While many people entered the Gods of Indie Guitar competition, only a certain amount of people were able to walk away with the top prize from each of the categories that made up the contest. And while Pennsylvania-based guitarist Krista Parrish did not take home the top prize from the Rhythm Category from the contest, it is her song “Mexico” that is one of the strongest songs that makes up the playlist of the CD that came about after the competition was run and decided. Krista Parrish’s “Mexico” is just one of the songs that make up the Playing with Pendulumsrelease from The Krista Parrish Trio. Along with Krista Parrish on guitar and vocals the rest of The Krista Parrish Trio consists of Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fezekas on drums and percussion. This talented trio helped to bring Parrish’s music to life. And while the contest song of “Mexico” is an instrumental track that truly helps give people some idea of what Parrish and her musical companions can do musically, the entire album is NOT instrumental. In fact, about half the album contains lyrics. And while the track “Mexico” is jazz-based, the Playing with Pendulums CD from The Krista Parrish Trio jumps around a lot musically, as the band never stays in one musical mindset very long. To begin the Playing with Pendulums album, Krista presents the song “Happy Guitar”. The first track of the album gives some idea of the talent of this musician as the song takes the listener on a trip that winds its way through blues, jazz and a even a little bit of folk, as the music changes tempos and feels throughout the entire length of the track. To show the talent of this musician, this would have been my second choice behind “Mexico” as the song to submit to the Gods of Indie Guitar Competition. The pace and intensity of the music changes with the second track, “Hola Nino Hermoso”: While “Happy Guitar” is one of the instrumental tracks on the album, “Hola Nino Hermoso” is one of the tracks that feature vocals from Parrish. The band takes on a folk-like sound as they lighten the feel of the music. And while the track is more about the lyrics and not the music, the music portion of the song is rather beautiful as Parrish sings of wanting to spend time together with the object of her desire. Krista Parrish is one of the best finger style guitarists out there. One of the best indications of how good Parrish is with the style is on her song “Mexico”. The song begins with Krista using her fingers to hammer on the strings of her guitar to create a unique sound to the music. The finger style playing by Parrish is complimented by her strumming of the strings to create a two-style approach on the track. The two styles on one track make “Mexico” one of the strongest and most enjoyable songs on the Playing with Pendulums album by The Krista Parrish Trio. It is also one of the best tracks of the Gods of Indie Guitar compilation. To understand just how versatile Krista Parrish is with her writing, take a listen to her song “Eye to Eye:” “Eye to Eye” sends the music into a different direction as  the song sounds like it would belong with bands that spend their time creating lounge music. The lounge-style of music and Parrish’s jazz-like vocals make for a unique pairing of sounds that work well together. And strangely enough, Krista Parrish’s vocals sound as if she was born to sing that style of music. This track is the one track written by someone other than Krista as the song was written by her late brother, Corey Parrish. While the majority of the Playing with Pendulums album by The Krista Parrish Trio was created with Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fezekas on drums, the track “Easier Said than Done” was created by Krista Parrish with the help of Liam Reid on bass and James Stapleford on mandolin and keys. The song is another instance where the resulting track shows off the talent of the musicians. The track is one of the songs you will find yourself singing along with the lyrics. Having discovered Krista Parrish for the first time while listening to the CD for the Gods of Indie Competition, I am glad for that opportunity as Playing with Pendulums, the album from The Krista Parrish trio is well worth the time it takes to listen to the entire release. As the music changes from track-to-track, you get to hear different sides to this talented musician and her band. And each side of Krista Parrish the musician is as different as the next. You’ll just have to listen to the album to discover the talent of Krista Parrish for yourself. Click HERE for a live performance of the song “Mexico” from The Krista Parrish Trio. To read more about the Gods of Indie Guitar competition, click on the link.” - Matheson Kim

Matheson's Entertainment Blog

For those of you playing the home game, Eye To Eye is The Krista Parrish Trio reborn...or simply renamed, most likely to better express a full-band contribution. While it is true that the previous album, Playing With Pendulums was marked largely by Parrish's intense guitar work and vivacious vocal performance, Feel prevails with enhanced musicality and better band coagulation. Thick, funky bass riffs and verbose percussive statements (a la Stewart Copeland) act as the beefy, technical playground for Parrish's sparkling personality. Everything," the album's first single and video, although seemingly designed with the "radio-friendly" mindset, still manages to encapsulate everything great about Eye To Eye. And the best thing about it is that it features a wordless chorus that still makes you want to sing-along! The simple structure and pureness of emotional spirit makes the song ideal for a rom-com or a sit-com. I Wanna Know" bears a bright, fun-in-the-sun atmosphere, and you can almost feel the sand between your toes when listening to it. It is impossible to listen to Parrish's voice and not feel good. Once you are exposed to her music, it is as though you can now see the world through rose-tinted glasses. The traditional folk element that pretty much defined Playing With Pendulums froths forth on "Pretty Feeling," where the guitar takes center stage. However the genre entrenchment is made a bit more ambiguous by the addition of militaristic percussion and a rollicking bass lick. Probably the most surprising song on Feel is the disco-tinged title track, wherein Parrish summons her inner Diana Ross - all in the name of fun, of course. I think the true spirit of Eye To Eye is the thrill of romance and the youthful vigor that springs forth in every song. It is all about living for today without fear of consequence.” - Mark Morton

Music Emissions

On paper, Krista Parrish is an extremely gifted singer-songwriter...on paper. In the realm of aural resonance, The Krista Parrish Trio defies categorization and is a wildfire of musical expression. Her songs are more like miniature tone poems than radio-friendly singles, in that musical statements are permitted to breathe and grow with defined ambience. As a package, Playing with Pendulums barrels through an array of emotions: frustration, joy, sorrow, hope, bitterness, and even Fahrvergnügen. Vocally, Parrish sings with the conviction of Carole King, the bold urgency of Adele, the histrionic mysticism of Stevie Nicks, and the delicate prose of Joan Baez. But she is doing much more than singing words; her voice also acts as an instrument, accompanying the "trio" and enhancing the compositions into the realm of "quartet." She treats the music less like mathematical orchestration and more as giving life to timbre-legged, pop/soul-hearted children. Each song is birthed as the elements weave together in their own organic DNA strand - from the neo-jazz drumming and the progressive rock bass runs to Parrish's potent guitar work and the aforementioned lustrous vocals. And speaking of guitar work, Parrish can go chop-for-chop with the most downtrodden of blues guitarists to the most blister-fingered of malevolent metallers. Listen to any of the instrumental cuts on the CD; the evidence is clear that the woman is a true axe-slinger. At any given moment, she can conjure the flavors of Al Di Meola, Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Eric Clapton, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and even a taste of Dave Mustaine. To call her a folk musician would be demeaning, and to call her a singer/songwriter would be offensive. Parrish is one of a dying breed of true musicians who can encompass traits of several genres in one composition without kowtowing to the conventions of any one, all the while retaining a sense of ownership and individuality. This is the first album of "music for music's sake" that I have heard in a very, very long time.”

Music Emissions, Mark Morton

Krista Parrish comes to The Couch through a suggestion by our friend Dusty from RoboDrum.  This young lady is a must hear.  Her music is intelligent and her vocal range is astounding. That might be enough to have you come listen, but adding to that, Ms. Parrish is a smokin' guitar player.  Her song "Mexico" was selected for the Gods Of Indie Guitar album this year. Last year Krista released Playing With Pendulums with bassist/husband Steven Murphy and drummer Michael Fazekas. A song off the album, "Easier Said Than Done" went to #1 on the indie music charts in the rock category. She was recently signed to  Cinderella Records and we will discuss her explosive journey and what is on the horizon. ”

Music On The Couch, Vinny Bond

The music of Krista Parrish is a refreshing change from the conventional, yet at the same time totally accessible. A rare commodity in this age of digitally over processed pre packagedmusic.Making use of complex rhythms and interesting harmony, Krista and her talented trio never lose a strong sense of groove. A feat not easily accomplished. Whether it be the playful instrumental Happy Guitar or Krista's soaring vocals on Skywatching,Each tune takes the listener on a musical journey. Truly a Gem - Highly Recommended !!! Derrick Murdock

— Artist Review, Derrick Murdock, former bassist of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

There are many talented guitarists out there. No matter where you live, you probably know someone who has an outstanding playing style, someone who could give other guitarists a run for their money. If there was only a way to prove who was the best guitarist on the planet. With that thought in mind, a contest was devised that gave guitarists around the world the chance to show what they can do. That contest is known as Gods of Indie Guitar. With Gods of Indie Guitar, guitarists compete with other guitarists to ultimately win the contest. And because people have developed their playing styles while playing many different genres of music, the contest is not based upon music genres but upon playing abilities and techniques. Along with competing to be named as “Overall Winner,” people compete to win the other categories of Acoustic, Jazz/Blues, and Rhythm. Recently, over a thousand entries were selected to compete in the Gods of Indie Guitar contest. With competitors from all over the planet, they all bring their own influences with them, adding even more elements to the diversity of the music. The winners of the recent Gods of Indie Guitar contest were taken and placed on the newly-released Gods of Indie Guitar 2011 CD. Gods of Indie Guitar 2011 contains 17 tracks by 16 artists. And like the contest itself, the CD is full of many different music genres and styles of playing. The CD begins with the Overall Winners category. The three finalists that ended up being the top finishers are: GOLD- Shouse “Alone on the Sun,” SILVER- Magic Red“Nothing but Time,” and BRONZE- The RoboDrum “String Theory”.  Both Shouse and Magic Red are rock guitarists who have similar playing styles, and it is easy to see why the two musicians ended up as the top 2 finishers of the contest as they obviously have more than ample knowledge of how to play the guitar, as well as knowledge in composition.  The RoboDrum offers a track of guitar-based blues music for the twenty-first century. Gods of Indie Guitar 2011 continues with the Acoustic Winners category. The GOLD place winner Keegan McClellan offers an energetic song entitled “Kill the Prophets” that showcases his different approaches to playing the guitar on one track. The SILVER place winner Krista Parrish shows off her finger picking style on her song “Mexico,” one of the best tracks on the release, in my opinion. Chris Dunnett places third in the Acoustic Winners category with his song “El Samuraichi.” The Spanish-influenced song features Dunnett showing off his flamenco-style playing. The Acoustic Winners category is probably the most impressive category, as you really get to hear the guitarists’ playing techniques. The next category on the CD is Jazz/Blues Winners. The GOLD place winner for this category is The RoboDrum, the only artist who ended up with two tracks on the contest CD. The song “Still Rainin’” is a solid contemporary blues track that gives the listener a chance to hear what today’s blues music could sound like. Dee Brown’s SILVER place track “True Reality” is one of the best jazz compositions I’ve heard in a long time. For the BRONZE place track, Brett Hardwick’s song “Ain’t Love a Bitch” is a song that features a classic blues feeling to the music. The Gods of Indie Guitar contest is for guitarists to show their talents on the guitar. And while the contest is based around an instrument, that doesn’t mean that every song submitted has to be instrumental. For musicians who are not writers of instrumental music, the Rhythm category allows for these musicians to take part in the category as well, as long as the song submitted shows off the playing of the guitarist. The GOLD place winner for the Rhythm Winners category is “She’s Like That With Everyone” by Modern American Theatre. The song has one of the most infectious melodies of any of the songs on the CD. And the reason it won the category is the amazing picking of the guitar on the track. The SILVER place winner Pamela Means offers a folk song that also features some amazing guitar playing. The BRONZE place winner is the heavy metal band Submission Red with their song “Dirty Scene”. The CD finishes up with the unofficial category of Overall finalists. These four tracks are from contestants that didn’t win any of the categories. These are the songs that really are too good to ignore even though they didn’t win. “Shizzle” from Desecrate is a really good instrumental heavy metal track. The Morning Life’s track of “3 Weeks Later” is a really solid instrumental acoustic track that is reminiscent of the New Age band Wind Machine. The final three artists on the CD hail from outside of the USA. Canada’s Adrian Rasosubmitted the song “Django,” a track that has a definite gypsy feeling to the music. Another Canadian artist, Laganza, provides a great track of rock music called “Movin’ Groovin’.” And Greece’s Phase Reverse blends Heavy Metal, Southern Rock, Blues and many other influences into their song entitled “Cross to Bear”. The Gods of Indie Rock 2011 CD has a lot to offer: If you like rock, you’ll find plenty to choose from. If you like acoustic music, there are three fine specimens included on the disc. If you are a fan of blues/jazz music, you’ll find some fine music to suit your tastes. The many different styles of music on the CD keep the listener entertained as the music continually changes directions. Gods of Indie Rock 2011 is an album you should check out if you like many different styles of music and want to find some of the best unsigned talent out there right now.  ”

Rock and Roll Report, Matheson Kamin

The Krista Parrish Trio is: Krista Parrish on vocals, guitar, mandolin & piano, Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fazekas on drums & percussion.  There were also guest musicians on two tracks: “When” & “Easier Said Than Done”.  Krista was responsible for writing all the songs with the exception of one, “Eye To Eye”, which was written by her brother Corey Parrish.  Krista even had a special thanks & dedication to her brother on the inside cover that will eat your heart out and those liner notes read: “Corey Parrish, my brother, my best friend & musical soul mate.  You will forever live within my music which will always be ‘our’ music.  This album wouldn’t exist without you.  Your spirit and inspiration get me through everyday.  I love you.  Thank you.” Obviously right away I’m feelin’ a lotta love and so this could make for one special album.  With two EP’s and one live LP to their name, ‘Playing With Pendulums’ is the first full-length album for The Krista Parrish Trio.  This group is in good company because the Trio had the pleasure of working with Grammy award winning producer & engineer, Glenn Barratt of Morning Star Studios.  It’s also worth mentioning that Krista is currently working with Stephen Wrench who was the manager of Lynyrd Skynyrd for 18 years.  Krista Parrish Trio “Mexico” MP3: http://www.skopemag.com/audio/MexicoKP.mp3 I have to say that all 12 songs had such a professional touch to them thanks to the crystal clear production.  Not to mention the musicianship coming forth from Krista & company was off the charts.  The style was very refreshing to say the least with rock & folk influences shining through as core elements.  Push play and instantly you hear a happy-go-lucky instrumental on “Happy Guitar”.  On the next track “Hola Nino Hermoso”, you will notice an interesting vocal delivery that makes Krista a unique artist.  There was a mix of cool instrumentals and songs with vocals that added a well-balanced seesaw effect.  Krista’s voice seems to have a certain charm to it that displayed a classic meets modern touch.  The real magic though, I feel, comes by way of Krista’s guitar playing where I simply loved the acoustic quality.  The best way to describe Krista’s overall performance is that she has a voice that makes you listen and a guitar that speaks to you.  Krista brings her guitar to life just by the way she plays.  Her trusty sidekick closes the show with style & finesse on “Head First, Heart Last”.  I also picked up on a hellacious drum beat on track nine “Mexico” that is fast, lively and oh so good.  Michael Fazekas’ performance really helped carry this song along with a phenomenal guitar presence from Krista.  In the end I am very impressed with what I heard from The Krista Parrish Trio.  ‘Playing With Pendulums’ is sure to be a hit but don’t take my word for it!  “Easier Said Than Done” has already went to #1 on the indie rock Americana music charts & the “all-genre” music chart.  “Mexico” was selected for a national compilation release from Blue Collar Records called “Gods of Indie Guitar” that will be available at many online retailers along with FYE, Hot Topic and Be Bop Stores.  The Krista Parrish Trio music can be heard on Pandora.com and their songs are being played at FM radio stations all over the U.S., Canada and Europe.  Ready or not…here they come!  You can purchase her music at: iTunes, amazon.com, cdbaby.com, rhapsody.com, cduniverse.com, her official website and soon will be available worldwide by more than several hundred distributors.  Don’t miss your chance to hear this band for yourself because they definitely have that certain something that will take them far in the music world. ”

Skope Magazine, Jimmy Rae

If you're looking for something to relax and daydream to, Playing with Pendulums is the perfect alternative forum. Parrish plays with her vocal range over intertwining guitar chords, as she picks and taps her way through each track. The culmination of her talent with the bass and percussion blends seamlessly. Notable harmonics in "The Mind's I" and tapping in "Mexico.”

Origivation Magazine, Kate Gamble

Krista Parrishwww.sonicbids.com/KristaParrishMusic Skope: How did you react when you knew you are now A2W selected on Skope?Krista Parrish: We were super excited! We’re doing everything we can to get our music out there and this is a great opportunity to reach indie music lovers. Skope: What are two goals that you want to accomplish musically in 2011?Krista Parrish: We want to get back in the studio and work with a great producer out in LA that our label thinks would be a good fit for us. We released “Playing With Pendulums” in May of 2010 which is now being re-released on Cinderella Records but I’m a writing fanatic and have 30+ songs I want to record. Another goal that we and our label have is to collaborate with some more established artists in the industry which we are thrilled to get the opportunity to do.  Skope: If you had to choose one thing that your band must improve on what would that be and how will you do it?Krista Parrish: PROMOTIONS. Self promoting can really take a toll after a while, it can take away from creative endeavors and good old fashion practice time. We now have a label backing us and a team of professionals which is a huge weight off our shoulders. By allowing our label to promote us worldwide, we can get our music in the ears of new fans quicker and focus on being creative and putting on a rockin’ show. I think 2011 will be a much more productive year for us as a band Skope: What are two other non-mainstream musicians or bands that you are listening to these days & respect?Krista Parrish: I love Andrew Bird. He is an amazing musician, writer and producer. “Anonanimal” is pure genius. He has a way of taking you on an intricate musical journey through his badass song arrangements.  I’m kind of obsessed with The Local Natives. I dig their tribal drum beats, guitar work and writing. Their vocal tones blend beautifully & Cubism Dream is a gem of a song. Skope: How has playing music offered more fulfillment in your life?Krista Parrish: Playing music has been fulfilling in so many different areas of my life. I get to play music with my husband and connect with him creatively. I also get to connect with so many people whether it be a fan, another musician or a student, I’m always inspired & hopefully inspiring others. On a personal level, I get to express myself and find comfort in playing instruments, not just on stage in front of an audience but in my living room or just jammin’ with a friend. It’s like therapy for the soul. Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?Krista Parrish: I’ll be performing in the NY Songwriters Circle showcase at World Café Live in Philadelphia on March 2nd solo, my full band will be showcasing at Singer Songwriter Cape May March 25th, a music conference/festival in NJ, “Gods Of Indie Guitar” will be out in February (our song “Mexico” made it onto this worldwide distributed compilation album) and we will be playing a lot of cool music fests this summer. You can find our tour schedule at www.kristaparrish.com. We are on Pandora.com, itunes, amazon.com, cdbaby.com, facebook & myspace. www.youtube.com/kristaparrishwww.myspace.com/kristaparrish

Skope Magazine

I  got to interview Bucks County guitarist, Krista Parrish, about her music, her band and her latest release. I checked out her music via her website and what I heard was thrilling. Comparisons to Kaki King and Leo Kottke come to mind when I listened to her playing, but her singing is in a league of it’s own. Their song, “Easier Said Than Done”, was number one on the indie charts. Her band mates, Mike Fazekas on drums and Steve Murphy on bass, are the perfect compliment to her. The latest album, Playing With Pendulums, was engineered by Glen Barratt [Melody Gardot] and is dedicated to her late brother and musical partner Corey. It  is a work of heartfelt inspiration and extreme musical proficiency that should be on any radio station’s playlist. The band plays many Philly area venues such as World Cafe, Puck, and Sellersville Theatre. They should not be missed.”

Tri State Indie, Randy Bucksner