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| © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona |
words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Paulo Carmona
One thing are jeans that have faded over time and ended teared up by using and time, another a pair of jeans artfully torn here and there, to look rough and the result of a lifetime's chance. Handmade, of course … no mass manufactured product.
There you have it, perhaps the best analogy I can think of at the moment to explain what Dehd's indie rock sounds like to me.
The Chicago band, formed in 2015, includes: Emily Kempf (bass, vocals), Jason Balla (vocals, guitar), and Eric McGrady (drums) - uses a very unique sound, characteristic of bands a la Madchester, with the dirt of the short delay guitars and the raw and galloping bass, alternating between melodic and fast riffs and then a nostalgic lull to calm the hordes Things we hear in Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Smiths and the likes and that Dehd do a little more dirty with hints of psychedelia, garage rock'n'roll and some modern times digital machinery.
Emily Kempf in the high tones and vocal vibrato reminds Siouxsie Sioux, but when she drags her voice and lowers it to low and dark notes, she is very close to a Brody Dalle, irreverent. She stays there between one and the other. All good people and good references, I think.
On the other hand, Jason Balla is an inexhaustible source of energy. He is delirious. The way he throws himself into every riff! It really seems that the strident sound of his guitar enters his body. A stage monster.
Eric McGrady is in his world. Super focused and competent, he marks the progress of the songs with a very funny, apparent, calm. It looks like it has nothing to do with him.
Between songs from their latest album (Blue Skies, 2022), such as Window, Stars, Bad Love and Palomino and older songs in which Nobody, Loner, and Desire stood out, Dehd feasted the audience at CCOP with a very pleasant and fluid set, never letting the environment go lukewarm.
In the end, the friendly and very affable Jason Balla fraternized with some of those present always with an open and very honest smile.
The night was very agreeable and I didn't even need to tighten my vest. I went down the pavement rocked by the swing of a summer night. There's more tomorrow!
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| © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona |
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