Show Review: Dads

Energy was the word of the night at Cambridge’s Elk Lodge Saturday. There were two men on “stage” (which was really just a cleared out area of the floor), John Bradley and Scott Scharinger, the respective drummer and guitarist of punk/emo outfit Dads. For being a two piece band, they bring a lot of sound. Scharinger’s multi amp setup and guitar manipulation would have one thinking the band had at least two guitarists and a bassist had they not been able to see the performance. He manages to fill huge spaces with his one instrument; chugging away at massive, foundation shaking chords, head whipping about, his Replacements shirt drenched in sweat. All the while Bradley ruthlessly batters the drum kit into a well controlled cacophony. Both members sing, but Bradley does the majority and his vocal performance was quite consistent. The vocals were at times difficult to hear due to the sheer volume of the guitar, but his shout-singing style came across well and only added to the liveliness. Bradley’s ability keep his voice going strong throughout the set was remarkable, never backing down or petering out.

The audience was equally, if not more, frenzied than the band; jumping, moshing, and crowd surfing galore. At one point between songs Bradley said to the audience “You guys are sick,” and it was hard to tell if he meant it or if he was just poking fun. It seemed everyone in the room was having a great time. It wasn’t all high-octane partying though. Dads’ songs also hit points with tone-downed drums and beautiful spacey guitar lines, giving the show some quieter more romantic moments. Overall it was a very energetic, communal, and strangely intimate show that was downright blast to be at. They have a great vivacity live that their recordings, unfortunately, fail to capture. I would certainly recommend seeing these guy’s in the flesh to anyone.

After the show we got the chance to do a quick interview Dads:


Here’s a bit of footage we caught from the set:

You can check out some great photo’s from the show (like the one above) taken by the folks at Future Breed here.

And here is Dads’ bandcamp page.

-Liam Beaudoin

The Fire Dance

Artist: Feuerbahn
Release Date: March 15, 2013
Label: aufnahme + wiedergabe


Feuerbahn's The Fire Dance is a short 5-track album that knows how to use it's brevity to great effect. In it's twenty-five minute runtime The Fire Dance tells a concise and immersive tale of loss drenched in melancholy and abrasion. The noise riddled walls of post-punk rarely stop for an uplifting moment or to let you catch a breath. With each track flowing seamlessly to the next, once you hit play you won't escape until it's over.

The album starts off broadly and hopeful with "Lacerba", guitars frenetically strumming to the tune of distortion and broad reverb. The hopefulness soon turns to longing when metallic synth, early Swans-era industrialized drums and muffled vocals (equal parts panicked and sagely) fill in the sound-field. The bitter nostalgia of the first track eventually devolves into a wall of sound akin to that of a rocket take off, beginning second tack begins. Piercing feedback tones and maniacal shouting interplay behind the waves of noise to set a scene of pure aggression. As it flows into the third track, "Deren Herzullie", a breathier layer of noise sweeps through to clear out the distorted mess and it begins to sound as if the previous horror scene has been transported underwater. Growling, bubbling bass synth and meandering pads envelope the listener as tenderly aggressive drums (think a mother lion fiercely defending it's young) lower the song into an impenetrable bleakness. The vocals on this track are very grievous and droning, which at first adds to the song but soon enough gets very tiring. More vocal variety could be helpful especially when the chorus kicks in and the song becomes more self assured, shedding it's wandering nature.

"Triumphwagen" is the eight minute epic of the album and probably the best track on it. It builds slowly and tentatively, steadily adding in synths, bass, and guitar before exploding into noise and a powerful tom-based beat. Vocals are again monotonous, but work here as they accompany the drums and are quite forceful. Stumbling giant steps turn to a driving-unstoppable force as the drums and wormish, disturbed lead take control of the groove. It just keeps getting fuzzier, grinding along, reveling in it's force, finally reaching it's peak and petering out. The progression of intensity is close masterful, but could have reached perfection with better production, specifically a better low-end treatment as the track reached it's climax. The final track is much calmer with clean bass (you can hear the steel of the strings) taking melody, it's beauty masked by the murky synths creeping slowly in the background and simple percussion hit from a distance. For the first time since the first track an uplifting sequence is played, serving as a great chaser to the power of the previous track. Listening to "Heilige Künsten" is like the most tender scene of a mother caring for her child right on the edge of your peripheral vision while a dark and swirling swamp occupies your main vision. The looming unknown draping itself across the homely and comforting.

The Fire Dance is an exercise in finding beauty in despair; joyousness in disgust. It's story is that of longing, frustration, despair, realization, and reluctant acceptance (in that order) and makes for a gripping experience. It is a beautiful and bloody defeat.

-Liam Beaudoin