Dear Landlord- Dream Homes (No Idea Rec)
I'm like a wide eyed 10 year old on Christmas morning when a package from No Idea Records shows up. No Idea has been solely responsible for introducing me to some of my current favorite bands and my personal record collection has been stocked with their releases since the early 90's.
Last year they sent me a disc by a band called Ninja Gun (they have a profile here on G0211- check them out) that ended up being my favorite record of the year. Though we're only at the halfway point, I'm quite sure Dear Landlord is going to end up on my year end favorite list pretty close to the top, if not in the top spot.
Though they might be a new name to most of you out there, Dear Landlord have been kicking around in various other midwest punk bands like The Copyrights (Chicago) and Rivethead (Minneapolis) for years now. In fact, they are exactly half of each of those bands and they sound about what you'd expect if you combined the two.
Not just another pop punk outfit, Dear Landlord employ powerful stop and go rhythms with some serious guitar playing at lightning speed. The use 3 singers- all of which can sing- and have no problem keeping the listener emulating the anthemic choruses about their dismal lives. Plenty melodic but still gritty, they manage to keep the songs fun, urgent and memorable from the first note.
Take some Bay Area early 90's influence ala Jawbreaker, Crimpshrine, Pinhead Gunpowder and sprinkle in some (early period) Screeching Weasel as well as some modern day bands like Off With Their Heads and Dillinger Four and you have some idea of what these guys sound like.
For fans of all things that rock and roll. Plain and simple, this rules- whatever you're looking for this is it...
