Tag: mandatory enjoyment

Dummy Drop Sub Pop Single

Leave a comment

After dropping the superb Mandatory Enjoyment via Trouble in Mind, Dummy return with a brand new ripper for Sub Pop Singles Club. They pick up exactly where they left off, dropping in these motorik drum beats that race the the song forward, while guitars and melodies battle for control over the direction of the track. Juxtaposed male/female vocals, aided by the rising sun of synth work, build this underlying brightness that the band tame just before the 2 minute mark. That, however, is a momentary blip as the song explodes into euphoric noise at the 2:17 mark to close the tune out in high fashion. Also, keep a look out at your local venues, as the band are touring pretty heavily for the time being.

Show Preview: Dummy @ Hotel Vegas (4.21) w/ Being Dead, Queen Serene, Future Museums

Leave a comment

We’ve spent a ton of time discussing the Austin acts on this bill, and maybe even put out a release by one of them, so if you haven’t listened to Being Dead, Queen Serene and Future Museums…do so. But, this post is about encouraging you to show up to Hotel Vegas to catch one of the more underrated, yet highly appreciated, acts in the indie sphere: Dummy. Their work is hard to pigeon-hole, moving between various periods of electronica and indie rock with such ease that one would find it difficult not to be mesmerized. Last year’s Mandatory Enjoyment made a lot of year-end lists, including our own, so clearly you’ve gotta show up tomorrow night. Plus, if you are planning on going, please wear a mask! The band’s already been hit with Covid on tour, so let’s do our best to keep them, and ourselves, safe. Show kicks off at 9:30 with Future Museums.

 

Dummy Share Atonal Poem

Leave a comment

We’ve been on board the Dummy train since their first EP, and let me tell you, you’re in for a real treat when you unwrap your copy of their debut Mandatory Enjoyment. On the last single before the record drops, the band have chosen to release an instrumental jam…but one that ties this LP to their first EP. When we first heard EP 1, you were getting the feeling that the band was just finding their footing, sampling a collection of sounds. But, in retrospect, and seeing how “Atonal Poem” fits into the new record, it feels more purposeful. It’s like they sat down to create a 7 course (or 12 song) meal, and in it, there are supreme highs, and subtle treats, and there are palate cleansers, like the closer we have below. Coming across like an instrumental sonic exploration, this tune caps off the record, allowing you the space and time to reflect on the whole of your experience. Mandatory Enjoyment hits on October 22nd via Trouble in Mind.

Dummy Share Final Weapon Video

Leave a comment

I think my favorite thing this year is going to be reading all the glowing Dummy reviews and see exactly where people name drop an influence here or there. I’m sure they’re likely to get some ESG, some Stereolab, maybe even some Peel Dream Magazine (if you’re going more recent), but I really wanna see what everyone drops; I need new stuff to listen to; I’m not trying to be a jerk. I honestly don’t even think it matters, as the band seem to kind of operate like some mad lunch lady, stirring a pot of everything left in the kitchen pantry and churning out something incredible. This latest single flirts with these propulsive notes that kind of seem dance-floor ready, yet there’s this layer of left-field psychedelic experimentation that kind of holds everything in one unique spot…all the while, the vocals here feel like they’re trying to bewitch me, seducing me with this calm amidst these vibrant sounds. That’s the wonderful thing about the band, they seem to be kind of formulating their sound as they go, so it constantly seems to evolve, and that bodes well for all of Mandatory Enjoyment, out October 22 via Trouble in Mind.

Dummy Announce Mandatory Enjoyment

Leave a comment

We’ve been anxiously awaiting new music from Dummy, knowing they’d signed on with Trouble in Mind after two wildly successful EPs. Our first listen to Mandatory Enjoyment is beyond my expectations, so label me blown away or whatever you need to say here. There’s this synthetic hum that shoves the song forward, bleeding in with the jangling guitar riffs underneath and the dueling harmonies. But, where the immediacy could just get dialed in to an easy close, they opt to go the other route, bringing you a big blast of discordant noise to seal the song’s end. Dummy release Mandatory Enjoyment on October 22nd.