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The Dirty Nil – F*** Art
Dine Alone Records – Release Date: 1/01/21
In early January, The Dirty Nil released their third full-length, titled F*** Art. Every aspect of this album, from the writing to the performances, as well as the production, represents a significant step forward for the band. The first song, “Doom Boy,” opens with an aggressive thrash metal intro, while singer/guitarist Luke Bentham’s commanding vocals anchor the verse. Palm-muted chords in the bridge lead the way to a sprawling chorus, which is underscored by tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The fact that the band doesn’t take itself too seriously makes the song that much better. “Done with Drugs” is another prominent entry and features a catchy power pop vibe. It boasts hook after hook in its chorus and its lyrics seem like somewhat of a commentary. They compare those who talk about making changes versus those that simply do so and quietly go about their business. It’s undeniably one of the strongest songs that they’ve written thus far.
“Hello Jealousy” enjoys power chords aplenty and is one of the most punk-leaning songs on the album, while “Possession” is reminiscent of ‘80s metal and includes a defiant, attitude-filled chorus. The record’s final song, “One More and the Bill,” is a suitable song to end with in that it brings together many of the reoccurring lyrical themes. A portion of its words include the following: “Gonna smash my TV / Smash my phone / Leave politics alone / Go outside for a while,” which is a feeling that many will find highly relatable nowadays. There’s also some eye-popping guitar shredding that’s present around the middle portion of this song that bears mentioning. As much as F*** Art signifies a new plateau for the band, it doesn’t seem as though they’re anywhere near their ceiling. They continue to evolve their own irreverent brand of rock ‘n’ roll and show no sign of altering from that trajectory anytime soon.
Riot Fest, 2016
Photos by Katie Hovland
The first day of Riot Fest began somewhat ominously, with cloudy skies and forecasted showers, but after a brief spell of light rain from 1:00 – 2:00 PM, the skies cleared and sunshine remained for the duration of the festival. This was a huge change from the previous two years, where heavy rains and an abundance of mud unfortunately dominated the weekends. This year’s event marked the second time that Riot Fest was held in Douglas Park, and while the grounds proved to be a very adequate space last year, the festival’s organizers did an even better job this time around of maximizing the park’s space. They managed to create an open layout that allowed for easy movement between stages and also minimized excess sound from bleeding into unintended areas. Another positive was the emphasis on local businesses, specifically the beer tents named after establishments like Liar’s Club, Double Door, Cobra Lounge and All Rise Brewing. There were also great local food options, like Reggie’s, Taco In A Bag and others. Despite Riot Fest continuing to grow markedly in size every year, it really doesn’t feel like a giant, corporate-sponsored festival and it definitely hasn’t lost sight of its roots. Loyal attendees return every September to find that the bar has once again been significantly raised and the original spirit of the event still very much intact. Continue Reading…
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