(Cake Shop, May 15, 2009)
I stepped back a few inches to prevent Pete, the lead singer of Dinowalrus, from getting a view up my dress. I don't think he was trying to sneak a peek. He was merely rolling on the floor, riling up the crowd at Cake Shop on May 15. He and Dinowalrus did a good job shaking things up that night, along with Lame Drivers, Guilty Faces and So Cow, the evening's headliner.
Earlier in the week I just thought Pete was a reserved, lanky guy with a penchant for the arpeggiator. When we met at Enid's in Greenpoint the shaggy-haired Pete sported a gray argyle sweater and thick, plastic-framed glasses. We sat outside on a blustery spring afternoon and discussed the short but interesting history of Dinowalrus, the band's influences and what he hopes for the group going forward.
For starters, Dinowalrus aims to be exceptional in its sound. Along with that, the group also aspires to a "utilitarian" vibe and audience accessibility, with the occasional tease for the listener, like a flock of high-pitched continuous beeps and blips shrieking from their sampler. From Kyle's carefully-tempered wailing (vocal and clarinet, listen to BEAD), to Pete's experimental curiosity that manifested itself onstage (at one point he placed a mic so close to a vibrating tom that it created an intriguing, mechanical whirring noise), to Josh's tight, sometimes Caribbean-inspired rhythms, a listener can hear real intent in this band's songs. In fact, seeing them live helped me to really appreciate Pete's statement: "We are probably more influenced by our gear than any particular sound or genre."
(Cake Shop, May 15, 2009)
Along with talk of influences also comes comparisons, and Pete appreciates comparison to his favorite bands, ranging from Sonic Youth to The Stooges. He is the first to admit that they rely on their predecessors, stating that the best way to learn is by copying.
According to the lead singer, the band seeks to take and own musical ideas that are extraordinary, or anything that really strikes them as "indescribable", such as a beat that connotes perpetual motion. Experimentation is how they do their best work; its really how most interesting bands ever do their work. This stands alongside Pete's statement that "DIY indie punk is one of the only middle-class folk-art forms that still exist." Right on.
The lead singer also feels that categorization - a subject that may irk some bands - can be helpful for the listener. Paying homage to their influences, Dinowalrus experiments with and borrows a variety of styles. The band's MySpace page describes its music as ambient/thrash/reggaeton. This may sound confusing, but Dinowalrus hits these points in their two self-titled 7" singles and one CD-R album. Listen for an ambient drone in "I Hate Numbers", a track which made me feel like I had stepped out of a time machine and into 1985. Or "Electric Car Gas Guitar", which begins with a rhythm that Daddy Yankee would love. Just listen to the album - you'll get it.
(Cake Shop, May 15, 2009)
Personally, I'm grateful for the band's existence. Dinowalrus, originally Pete's "jokey bedroom project", officially formed when the lead singer met his fellow bandmember, Kyle, at a To Live and Shave in LA show at the Syrup Room in Bushwick in 2006. The story goes that both were there hoping to meet the famed Andrew W. K. I guess you could say that on that night, Dinowalrus, a beast unlike any other, was born.
With Dinowalrus's genuine work ethic and what seems to be sheer enjoyment of their craft, I believe we will be hearing more from these three gents. In the meantime, go out and find yourself a copy of one of their singles. And don't blame me if you can't stop listening...
