Dynamite 8Dynamite 8 features ex members of Fabulous Disaster and Angry Amputees and hail from the East Bay area of Oakland. ‘The Medicine’ is their debut full-length and it’s a respectable effort from this female-fronted group. D8 mix a strong power-pop sound with their punk rock. Add some classic hard rock riffs and you have a recipe any rock fan can appreciate.
The band’s sound is rooted firmly in California punk with Descendents and Tilt coming to mind. The guitars are a blend of Motorhead-esque hard rock riffs with Jawbreaker-like indie-punk subtlety. The female vocals are always going to pigeon-hole this band but JoAnn’s control over her voice keeps her in the good company of great femme punks, Exene Cervenka (X) and Cinder Block (Tilt).
I rarely find press releases that use appropriate comparisons to their band, however, D8’s kit mentions both The Descendents/All and Jawbreaker and I think they justify this band perfectly. On a more negative note…this CD could greatly benefit from more deviance between the songs. There is nothing original or overly exciting about this band, but they still are very good at what the are attempting musically. This album may not make any ‘Best Of…’ lists, however, it’s not one you will shut off in disgust. This CD is still worth buying and the band is certainly worth your time, just don’t expect an instant classic.
Rating: 3.5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: This is the sort of band you wish played your local bar instead of those shitty cover bands that the 40 year-olds get wet for. Great punk rock background music for a night out. Music any rock fan can relate to.
Synopsis: ‘Super Bummed’, Not By Satellite’ & ‘The Medicine’