It's fitting that D.C.'s Dot Dash are going to open for a revamped version of The Chameleons in November as these guys sound a touch like Chameleons spin-off The Sun and The Moon.
There's a bit of D.C. rock royalty in Dot Dash: Terry Banks (guitar and voice) was in Julie Ocean, Tree Fort Angst, and The Saturday People; Hunter Bennett (bass) was also in Julie Ocean; Bill Crandall (guitar) was in Modest Proposal; and drummer Danny Ingram was in so many bands that there's probably only space to mention the biggies: Youth Brigade, the criminally underrated Strange Boutique, radioblue, and -- oh yeah -- he was the touring drummer in friggin' Swervedriver when they were at their absolute peak!
The band will be opening for Hugh Cornwell, one-time lead singer of punk/new wave/alternative legends The Stranglers, in Rockville at Montgomery College on Friday, October 21, 2011.
I urge you to get tickets now. Details are here
Download the free MP3: "There And Back Again Lane"
Named after a Wire song, Dot Dash rock with an edge; the cut starts off like something from that first Editors album but where those guys tried to sound like Ian Curtis-aping robots -- (the reason I don't like Interpol very much, either!) -- Dot Dash bring a human warmth to their Brit-inspired US noise.
"It's more than a myth, but less than a fable. Alright!"
You remember when R.E.M. covered Wire's "Strange" on 1987's Document album?
That weird combination of US college rock and UK post-punk racket was probably my favorite cut on that otherwise overrated record.
"There And Back Again Lane" reminds me of that cut: multiple influences at work to produce something fresh and alive.
For all of your Dot Dash needs, follow them on their Facebook page.
You can buy the album, Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash, from Dot Dash, as a download via Amazon.com.
