The Dames - Divorce

The Dames further prove a hypothesis that I've been putting through the scientific method recently. That being "Minneapolis, MN produces some of the best underrated rock bands this nation has to offer." Forget New York, forget Los Angeles, the real rock comes from the snowy northern regions of Minnesota. While the major cities that you expect to produce good bands actually do, it is odd to consider a state surrounded by Dakota's and Wisconsin to consistently get right what so many other area's struggle to produce. This brings us to our first example; The Dames. With their album Divorce they set forth an onslaught of pure punk-rock energy. The bands diversity shows through with tracks like "Charlie Hustle" (a distorted guitar frenzy), "Embryological Recapitulation" (metal intensity), "Outside" (a harmonic hard-pop song, if such a thing ever existed), and "Pisspot" (the angry snarling rock with a vocal growl James Hetfield himself would be jealous of). "Divorce" is definetly not for the pop-rock lover out there. If you are ecstatic over the new OK Go album (I'm not knockin it) then this may not be up your alley. Singer Tony Bennett (from The Dames, not that other one you're thinking of) often sounds like he's taken over where Layne Staley left off, especially on "Only Half", but that's certainly not a total detriment to the band. Overall, the album is produced well, has alot of really strong rock songs mixed with the occasional slower tune ("Nurse"), and most of all - helps to further prove my point about emerging rock bands from the great mid-North. [www.the-dames.com]