Boom bap-inspired cosmic indie
Who they?
Transplants from the Baltimore indie rock scene, Dummy are a four-piece now based in LA, who position their sound somewhere betwixt 90s-era Stereolab and something that might easily have been embedded on your ‘Notorious Byrd Brothers’ album. Whether or not that’s a recipe for simple cult success or indie world domination is yet to be seen, but the band has so far managed to distinguish itself from the perpetually congested West Coast field.
Why Dummy?
‘Final Weapon’, from their debut long-player, ‘Mandatory Enjoyment’, is a track that gives a fleeting nod to the krautrock heroes of old, while the band whizz down some sonic Californian highway en route to the beach. Bearing lyrics inspired by a documentary the band saw on “nuclear veterans”, any sense of doom or foreboding is put down by the breezy harmonies and shimmering keyboard lines. Elsewhere, the guitars are bare and jangly, and often held up by dreamy organ washes, as can be heard on ‘Daffodils’.
Tell us more…
The sense that Dummy have a secret stash of hip hop faves handy was confirmed during a recent email exchange with guitarist Joe Trainor. “It’s not something we are asked or talk about much, cos the influence isn’t so obvious. One major influence is Digable Planets – the production on ‘Blowout Comb’ is mind-blowing.” With two EPs and an album, there’s already plenty to explore from a band who have arguably prospered because they’re outsiders. “It’s hard to say what the local scene thinks of us,” muses Trainor. “We have friends, but mostly we don’t feel like there is a strong scene outside our group. LA is a confusing place.” I second that emotion. Seek remedial treatment in Dummy.
‘Mandatory Enjoyment’ is out now Trouble In Mind
