The Don'ts

"Inner El Camino" CD

self-released

Genre: indie rock, post punk

May 2007

Traces of The Fall and The Dismemberment Plan can be found in The Don'ts unique sound, a band characterized by a mysterious, masked bassist named JJ Don't. The Don'ts brandish a slick, modern sound that touches heavily on post-punk ("Blahblahblah," "Tapping"), though eventually they go for (their version of) a slow, pensive pop song ("AKA SOB", "I Get Back Up"). Their lyrics are usually pretty scattered and outburst-y ("Blahblahblah" and its dissertation on the trials of modern technological convenience), channeled through expressive Joey Don't's hyper-vocals. You gotta dig songs like "Worldview" and "Plastic We All Are", which combine excited dramatics with the type of melodic power that keeps you humming all night. Effective use of horns, violin, and keyboard keep things dynamic and interesting. While Inner El Camino has a few weaker songs ("Believe?", "Motherfather"), it still manages to delight with its combination of melody and spastic tension.

the don'ts' myspace

84%

youuuuuuuutube!: "blahblahblah" live

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 13 tracks, 53:48, distributed by the band, released Jan 30 2007]