A dream Asleep vs. Skeleton Dick

First be warned that I write this review with extreme prejudice. A dream Asleep and Skeleton Dick are two of my top favorite bands in Houston, and lately it seems that these guys are more stuck to the hip than a Siamese twin born with their underdeveloped fetus brother growing out of their forehead. It was last year at Rocbar when they put on a battle royale, both bands set up on stage and went at each other song for song in one of the highlight shows of the year, leaving sweat, blood and electrical cords smoldering in a scene that surely inspired two thirds of Scott Pilgrim.

Then this year they both coincidentally get nominated for Houston Press Music Awards, A dream Asleep for Best Hardcore and Skeleton Dick for Best Punk and coincidentally win both their categories. Then not to be topped, complete a split CD called the Dream, the Dick, the Split, which sees these karmicly linked brethren go head to head, reinterpreting the same songs into their perspective genre.

Now as long as I’ve been following these guys, this new split CD just makes me feel warm and cuddly all over for no other reason than this – there is no greater feeling to me than to watch your favorite bands grow musically with each release. ADA is still as punchy and progressive a hardcore outfit as ever, but they feel tighter, and singer Mike Seal has developed much more variety and control to his Marlboro-carcinogenic howl. While Skeleton Dick’s raunchy sense of humor and salacious songwriting is as on point as ever, I now more than ever wonder what their fascination with waffles is.

One of the things I enjoy is switching up the playlist to hear each band’s version of each song back to back, especially “Don’t Turn This Rape Into a Murder,” my absolute highlight of this six song release. If I have any complaint it would be that it’s only six songs, and the last time A dream Asleep released a six song EP they still charged me ten bucks for it. Come on, guys, really? Really???

The boys will be releasing the Dream, the Dick, the Split Friday August 21st at Fitzgerald’s for their release party with Dead to the World, Set Aflame and Mouther.