmother to her sister in the 1700's. In Parks' own words, her music is spindled with fairy dust and flowers, and indeed, it has an undeniable magic to it, a warm-fuzzines tempered with hearty, bold, lyrical storytelling...an excellent musical creation, worthy of repeated listenings."--Victory Music Review, November 2003

"a lady with a clear talent to draw this listener into her songs. And what's more, engage him fully whilst he was there, and spit him out the other end wanting more. Her effortless lower register really gives me a FRISSON of excitement." --Kevin's Celtic & Folk Music CD Review

"The historical songs are the most interesting. What an inspiration for genealogists! My favorite is "Dear Sister," based on letters sent to Scotland in the late 18th century by her emigrant 5th great grandmother. The verses describe the life Sarah Parks was now leading in America and her reluctance to return, and they do sound like messages from old letters. These songs are really well devised lyrically and tunefully. Parks has an interesting voice, from the same tonal category as Jean Ritchie. I like it because it's melodic, strong and authentic...and certainly not wispy, cute, or vampish! It is a good voice for history. Her catchy melodies are genuinely "folky" and blend well with the lyrics. Recommended especially for Renaissance-Pagan-Celtic Festival enthusiasts and genealogists, but "folk music" listeners will like the historical songs"-- The Greenman Review

"As a vocalist (she) presents her ballads combining both a firm voice with a sensitivity whilst clearly identifying with the subjects at hand. I found the 'historical' tales or stories derived from her family background to be the strongest on the album. That said the thirteen tracks on the album offer a fine and varied journey through Parks songwriting and personal journeys."-Folk & Roots, July 2003

"She is a strong songwriter and better than average singer. The sound is quite distinct... she has a very pretty voice. I am quite impressed with the quality. I feel Victoria has a winner here."
-- Rambles

"Victoria is renowned as a storyteller among those who know her music well, and this album is clearly the work of an experienced and comfortable yarn-spinner, with fascinating tales and beguiling turns of phrase."--Every Muse News & Reviews

"Although all songs but one are written by Victoria, they're all drenched in the English / Irish folk style. On the romantic songs she succeeds beautifully, singing like a blossoming rose, with nice arrangements."--Psyche van het Folk, radiocentraal, Antwerp. Belgium

"Parks' songwriting and execution are so fully formed that she could hold her own with any of Triple A radio's most beloved singer/songwriters."--The Cleveland Free Times

"Sure Feels Like Home is an accomplished production. It surprises with moments of fine playing, touching harmonies and passionate songwriting...unflinching"--The Guardian

This well-produced collection of original songs has full and tasteful arrangements, well written lyrics. Parks' vocals are vibrato-rich, reminiscent of Mary McCaslin and Melanie, alternately childlike and gutsy. Well worth the listen!--Victory Acoustic Music Review