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.
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ANXIETY JUNKIES – Self-Sabotage
At the end of 2014, Anxiety Junkies, a DIY hardcore punk from Georgia (US), released their third demo. ‘Sorry’ comprised four numbers that put across the band’s intents in a very succinct and fuss-free fashion. It’s rough around the edges quality of the recording only heightened the intensity, but even so, the band made firm plans in the new year to enter the studio to make a more complete sounding recording. Their first full-length, the fifteen track ‘Self-Sabotage’ is the result.
PROGOCTOPUS – Transcendence EP
Progoctopus pull no punches on their self-released debut EP, ‘Transcendence’. By shamelessly including the word “prog” in their odd choice of band name, they instantly guarantee those listeners who come out in hives at the mere thought of Yes or Enchant or Dream Theater aren’t going to trouble them. This ensures the curious ears now left behind have a fair chance of loving their mix of classic prog rock, folk-rock and complex prog metal workouts right from first hearing.
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.
THE END MEN – Terms & Conditions
Reappearing at the beginning of 2013 after a brief hiatus, Brooklyn’s End Men made a big statement with their second LP ‘Play With Your Toys’. From that point on, there seemed to be no stopping the blues/garage rock duo, with live shows aplenty following – including a recorded appearance at CXCW – and a quickly released compilation of odds and ends filling the gap until their next studio bookings. Released seemingly weeks after their last recordings, ‘Terms & Conditions’ picks up exactly where you’d expect, with the gravel-voiced Matthew Hendershot weaving tales of woe and drunken forboding while percussionist Livia Ranalli plays by the seat of her pants. With such a quick turnaround of material, are The End Men in danger of burning themselves out? On the basis of their 2015 release, it’s a case of anything but…