Who? It’s a bit of a punk rock all-star team from the Bay Area, with vocalist/guitarist Jack Dalrymple and guitarist Brandon Pollack rising from the ashes of One Man Army to link up with bassist/vocalist Chicken (ex-Western Addiction) and Chicken’s cousin, Ian Anderson (drums).
What’s the Deal? Dead to Me’s got pedigree to spare. Jack and Brandon’s old band, One Man Army, was discovered and ultimately produced by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, and Chicken was ensconced in the S.F. scene himself, most recently as the mail order man for Dead to Me’s label, Fat Wreck Chords. Unsurprisingly, Dead to Me’s debut, Cuban Ballerina, is an old school punk romp, but the double-barreled attack of Chicken’s raspy howl and Dalrymple’s more refined croon lends a bit of razzle-dazzle to a very familiar (but beloved) formula.
Fun Fact: While recently shooting their new music video, which involved some bike riding throughout San Francisco, Chicken spilled head-first over the handlebars and smacked his elbow. “Our drummer Ian was super freaked out and came running over and kept looking at me like I was dying or some shit,” Chicken told SPIN.com. “Our guitar player Jack on the other hand, was laughing harder than I’ve ever seen any one laugh. I was lying there on there ground looking up at both of them thinking, ‘Am I taking my last living breaths, or was that the funniest thing that has ever happened?'” PETER GASTON
Now Hear This: Dead to Me – “Special Professional” (Download MP3)
Talk: Is Dead to Me alive and kicking for you? COMMENT
On the Web: Dead to Me at Fat Wreck Chords
