REVIEW: DIZZY PILOT: SH*T OUT THE BONES

It takes about nine seconds for Sh*t Out the Bones, Dizzy Pilot’s unfortunately named though raucously redeeming EP, to get to firing with all cylinders. While the tempo may step down a bit here and there, the swampy strip-stompin’ blister takes anything but the back-seat. For twenty straight minutes, your headphones are a t-top T-bird pummeling through a fuzzed, riffy and non-stop world without burnish, restraint or low-cal salad dressing. Then, you hit the closer, Carmelita, and the sudden change of pace pulls like a rawhide strap on the collar bone.

For a band whose live shows are generally the sort of volumetric exercises that can be almost as easily taken in from the next room, hearing them put down the hard-sticks and electrics to pick up the mallets and pine tops for some chorusing along to a string section doesn’t just show off their range, it, in a funny way, puts the entire recording into a fuller context. Dizzy Pilot, in spite of songs referencing moonshine, devil trains, hurricanes and, well, pooping out bones, has never aimed (best we can tell) to be dumb, balls out, Jack Daniels-inspired rock. While they may frequently hit the same pleasure centers as dumb/wonderful anthems by all the greatest hits in your collection, on Bones they err on the side of nuance that marks the difference between a record by Hum and Electric Six (put down your cattle prods - they sound nothing like either).

The entire record sounds like its been run through an overdrive pedal, and proudly so. It's the sort of dirty electric that could never be powered by a hybrid car; pure coal mine, and not the sort of clean coal technology that we've been sold on the tele lately. Even the sweeter moments, like the aforementioned Carmelita, don't hesitate to remind you that we all live in an unpolished world of addiction and sketchy edges of town. Doing epic well is not the fortune of most bands, but the DP puts it to the 3 Ring test like a champ. This is the first produced (as opposed to tune up, plug in, rock it out live) record that we've heard come out of Pigeon Eater Studio, and it sounds fantastic - which says something given our completely unwavering addiction to the recordings that have come out of Dead City Sound this year. Get yr tuff out, this rippage rules. Recommended

Dizzy Pilot will take the middle spot for crowd-pleasers Melt Banana tonight with WTF MISSLE punks Cop Warmth getting things started @ Walter’s on Washington.

Stream: Dizzy Pilot - Various Tracks