(((((OPENmind/SATURATEDbrain))))): ***DOWAGER exclusive track premiere & review***

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

DOWAGER exclusive track premiere & review

Band: DOWAGER

Genres: Punk / Post-Hardcore / Emo / Screamo / Skramz
Related artists: Blowout and Sioux Falls.
Country: Portland, Oregan USA
Years Active: 2015-present
Song: "Model Home"
Album: "Title Track"
Year: 2016
For fans of: Loma Prieta, Via Fondo, Kidcrash, Sleeper Wave, Off Minor, We Were Skeletons, Matsuri, Logs, Blue Friend, Beau Navire, Since By Man, Polina, Neil Perry, Eyelet, The Fiction, Carrion Spring, Youth Novel, Blind Girls, Mustaphamond, Itto, For Want Of, Gaff, Forget Me Not, Lautrec and Hot Cross aka PROPER SCREAMO.

Label(s): Standard Brickhouse Records / Really Rad Records
This post's artist is from the June 2016 Mix. This is track #2.

You can download: the July Mix#7 right here and get the new August 2016 Mix#8 here.

A few months back I was sent a five-song EP by some band called DOWAGER. DOWAGER? Who's DOWAGER? So I downloaded their link with my usual, "hey, it might be okay". I opened up the first song and was instantly floored by the insanely well executed mathy, jangly and screamy sections of DOWAGER's new EP 'Title Track'. This record is truly remarkable - like, top 5 EPs of the year remarkable.

Here is the exclusive track premiere for "Model Home", track four off of the phenomenal 'Title Track' EP. This righteous, jammy and driving song hits all the right chords, especially when the palm-muted chugs meet that sexy, danceable noodling at 37 seconds and the Hot Cross/Polina-esque guitar wizardry at 1:26. If I were to pick three bands with similar sounds I'd have to go with Kidcrash, Logs and Sleeper Wave, who are truly amazing company.

Here's a relatively quick review of the remainder of the 'Title Track' EP. "Gutterflower" begins with crashing drums and a rolling bassline which are met with noodley as fuck guitars and extremely throaty screams. This song is awesome and showcases the mathier side of DOWAGER, as my guess is they've evolved past Loma Prieta influences and have been jamming a lot of Kidcrash and Off Minor lately. The song also includes incredible vocals at 1:45. "Finger Guns" follows and is a much gentler and softer affair which picks up speed and a cup o' instant noodles 38 seconds in and leaves me feeling like I've just heard another awesome Sleeper Wave track, not as a clone, but as a very similar and engaging style of screamy hardcore. "Sleep Paralysis" is another killer song that the band has already released on their bandcamp (along with the opener). This one is a rager with a very driving structure that really gets into it just after 30 seconds with climbing chords and screams that lead to more mathy noodling at the halfway point. The second half is a different beast with a dark, ominous shift that descends until 1:52 when they bring back the speed. "Coastal" finishes the EP and is a playful jaunt through screamy, discordant post-hardcore that rises and falls a few times over its 4:42 length.

Here's a little review of DOWAGER's first EP 'Death of a Moth', which is very much like Loma Prieta and Blue Friend, although perhaps not as refined. The opening track "Welcome to Windows '98" is the strongest off of this debut release as it careens from post-hardcore to screamo on a second-to-second basis, bringing to mind Logs and We Were Skeletons. "Black Knots" is a much more chill song with a nice mathy end bit, not unlike Matsuri and Sleeper Wave. "Continent" seems to be the mathiest affair on here but takes a hell of a chill pill right after 20 seconds in and plays a mildly screamy lullaby before getting wound up again and kicking the listener in the groin. Closer "The Animals All Wear Clothes" follows the debut DOWAGER sound and is 2:14 of disjointed yet melodic screamo/post-hardcore goodness.

The 'Title Track' 12"/cd/cassette will be released August/September on Standard Brickhouse Records and Really Rad Records. The band has a few shows starting tomorrow so if I were you I'd drive at least a couple of hours to see these fine people rock your socks off.

July 14th Portland at Black Water with Heavy Petting, Radler and Xiphoid Process

July 18th La Puente at Bridgetown DIY with Vril and Cell Damage

July 22nd Oakland at 1234Go Records with Super Unison and Try the Pie: Benefit for Bay Area Women Against Rape

________________________________________

DISCOGRAPHY

2015 - Death of a Moth cassetteEP (stream/donate/download here)

2016 - Title Track cd/cassette/12"EP (stream 2 songs on bandcamp here and the new song on youtube here)

________________________________________

***exclusive premiere!!!***
(2016) DOWAGER - "Model Home" (from 'Title Track')

***exclusive premiere!!!***

(2016) DOWAGER - "Gutterflower" (from 'Title Track')