So, anyways...I was poking around at Buddyhead.com recently, bragging about being bored...and as a reward for opening my big mouth I was given an album to review by Mr. Keller himself. How generous! Within minutes I was immersed in new tunes from Hawthorne, CA natives DIOS.
Their third release following a four year break, this was my first Dios experience and I had no idea what to expect. Right away I had to turn it up to figure out what the hell was going on. My raised eyebrow was quickly replaced with a smile, and then back again. It took me a few listens to digest and appreciate.
The album twists and curls through the decades with it's roots in Zombie-esque 60's rock. Laden with guitar skill, The Beatles, Beach Boys and Bowie all seem to be influences with plenty of electronic nuance mixed in and an obvious reference to Devo. Even early Beck isn't a stretch. As I listened again, I heard Dandy Warhol-ish, Flaming Lips flavored bits. If you close your eyes you can almost see the naked flower children floating through a warped adventure. Amidst all the groovy, there is a haunted, underwater sound that runs throughout the album that keeps the silliness in check. Bizarre noises and voices from another room give it a dream-like quality. It sounds like Lucy in the Sky & Major Tom threw a party...and Goon Moon crashed it.
The slow, trippy beginning gives way to some sing-a-long worthy tunes fit for any car trip. Ojay and No is Wrong will have anyone who's not too cool to let themselves go sing with abandon (when no one else is within earshot). Toss My Cookies is indulgently strange. Tracks like Stare at Wheel and Ay Don Wanu Meri Yu show the talent and charm of the band, but the slap-happy romance ends there and a somber note finishes the album. O Don Fil Baad seems to be an ode to awkwardness, ending with Et Weel Fil Gud; a delightful song about
the mercy of death.
The sounds may be more sophisticated than the lyrics. I copiously offered myself to a theme, and was offered an ice cream sandwich in return. Riddle me that one? There is probably something deeper going on here and I'm just too much of a clod to get it. And probably so are you. This does not detract from the fun.
Just go with it.
This album did not make me shake my ass, but it did get me to sing along. It can take you somewhere else. It goes well with certain refreshments. And it has just enough weirdness to make you feel smart when you play it for your friends.
Don b efrey du die, right?
But wait...there's more! In true Moneypenny style, I managed to get the inside scoop from the 2/16/10 album release party at the Troubadour in LA from the endlessly-talented photographer Miss Kelli Hayden. She was invited to shoot the show and has graciously given me her photos and story to share with you:
"At first it felt like a Hollywood hipster elite kind of gathering at the legendary Troubadour, but really it was just cool kids who like free music from cool bands in cool cities. Joel Morales (vocals) stepped up to the mic and asked if the Lakers won. Someone in the audience shouted out "We won!" and someone else answered back "Who cares!?". As they began their set, I realized right away that this is the kind of band you NEED to see live; you can't just pop in the album and "get it". In order to get it, you should really see their set in person, most definitely in an intimate setting and enjoy it with drug/drink of choice. For "theatrical enhancements" they added a projector with colored liquid on a plate that projected the liquid swishing around onto a black background behind them. Trippy. I've seen artsy avant-garde musical types doing the projection thing before. I'm not knocking it. It usually works well and makes the entire atmosphere feel "hip", edgy and psychedelic, depending on content. Hey, it works for desert rockers Gram Rabbit. You either connect with it, or you just don't. Connections vary.
I had previewed their new album and past work prior to shooting the show and already knew that it's not heavy and edgy, but you get the reassuring reminder that this is a band that prefers to play in the shadows, as they were only slightly illuminated with nothing but red lighting. This of course is not to be misunderstood as "boring", but rather mellow and tame on the ears as well as the eyes and definitely classified as interesting. Their music is a wild, vibrant mixture of 1970's - 1990's alternative rock bands. Led Zeppelin to Bowie to Beck and back. A real musical smoothie with LSD for the ears. So if they're ever in you're neck of the woods, go on....take a sip. These people totally know their shit and how to express their non-descriptive creativity. They put their thoughts and ideas into tunes and often project visuals. Needless to say, I get it. I'm with it and I'll be with it again whenever they play in LA area again soon."
- Kelli Hayden
khayden.com
This band will fuckin write a song for you for 150 bucks! For a reasonable fee, they will play in your backyard. I'm already thinking about the endless applications for this. Buy WEAREDIOS and other possibilities directly from the band here:
http://www.wearedios.com/
I say: If you can imagine the loveliness of Oasis (with a little less pop), the profoundness of Kid A (but a little less depressing), the bizarro of Ween (but a little less annoying) and still be intrigued, then this is well worth the peanuts for the download. It's music you can analyze for hours on a journey that doesn't have to leave your living room.
No sugar tonight in MY coffee...
Cheers,
Moneypenny