Should've Been There By Now

Somewhat quietly last month, Mark Edwards released a new My Dad Is Dead CD--or, quietly to me, at least, since I didn't know about it until I got an e-mail about a week ago. Folks of a certain age will easily recognize some of the names involved here-- Brian Paulson produced, with original Prisonshake drummer Scott Pickering once again on drums-- but above all, this is a quality pack of songs. The one I've been kicking it with the most is the title track, "A New Clear Route", but you can listen to all the tracks over at the My Dad Is Dead web site and decide for yourself. You can buy the CD through the web site, too, and while you're at it, there's a whole bunch of other neat things on the site you can find if you hunt around (like a Peel Session "Hurry Up" with Doug Gillard on guitar, for instance).


My Dad Is Dead -

(this file is now listen-only)

"A New Clear Route"

Someone's Got To Be Destroyed

"Out of Sight, Out of Mind" works the heavy power trio angle to good effect and stands as a unique album in the MDID discography - Scat Records catalog blurb

This is the only My Dad Is Dead album that I own, so lucky for me it works out that this is the MDID "rock" album-- and a fine piece of rock it be, said to be recorded with members of Cobra Verde and Prisonshake, besides (there's no actual info on the record itself, it's just something that I read somewhere). This was also mastered quieter overall than any other LP I've ripped up to this point, which I'm guessing is because Mark's guitar on most of the tracks is distorted way the heck out there. It might make your speakers buzz a little funny, but it also makes for a really heavy guitar record, and that's a wonderful thing.

Mark Edward's singing has been described as "flat" by some, but in looking at all that came afterwards which might've used MDID as a reference point (Dis-, Silkworm, Karl Hendricks, Thee Speaking Canaries, etc.), that's hardly anything to complain about. Now, when I go back and listen to the way Mark sings lines like, "She's in love, and she don't know what that means", almost right away it brings to mind Paul Banks, and if Interpol never covered "She's In Love" then maybe it's because they've got better things to do, like write another boring record or something, who knows.

The vinyl for this album went out of print last year sometime, but the CD version is still available from Scat (www.scatrecords.com), so because of that I'm only posting two tracks here. If you like 'em, head on over to Scat and buy the CD, please-- this entire alb's totally killer, if you're asking me. Also, the first five My Dad Is Dead LPs, along with some b-sides and obscurities, are generously available for download at www.mydadisdead.com; again, if you're looking for some direction, all three of the records on Homestead are pretty ace.




My Dad Is Dead -

"She's In Love"

"Had To Laugh"

(these files are now listen-only)