Dakota
I got called a teenager on the 10 o'clock news
 More sharp-edged Texas rock, with lots of angry, jagged guitars and tortured yelling. Very Fugazi-ish, I think, with some intriguing math-rock touches, a la June Of 44 or Polvo...I have to say, though, that I'm not really very big on this sort of thing these days -- a lot of it has a "same-y" quality that gets old real fast, and this is no exception, at least to me. I did like the second song on the B-side, though, "Person in Traction," largely because it wasn't the same tempo as the other two; nice change, there. (JH/Fall 1999)
(Twistworthy Records -- P.O. Box 4491, Austin, TX. 78765)
Discount
Love Billy
Boy, did this one catch me off-guard, let me tell you... There I was at Soundwaves, looking through their little "ultra-indie" section, and hey, there's a Discount CD I don't recognize; wait a minute...those songs look very familiar..."North Sea Bubble"? Yes, the "Billy" in the album's title is none other than Billy Bragg, one of my own all-time favorite songwriters, and this CD is an EP of covers of the man's songs by pop-punkers Discount. Those expecting goofball mockeries of any of the songs, be warned -- the folks in Discount sound completely sincere in their reworkings of these songs, and they even come frighteningly close to the sound of some of the originals ("North Sea Bubble" and "Help Save the Youth of America," in particular). Heck, I hadn't ever heard "A Pict Song" before this, but now I'm gonna have to go out and get the original...which, all things considered, is probably exactly what Discount are hoping everybody who hears this will do. Right? (JH/Fall 1999)
(Fueled By Ramen Records -- P.O. Box 12563, Gainesville, FL. 32604; http://www.dyve.com/fbr)
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Dogwood
More Than Conquerors
Dogwood aspires to be on Dawson's Creek. At least, that's what their press release would have you believe. That said, the outfit's first release on Tooth and Nail is a relatively cool blend of NOFX-style punk, old- and new-school hardcore, and even some surf. Dogwood is part of the ever-growing "Christcore" movement, and as a result, Josh Kemble's vocals are always of the positive variety. The guitar work by Sean O'Donnell is tight, if not always interesting, but the few riffs that got my attention were extremely cool (parts of "Suffer," the album's opener, and "My Best Year" spring immediately to mind). What I like most about Dogwood, in comparison to the other Christian hardcore bands out there, is that they aren't overly abrasive and unintelligible. After all, the point of being in such a band is to spread the gospel, right? How can you do that when you make people run from your shows screaming in fear? Fortunately, Dogwood should never experience such a fate. (MHo/Fall 1999)
(Tooth and Nail Records -- P.O. Box 12698, Seattle, WA. 98111-4698; http://www.toothandnailrecords.com/)
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The Doleful Lions
"Hang Around In Your Head"/"Motel Swim"
I'd read a bit about this before I got it, so I was probably somewhat prejudiced -- I'd heard that side A, "Hang Around In Your Head," was the amazing one of the 2 songs on here...but then I listened to it and, well, while it's definitely a decent piece of cheery pop goodness, I was disappointed. Thankfully, I then flipped the record over and found the real keeper off this bit of vinyl. "Motel Swim" is a languid, beautifully cautious kind of a song, for one of those long evenings you spend with someone who could end up as a lover. The Mojave 3-ish guitars shimmer distantly, the brushed drums sound like breaking waves, and you can almost imagine the motel pool in the moonlight. (JH/Fall 1999)
(Parasol Records)
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