New Jersey's Dads make it (math emo) pop! - Oh My Rockness

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New Jersey's Dads make it (math emo) pop!

January 27, 2014


Written by Patrick McNamara

Dads is the New Jersey duo of John Bradley (vocals/drums/bass) + Scott Sharinger-(vocals/guitar). They play noodle-y (some say “twinkly” - but I don’t care) math-emo-rock that’s melodic and very “rock out-able” and funny (almost as funny as “rock out-able”). Song #1 on their album “American Radass” = “If Your Song Title Has The Word ‘Beach’ In It, I’m Not Listening To It.” Song #2 on same album = “Get to the Beach!” Ahh, that’s good stuff. Remember when Don Caballero used to have fun with song titles like that? I sure do.

So if you’ve been keeping up with this genre since it used to be called “indie rock” (now it’s called “I have no idea") you’ll definitely know this sound Dads is throwing down. I’d like to think it was inspired by Chicago circa 1995 and all those bands on that hard to find “Ground Rule Double” comp. But that’s probably just my own personal and nostalgic remembrance getting in the way of this profile and relevant to maybe 3% of you. Sorry. Better get back to being an auto-populated robot that takes massive data dumps.

Do you want to play the band comparisons game again this week? Because I sure do. Believe me, it frees up a LOT of my mental brainspace. If you’re gonna think Dads, think Ghosts and Vodka (if anyone really thinks about that band - they were a short lived offshoot of Cap’n Jazz with some Joan of Arc and Owls guys in there too - and it’s never too late to get into them - this is their best jam called “Cowboys and Sailors”) meets Japandroids (definitely) meets Oxford Collapse (underrated band) meets back in the day when “indie rock” seemed a lot more fun. Remember fun? I SURE DO.

Did I mention I really like Dads? I didn’t? Geez, what have I been doing with all these words then if not saying that I like them? Meandering, I suppose. Just like Dads’ excellent math-y rhythms! Solid segue your heart out, dear Rockness reader. Solid seque your heart out.

I have been conditioned to like a band like Dads. Any guitar that decides to go noodle-y twinkly and melodically meander will forever rattle my musical joy button - once pressed way more regularly in the days when this was just called “indie rock.” (also, musical joy button? what the hell is that?)

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