Kalamazoo outfit Dead Scene Radio gives listeners an EP full of music that could only come from Michigan, but plays well anywhere. Its sound is so tight and solid it breaks the molds of musical convention like a punch to the nose.

DSR’s EP has a stronger voice and cleaner production than full-length efforts from better known bands, and the result is as ironic as the band’s darker lyrics played against its high energy guitars. The vocals are hinged on a reliable musicality that is not afraid of melodies and rhythms that don’t just drive – they hit and run.

Aww, thanks guys.

Want to hear what they’re talking about? Check out the Attraction Records webstore and pick up a copy. Only $6!

One particularly nice review the EP has seen was from RadioExile.com:

“Dead Scene Radio is what you get when you smash Elvis Costello-like vocals with Bob Dylan-ish lyrics and a smidgen of electric guitar – the pace is upbeat and jovial. The lead singer sometimes sounds like he has a stuffed-up nose, but it works itself into the music as a stylistic mechanism. We should be looking at this EP as a good indicator of what’s to come because really, can you ever have too much Elvis Costello or Bobby D.?”

And from Recoil:

“[T]his indie rock quartet puts pleasant into punk and accessibility into indie. What saves the production from being intellectual but ultimately tiresome is the complete contrast of the un-hyped delivery and the deceptively energetic frenzy of the songs themselves; we are able to hear the composition of the song without unconvincingly urgent pretensions – i.e., they sing, instead of trying to sell a non-melody by yelling, and they manage to sound convincingly enthusiastic doing it. You can hear Phish, Bad Religion and Iron Maiden in there, too.”

Thanks everybody!

Ian!

So the EP has been available at shows for a while now, and we’re seeing pretty positive responses from a lot of people. If you’ve bought a copy, thank you! If you still haven’t, head over to the store and pick one up!

If you check out Dead Scene Radio’s page, you can see some more photos of the band, including ones from their show last month with THE HARD LESSONS. Jake from Dead Scene Radio and Augie from the Hard Lessons both did Cocaine on stage (as evidenced above), and everyone played their asses off. We even decided on a couple of the new songs that MUST go on the bands full-length record.

Want to hear some of the bands new songs? Well, they played some of them on the radio recently. Three new songs from their performance on Kalamazoo’s own WIDR are up on the band’s MySpace page. While you’re there, check out dates for upcoming shows in (among others) Grand Rapids, and a show in Milwaukee with ARCTIC MONKEYS. Oh yeah, that’s right.

And Detroit, they might be headed your way sooner than we thought, so keep your eyes on the internet, and your ear to the ground…

Ian!

I first saw a young man named Jake Simmons play a solo show at a lovely little all-ages venue in South Haven, MI. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I remember thinking that he wrote and sang songs that, for someone as young as he seemed, were well beyond his years. And it didn’t hurt that everything he did – the way he moved on stage, the semi-hollow Epiphone guitar, and oh yeah, THE SONGS – reminded me a bit of one of my musical heroes, Ted Leo.

After that show, he and I talked a lot, about music, and about maybe putting out a record together. Rather than his solo record (which we still may do someday), Jake told me he was getting this band together, and would really like to record that. I told him to get me some demos, and we’d talk.

Needless to say, he did, and now we’re at this point – the release of the debut EP from that very band, Dead Scene Radio.

As impressed as I was with Jake, Matt Blasco (the other songwriter in the band) writes and sings songs that not only provide a great, edgy counterpoint to Jake’s poppier, more melodic tunes, but they’re also REALLY. DAMN. GOOD.

That’s something I can say about this whole band. They’re really damn good. Two brilliant songwriters. An incredibly tight rhythm section (courtesy of Mr Aaron Layendecker and Mr Jeff Blanzy). A hell of a show. Go see them if you get the chance. You won’t regret it.

I’m pretty proud of this record. I hope you like it. If you’re interested, you can pick up a copy from the band at one of their shows, or right here from our web store.

Thanks for paying attention.

–
Ian!
President, Attraction Records

We’ve been working closely with the band on an EP for a while now, and its going out to press today! We’ll have it out sometime next month (street date TBA), but for now, you can check out a preview of one of the songs below!

You can pre-order the record for $6 from our online store, or keep an eye open for shows with the band next month.

And if you can’t wait, you can grab an mp3 of Don’t You Know (one of the songs from the EP) for free!

I hope everyone enjoys this EP as much as we enjoyed making it.

–
Ian!
President, Attraction Records

So hey! The new Darts LP is out now! You can pick it up at shows, and we’ll have it up for sale in the store soon. In the meantime, check out the latest single, Blood on the Sun on our MySpace, and another tune on The Darts MySpace page.

And if you ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE IT (and you know that you do), grab an mp3 of Blood on the Sun from our store. You’ll thank me later.

Ian!

In the holiday spirit, the Darts went into the studio, finalized the arrangement, wrote the last lyrics, recorded and mixed this festive holiday tune – all in one evening! What is it called? Head over to our MySpace page or click the link below to find out…

I’m Not As Drunk as Santa – the Darts

Happy Holidays from Attraction Records!

We’re pretty pumped about it, and there’s going to be some great tunes on this record.

Ian!

Weird because we were playing in a department store – in the Infants and Toddlers section, no less – and fun because everyone was nice, and we got some good responses from some people who hadn’t even heard of the Darts before those nights. Thanks to Meijer and to the people who put together the Dig Music Compilation for putting this together and for having us.

There are some photos after the jump, but this video just about sums it up:

August 19 in West Lafayette Indiana for Purdue’s Back to College, and August 21 in Grand Rapids Michigan for Grand Valley’s Back to College.

INFANTS AND TODDLERS

Amish Women do not like the Darts

Is Darrin and infant or a toddler? I mean, he IS a drummer...

Dude loved him some Rockin' in the Free World

Cart Train

New Darts fans.

He was having an amazing evening.

Two more fans.

Night Two. In the Infants and Toddlers Section again.

Every year in college towns, Meijer has what they call Back to College events. They’re usually late-night, and these are no exceptions.

The Darts will be at the Meijer in Lafayette Indiana from 10:30p-2a on the evening of Tuesday, August 19th, for Purdue’s back to school.
They’ll also be playing at the Standale Meijer in Grand Rapids Michigan from 10p-midnight on Thursday the 21st, for Grand Valley’s back to school.

Its kind of crazy, but it should be fun. For more information, and for location information, check out the Meijer Community Events page.

We’ll be there with merch, and of course music.

Ian!