EP Shakedown: The Dandelion Club - One More Margarita

Down and dirty garage rock, this is what The Dandelion Club is selling. Their EP, One More Margarita (follow the link for a free download from the group's BandCamp), is a three-song, rough production release that captures the band's live element really well. Now, I haven't ever seen them live or anything, but judging from the energy they put out on this disc, it's not a far leap to make. By the half-way point on the first two songs it sounds like the singer is out of breath and exhausted, having worked so hard to put all he had into the track, this is why I would expect great things from band live.

Their style seems a mix of the garage rock of the 90s, the DIY style of punk (as well as some punky vocals) and the fuzz of stoner, giving it an almost punk folk sound. I know my first thought when the vocals came in on the title track was one of a Celtic punk band like The Pogues of Flogging Molly, although The Dandelion Club really don't have any true folk influences. It's just in the vocals and the loose production values I guess.

"One More Margarita" and "Ishtar" are both quick rock songs, which really bring out the punk influences. The last song of the EP, "Roll On," slows it all down, into a groove-oriented blues track. It's a nice mixing of styles on the ten-minute release.

I'm sure on a following release, The Dandelion Club will polish their sound and style, especially in the recording aspect, and I can't say that I would enjoy it. The rough edits and mixing of One More Margarita lead one to the high energy of the band, and is reminiscent of the low-budget releases of punk and rock acts of the 80s and 90s.