Although the name might not necessarily be familiar, Washington DC’s Dot Dash is a band with an impressive musical pedigree. Vocalist Terry Banks was previously a member of St. Christopher and worked with Julie Ocean; with the latter, he also worked alongside future Dot Dash bassist Hunter Bennett. Drummer Danny Ingram was previously a member of hardcore punks Youth Brigade and Sweredriver, while guitarist Steve Hansgren served key roles within Minor Threat and Government Issue.
Tag Archives: alternative
LOS AND THE DEADLINES – Perfect Holiday EP
At the outset of their third EP ‘Perfect Holiday’, US art-rockers Los and The Deadlines ask one simple but important question. From within the echoing walls of their studio space, a voice asks if [we’re] “ready to rock?!”, to which a louder voice retorts “YEAH, fuckin’ rock!” This might seem like a horribly clichéd way to begin, but from that second on, this band are everything but clichéd, their huge array of riffs and noises setting out to twist their sound at almost every turn.
OLD HOUSE PLAYGROUND – The Great Escape EP
Old House Playground come to you from a dark corner of Manchester (via Greece) bringing folk tales of heartbreak, dark premonition and woe. With a heavy mix of blues, rockabilly and dark twang, Their debut EP, ‘The Great Escape’, comes across as a hybrid of Tindersticks, Nick Cave and Tito & Tarantula, delivered with the sophistication of Chris Isaak (more specifically his classic ‘Baby Did a Bad Thing’). Frontman Tryfon Lazos combines and twists such influences into his own style throughout the four featured tracks, leaving behind a release that’s nothing short of wonderful.
THE JACQUES – Artful Dodger EP
On their second EP, Bristol four-piece The Jacques display a carefree style on three numbers pulling the best elements from sixties beat music, seventies mod revival and nineties Britpop, often in a manner that reflects the youthful energy on the much-loved Supergrass debut ‘I Should Coco’. Any comparisons with that LP can be directly drawn from ‘This Is England’, a three minute high speed jangle that has a punky edge to the guitar work which sometimes shows glimmers of a Buzzcocks-ish style colliding with the kind of vigour that was so oft-present within Gaz Coombes’s overall approach. It’s clear from this particular number that we’re dealing with a particularly tight unit, it’s just a shame the band couldn’t hire themselves a vocalist. Finn O’Brien yelps through this number much in the manner of a pre-pubescent lad, his high pitched delivery akin to Alex Turner with a helium balloon threatening to kill any enjoyment at almost every turn.
FOLLOW THE LION – The Candy & Gravity Motel EP
Follow The Lion are a five piece indie-rock band from Leeds whose debut EP is comprised of three finely crafted indie-rock tunes; each of these three numbers bring out the best in most of the band members – particularly vocalist Daniel Francis and lead guitarist Richard Swann. Prior to ‘The Candy & Gravity Motel’s release, the band found an early champion in the legendary Tom Robinson, who gave exposure to the title cut on his BBC Radio 6 show…and it’s very easy to see why, since these three songs are absolutely tailor-made for rock-based radio. That’s “tailor-made”, as opposed to manufactured, since FTL have a very natural style – there’s nothing here to ever make you think they’d been moulded by the media in any way.