How do you describe a band like the Dials? Well for one thing: high energy! The Chicago band is a peppy union of pop/punk/garage/60's girl group goodness, but if you think you can dismiss them as one of "those" girl bands, think again.
The Dials debut LP, Flex Time, is a combination of catchy, well written songs about making out, relationships and frustration that have the right amount of bittersweet angst to make you able to relate.
Flex Time, which will be released on November 8th, is one of those incredible, and rare, albums that make you feel like the world isn't so bad after all. Don't come into this thinking it's all sunshine and blue skies, though. The first song, "Dead Beat" is perfect proof of this. "Do You Want Me?" is a sing-a-long, cutesy tune about, well, the obvious, and the bitter, two-chord pop song, "Bye Bye Bye Bye Baby" complete with a screechy 1-2-3-4 count off, is reminiscent of the Ramones and Dee Dee.
While the Dials don't stray from their unique and catchy sound, they still manage to make every song sound different. The Farfisa adds a unique sound to the songs and isn't something you hear very much of in music anymore. The steam doesn't let up once through the whole album, from the first chord of "Dead Beat" to the last note of "High Tide", even the mysterious hidden track that pops up ten minutes later is worth listening to.
On a sad note, the Dials drummer, Doug Meis, was killed in an accident in July, which also took the lives of Silkworm drummer, Michael Dahlquist, and Returnables guitarist, John Glick. Glick was also the husband of the Dials front woman, Rebecca Crawford.
Doug's talent and energy on the drums is soaring on this album and it is an incredibly big loss for the Dials as well as for the fans.
Despite their loss, the band, which consists of Rebecca Crawford (vocals/bass), Patti Gran (vocals/guitar), and Emily Dennison (Farfisa/vocals), will continue to rock and push on.
If you like fun, danceable, upbeat punk songs with plenty of 60's girl group pop, do yourself a favor and pick up the Dials album on November 8th. You can check out the band's website at www.thedials.us.
Complete track list:
Dead Beat
Stuck Inside
Do You Want Me?
Flex Time
Nothing But Crazy
Bye Bye Bye Bye Baby
Glass Hell
Tick Tock
Take It To The Man
Phone Line
Sick Times
Rotten
High Tide
(and a secret hidden tune)
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You can read Jones Violet's stuff at Stolen Pony.
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