Ok full disclosure, I sung backups on (allegedly) three of these songs and one song is a cover (albeit a stretch lol) of a song I co-wrote. What can I say tho? I was a fan of The Dumpies from the get go, before we all became very close friends and constant tour mates! Dub music diehards might be a bit disappointed and Matt Casteel obviously wouldn’t know a good song if it bumfucked him up the butt. Dumpies have everything you need- turbo drums, angry/funny lyrics, screaming with harmonies, gang vocal singalongs, sick riffs and cool ass bass parts. Everything you need and then some when you add the hospital vignettes between songs, which are funny particularly if you know that drummer Jessica De Jesus is a paramedic and bassist Tim Janchar is an ER doctor!
When Night Court recorded our new album in Oregon last February with Tim’s neighbour Mike Vasquez, The Dumpies told us they hadn't actually written any songs yet for their upcoming recording session with Mike in March. By the time we met up with them again a month later in Austin TX, they had just finished tracking the 13 songs that make up Lub Dub. The title apparently is supposed to be an alliteration “like the sound a heart makes” according to singer/lyricist Joel Midden but to me sounds more like one of The Dumpies trying to express their love for dub reggae after a few too many Mexican Candy shots. Again, my apologies to the dub diehards.
Of their 12 releases thus far this might be the best yet. Bigger, gay-er, and at least 10% more radical riffs possibly thanks to the addition of 2nd guitarist Micky Rivera. What really sets this one apart for me is the lyrics. Joel Midden is the Allen Ginsberg of homocore! His contributions here run the gamut of topics like pets, traveling, fascists and a song with what should be an award winning title- “Today Is A Car Door (For My Cock)” Musically there’s good variety here too, including “Gooch Flowers”, a thinly veiled tribute to F.Y.P, a cover of The Mountain Goats’ “Alpha Rats Nest” and a reinterpretation of “Which Love?”, previously recorded for their Bill Laimbeer cassette from 2017, this time really nailing the beauty of how it sounds live, always a stand out from their set which I've seen many times and of which I have yet to tire.
The Dumpies play the highest energy, obnoxious in the best way melodic punk on speed for fans of crucial bands like Hickey, Sexy and The Bananas. So although I am biased, I hope this comes off as an unbiased review. If anything I’d have a hard time deciding whether I prefer the band members or their music. And if you happen to write narrow-minded reviews for the sole purpose of inspiring bands to write songs for you, these lyrics might be about you-
We’re still here
You can’t get rid of us
You can stay mad
You just look jealous
