Couch Potato Sounds

It's no secret that the small takeover has a soft spot for two piece garage bands who aren't the white stripes. Here's a UK duo who go by the name of King Kool. They've solved Jon Spencer's marriage problems by marrying the sound of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion with the psychobilly rock of The Cramps. Check out their video to their single, "Rocket Roll" below.








Dot Dash are no strangers to this blog as the Washington DC band have released two great power pop albums in two years and both albums contain a faster track.  On their latest album, they punked it up with a Buzzcocks style track entitled, "A Light in the Distance".



It's always been difficult not to mention the Dissociates whenever Dot Dash are discussed on this blog due to both bands sharing a post-punk style.  Here's the London post-punk or post hardcore in the song "Three Years" which features footage from their tour of the Ukraine.







This post started with a duo so I'll end it with number two.  New Zealand industrial duo, Dying of The Light made a video to the title track of their "Monolithium" EP.  The video is bleak and captures the isolation of the bottom of the world in post-apocalyptic style.  There are nods to Godflesh, as well as NZ bands such as The Skeptics and "Churn" period Shihad.  The band's EP contains a Shihad cover.  Check out the EP here  and watch the video below.

Dot Dash "Half-Remembered Dream"

((the beautiful music)

All music fans have some genre which they consider to be a dirty word.  For some, it's metal or pop music and others often get more specific with sub-genre dislikes.  If you're silly enough to consider power pop a genre that should be passed by then you might want to skip this band and review.


A year's not quite passed by and Dot Dash's follow-up to "Winter Garden Light" is here.  Most people would expect a band to have an identifiable sound by their third album and Dot Dash definitely have stamped their own sound identity.    There's no denying that they're still a US band who sound like a UK band due to their influences and Dot Dash's core sound remains power pop.


On the band's previous outing one song sounded like  Echo and The Bunnymen vocally but it is much more difficult to pick vocal comparisons this time around.  Terry Banks' singing will be recognizable as his own to people who have heard Dot Dash's previous release.   Comparisons to The Smiths will doubtlessly be made by many who hear this album due to the guitar playing and even that band's often overlooked rythm section.


"The Hands of Time" is a laid back catchy number that combines Johnny Marr guitar with a tune with an opening melody, which a young Paul McCartney would be proud of .      "The Sound in Shells" recalls The Dream Academy's best known moment although the guitars resonate much louder through Dot Dash's tune.    The previous album had a fast punk style song in "The Past is Another Country" and this album's equivalent is the Buzzcocks fashioned quick burner.   It's not all UK as  "Do Re Mi"  nods to Australia as it's one of those perfect pop songs that The Go-Betweens were writing during the 80's.

The theme of time slipping away runs throughout the lyrics and that brings the main complaint of the album.  "Half-Remembered Dream" just passes by too quickly.

4.5/5

The entire album can be heard on Dot Dash's bandcamp site.

Dot Dash on Facebook



The Small Takeover on Facebook

Dot Dash - Winter Garden Light

Regular readers of this podunk blog might recall that a while back I posted "Learn to Fly" by Wahington DC band, Dot Dash and compared the song to The Cure. That was the only song from the band's debut that found its way into my ear canals however the band were recently in touch and let me know about their sophomore effort, "Winter Garden Light".

The band have the sound of a London post-punk band to the point that it's not difficult to imagine them sharing a stage with The Dissociates, because both bands share that early eighties English sound yet manage to sound fresh along with hooks so catchy they could land a whale. While listening to "Winter Garden Light" band comparisons don't easily come which is no bad thing, although album closer,"Devil's Road" is reminiscent of Ian McCulloch's solo debut, but my guess is that if you own albums by The Jam, Echo and The Bunnymen, The Smiths, The Cure and even Straitjacket Fits then this is an album well worth investigating. Winter Garden Light is a shining beacon in a ravaging storm and a likely candidate for album of the year.

4.5/5



Investigate their bandcamp.


Small takeover on facebook

D youtube pop and punk bands

First up DC band Dot Dash who I keep seeing compared to The Jam but in this particular tune I hear a lot of The Cure.



And at Safety Second hailing from the other side of the Atlantic, The Dissociates from London.