There are plenty of new bands these days that merit comparisons to standard 90s bands, and Radical Dads surely fits that bill, but I will politely refrain from making those comparisons. Suffice it to say that if you like rock in the truest sense of the word, you will love Radical Dads. In the words of their song, “New Age Dinosaur”: “I don’t think so I know so / This is the future and the future is now! / I was listening and was told so / This is where we’re headed, there’s no way down”. Indeed, this trio might be a new age Dinosaur Jr. and this is where music is headed. Come along for the ride.

[So, damnit, I made a comparison to a 90s band but, c'mon, that witty twist on the lyrics was so worth it.]

Radical Dads / New Age Dinosaur
Radical Dads / Recklessness

I said that if you like rock you’ll love this band, so let’s see just how they embody that musical genre. Their LP Mega Rama came out earlier this year, and I stumbled into it thanks to some repping by the guys over at Tympanogram. The album kicks off with “Little Tomb”; there are some guitar strums and “ooh oohs” and then … and THEN the drums kick in and everything’s off and running. (That little stuttery drumbeat seriously sticks in my brain and I actually keep playing the begining of this song over and over in my head. Weird.) You immediately get a sense for the band’s aesthetic, too: catchy guitar lines, insistent drumming with lots of cymbals and occasional fills, tempo changes, and Lindsay Baker’s vocals that jump back and forth between calm (and a little husky) and shouted (and a little higher in pitch). “New Age Dinosaur” showcases that vocal style rather well, and those lines I quoted above are particularly good examples. The way Lindsay hits that emphatic, almost-strained-but-just-in-reach, shouted high note, it’s like she’s handing out exclamation points as party favors, and not in a cheesy “ZOMGROFLMAO!!!” way. You know what I mean? Sure, you know what I mean.

Radical Dads / “Recklessness” / Mega Rama / dir. Shahin Izadi

 

“Recklessness” continues with this theme, showcasing Radical Dads‘ ear for the symbiosis of hooky guitar melodies and driving drumbeats. “Alondra Rainbow Under Attack” is the first time we hear drummer Robbie Gurtin’s voice, and one of those special times where the album title appears in the lyrics of a song that does not share its name with the album title. (“Mega rama … it’s a trap!”) It is also apparently about (or name drops, at least) a 1999 raid of a pirate vessel off the coast of India. Coolio. The call-and-response vocals in “Walking Wires” over the ethereal fast strumming/drumming might make it their catchiest song, but then “No New Faces” really turns down the volume and tempo. Lindsay sings and Robbie talks underneath it, and it just ambles along in no apparent rush. It’s lovely. “Harvest Artist” brings the energy right back with some heavy bass lines, and then “Hurricane” rumbles in for a slowly-building burn, starting out with some surprisingly languid guitar soundscapes, some soothing vocals, slowly-quickening drums, and finally, just as Lindsay calmly declares, “Just a hurricane coming, hurrican coming, here comes the end” … everything explodes into guitar riffs and squalls. It’s perfectly executed, and it’s almost a shame that it’s buried towards the end of the record, but I understand why it’s there. “Here comes the end”, right? “Tide’s Out” is that end, and it closes the record with an energetic love song whose message I still haven’t quite figured out, but I’ll keep on listening til I get it.

Well, this turned into a track-by-track rundown of Mega Rama, which wasn’t exactly my intent, but I just had to point out all the good stuff, and this album is full of good stuff. Radical Dads also has a new 7″ single out on the Uninhabitable Mansions label called “Skateboard Bulldog” which has an awesome album cover, and I really really hope it was inspired by this video. Keep an eye out for Radical Dads as they unleash more rock songs upon the world. I know I’m itchin’ for more.

Radical Dads on the web: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp / Insound

Filed under: New to Us, New to You?