The Sick Rose and Dot Dash

The Sick Rose “No Need For Speed” 
The Sick Rose is a band from Italy that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention. No Need for Speed is rich in classic power pop structures, irrepressible enthusiasm, and it’s also produced by Dom Mariani (DM3, Stems). The band has been playing garage syled pop for a while, but here they roar out of the gate with “Putting Me Down,” and singer Diego Mese has a clear vocal that compares well with Curt Smith (Tears for Fears).

The guitar riffs and jangle melodies are awesome on “Magic Teacher” and “Pathetic Girl.” If you’re looking for that garage feel with harmonies “Before You Go Away” is another winner. The band is pretty consistent here, and for the most part we get mainly fast paced tunes with a few mid-tempo ones (like “Drop By And Stay”). The Beatles-style Rickenbacker arpeggio dominates “Take It All Back,” and it’s another keeper here. So while you chow down on some Thanksgiving grub, feed your need for power pop with The Sick Rose.

Dot Dash “Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash”
Dot Dash are a Washington DC band with a both feet firmly planted in the post-punk indie pop genre that recalls The Joy Division and The Cure. Opening with the C-86 styled “The Color And The Sound” it sure brings back memories of my college days when raw minimalist jangle rock was everywhere thanks to REM’s Murmur.

Singer/Guitarist, Terry Banks and bassist Hunter Bennett (Julie Ocean) are joined by guitarist Bill Crandal (Modest Proposal) and drummer Danny Ingram (Swervedriver). An early standout is the melodic “Learn How To Fly.” Unfortunately, Banks lead vocal gets buried on many tracks, and it hinders great tunes like “Dissolve” and “Alright, Alright.” You have many near misses here too, “A Straight Line” and “Gripped” suffer from Banks atonal “punk” approach. You basically hear a band still finding itself in spots, but both “Seconds In A Day” and “Hurrah” you get a good melody to match the solid guitar playing. Overall this is a band worth exploring, so check it out.