Who? Just when you thought the only music coming out of Brooklyn involved cutesy lyrics and toy pianos, the hardcore kids of Dear Tonight — Ryan Duffy (vocals), Pete Morgan (guitar), Dan Cain (drums), Marc Krupanski (guitar, vocals) and Randy D’Amico (bass, vocals) — crash the precious party and prove otherwise. Demos first surfaced in 2003, followed two years later by the These Are Wires EP. Dates this past May opening Boy Sets Fire’s European farewell tour kept momentum building into the summertime release of their debut long-player, We’re Not Men, out now via the Red Leader label.
What’s the Deal? Expect no makeup or scene posturing from Dear Tonight and these dozen raw, punk-fueled explosions of We’re Not Men, for a volatile air of danger instead encompasses five guys seemingly walking forever down that fine line into complete exhaustive collapse. The quintet has some similarities to potent ’90s hardcore units like Universal Order of Armageddon and early Ink & Dagger, but it’s their own throat-shredding and barked lyrics of outer revolution and inner struggle that coat tense, spiraling guitars and heavy-handed percussion in dirt-lined sweat and vibrant urgency. The incredibly visceral results of tracks like “You Have Too Much Faith in Us” and “Dead Boys” make Dear Tonight worth injury in the pit just to scream along up close.
Fun Fact: Looking at Dear Tonight, one might notice matching arm tattoos reading “C’MON” in bold script, and SPIN.com got the lowdown from Ryan Duffy, who told a ridiculous tale of lone unemployed member Dan Cain doing anything for extra cash. “Let’s just say it involves Cain in his underwear getting repeatedly swept away by the choppy James River during attempts to swim to a rock 20 yards away for $75.” Three tries, several bruises, and one exasperated water plea of “C’MON!!” later, Cain prevailed and the feat was commemorated in tour ink.
Now Hear This:
Dear Tonight – “You Have Too Much Faith in Us” DOWNLOAD MP3
On the Web:
Dear Tonight at MySpace
deartonight.com
Talk: Do you have ‘faith’ in Dear Tonight?
Get a Free Digital Sampler from SPIN.com and Insound!
When you spend $25 at Insound.com, you can download a free sampler featuring tracks from Bright Eyes, Dungen, Dinosaur Jr., and many more! FIND OUT HOW >>
