Today we are dropping the first single off of the debut LP by Sydney’s DUMBELLS and the fifth release on our imprint MIND MELD RECORDS. When Ishka sent me these tracks there was much internal dialog. The inner struggle of am I the right one to release this record? Can I release something this openly pretty? There were some quirky changes that at first made me uncomfortable, comparisons to be made to bands I long ago wrote off, but isn’t that what makes a great band truly great? They challenge your taste. Make you rethink some things you’ve passed on with a shrug. I spent a week going back and forth, doubting my judgement, but also listening to this album over and over and over. With each listen I found something new to love. The quirky changes that at first got my “indie rock” alarm bells ringing started taking on different tones. The incredible harmonies, the psychedelic playfulness, and the fantastic song writing came front and center. I’m getting older, I’ve got a kid, I’m finally learning to accept that I too can have nice things! All this to get to the point that I truly love this LP and am very excited to the one releasing it. The initial idea of Mind Meld was a place for artists I love to experiment with different sounds than the ones everyone knows them for, but I’m realizing its a place for me to do the same thing. So check out 'Hammer' off Up Late With THE DUMBELLS. LP out March 21st
https://totalpunkrecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/dumbells-up-late-with-lp-preorder
Dumbells are my favourite new band to see live in Sydney since, well, when live music started happening again. They embody a quality apparent in many of my favourite Sydney groups, where pre-existing music scenes blur and new alignments form. Whatever forces brought Sam Wilkinson (Shrapnel, Sachet) , Jen May(Tee Vee Repairmann), Ben Schattner (Shrapnel, VIPP) and Ishka Edmeades (Tee Vee Repairmann, Satanic Togas....) together has unlocked a certain hard-to-describe quality of rock ‘n’ roll I personally yearn for.
It’s hard to quantify this particular quality of r’n’r without a long list of nerdish reference points, but I think it’s how non-aligned with any particular sub-genre, or era, or tacked on caricature-ish style they are in their approach to amateur rock music that makes them not just another band in the endless sea of music.
On one hand, a child, or even a Pavement fan could immediately be wooed by the immediacy of the hooks, melodies and charismatic group dynamic expertly, but not too expertly, captured on ‘Up Late With Dumbells’. On the other hand, cold hearted cynics will have their record collector cockles warmed by a feeling akin to discovering Big Star’s Radio City or Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartment’s Bait & Switch.
Dumbells cross examine the classic / independent rock dialectic in a manner that’s musically informed, but more importantly intuitive. They aren’t in reaction to, or embracement of, any micro-trend but embrace the big picture of being in a humble rock band. Dumbells do shit with their guitars, bass, drums and voices that we all know feel good, natural and exciting, but maybe in a world rife with self consciousness and cynicism, often get lost in the sauce. - Nic Warnock (Repressed Records, R.I.P Society)
