|
|
|
BANDS: Punk
& Ska INTERESTS: Venues ETC... About
LOTD
|
Dynamite Club:
It's Deeper Than Most People Actually Think
Im convinced that the three guys in this band couldnt have come up with a more fitting name for themselves, because listening to their music feels, I would guess, like having a stick of dynamite go off in your mouth. The energy, surrealism and pure wreckage of it are astounding. It can also be one hell of a headache. Dynamite Club is an interesting collective, to say the least: two of its members live year-round in New York, but the third sticks to his homeland of Japan most of the time. Beyond the typical components of drums, bass and guitar, the band also makes use of keyboards, all the varieties of saxophone, trumpet, glockenspiel, samples, turntables, piano, synth bass, microcassette and multi-part chanting. As if that werent enough, these guys are shockingly skilled musicians, effortlessly moving between jazz, ska, metal, surf, funk, reggae, rock, punk and even country. Their arrangements tend to be quite complicated, and yet they often manage to thread a memorable melody through the muddle To give you an even better idea: one song will join exaggerated Mick Jagger-esque lead vocals with early Chili Peppers-style insane funk-punk drums n bass, Jimi Hendrix-evoking guitar and Pixies-reminiscent howl-punctuated mayhem, while another will take Swing era-inspired jazz guitar and match it with pseudo-metal scream-singing and completely random samples. If this sounds unique and exciting, it is. If it sounds tedious and fatiguing, its those things, too. As smoothly as these fellas transition between styles, their music had me flipping between enjoyment, mild amusement and straight-up exasperation. Im certain Dynamite Club must put on one heck of a live show. And judging from their song titles (things like Frozen Penis, Drinkin and Drivin and Lets Get Wet) and often nonsensical lyrics, my guess is that theyre out more than anything to show party animals a good time, especially those with lots of testosterone to spare. But on disc, these schizophrenic 17 tracks can be a bit over-stimulating. If the manic stylistic changes dont get to you, the screaming, squealing, silliness and general noise eventually will. Perhaps there is more going on here than meets the eye (at least the album title implies as much), but the Dynamite Clubs bombardment is so relentless that its hard to look past the surface of most of these songs. While they are technically dazzling and incredibly exuberant, they often seem too put on, as if the band is out to be as shocking and disorienting as possible, just for the sake of it. Some listeners will find this album challenging in the best way, while others will find it tiresome and superficial. Its a tough call. Like an explosion, its both a terrific spectacle and a huge mess.
Funhole Records Official Website Check Amazon, Insound and CD Universe to purchase this album. About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
