DANDIES -ROCKIN’ DAYS AND ROLLIN’ NIGHTS – Released April 12, 2022, digitally, on their Bandcamp page and all digital and streaming platforms. Limited edition CDs followed. (The discs are still available - at their gigs or via post, by contacting them directly)
Music and lyrics: Irina Scocova, Vitali Calmatui
Engineer: Dumitru Rusu, AT Studio
Artwork: Yuriy Pushkar, Kraken Laundau Lab.
Produced by Dandies and Dumitru Rusu
Recorded in Chisinau, Moldova
Reviewed 31st Aug 2022 by Nick Constantine
Dandies are -
Irene (guitar, vocals)
Vitali (double-bass, backing vocals)
ABOUT THE BAND
The Dandies are from Moldova and originally formed as a trio in 2006. All of their songs then (and their name) were predominately Russian. After a while they started translating the lyrics into English, but then realised that the English language lent itself better to the rhythm of the music, so started writing everything in English from scratch and changed the name of the band into the English translation of Dandies.
Therefore, all of the songs on the album are originals but they do play some covers in their live sets.
The present line-up of the duo have been together since 2012, they played their first gig at a festival in Ukraine in 2013. Since then, they have been a part of many festivals in Ukraine, which has an amazing rockabilly & rock n roll scene, one of the best in the world! They have also appeared at many major weekenders and events in Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Russia, Germany & Spain.
They state their main influences are from jazz, rock n roll, swing, rockabilly and bands and artists such as The Stray Cats (and Brian Setzer & Lee Rocker’s subsequent bands), also Reverend Horton Heat, Louis Prima, Ron Carter, Ella Fitzgerald and The Shakin’ Guts – an Ukranian band.
So, hey! Lets check out the tracks -
ALRIGHT FOR THE PARTY
Woo Hoo!! Well, here we go! Kickin’ off with a classic neo rockabilly sound! Very boppin’ along, crisp & clear guitar and bass and vocals. I can hear the new wave influences in here, with vocals very much reminiscent of the likes of Lene Lovich. I want to go to this party!
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND
Yeahhhhh, great bluesy, riffy & catchy already! You got me hooked in at the start! Drivin’ bass that keeps it all rolling along like a convertible cruising along the beach!
TAKE ME FOR A LONG, LONG RIDE
Get on that Harley! Now! And go for a long, long ride! Do as they say! What a great bass, classic rockin’ guitar playing, stuttery singing and real laid-back Chuck Berry feel to it!
I WANT YOU BY MY SIDE
Oooooohhhh. Imagine, you’re in a downtown club, you don’t really know where, cos you’ve had a few beers already. It’s late, sorry, early in the morning! You can just about see the band, through the smoke. They’re talking to you, and only you, they’re speaking in a moody, jazzy, laid back simplicity, that just chills everyone out with the slow hand and cool notes of this tune.
NIGHTMARE
After the last track, this is the late-night encore! A haunting, jazzy tune with a prominent slap bass, a subdued, but very atmospheric guitar. Quite gothic, echoes of The Cure and Siouxsie & the Banshees, but also could be Jo Carley & the Old Dry Skulls.
DON’T GO AWAY
Very Neo Rockabilly start to this that develops into a swinging, rockabilly track, with an infectious slap bass. Could easily be an early Imelda May track.
PICK WHAT YOU CHOOSE
Fab slap bass, very raw neo rockabilly, swing and a bit scat! Reminds me of The Strays vocally, absolutely a generally foot tapping sound!
ONE
HEY! Here’s a song that could take over the dance floors as a great stroller!! This has the potential to fill the floor at the weekenders and all-dayer’s! There’s some Hillbilly Moon Explosion in there and The Creepshow. It’s the obligatory nod to ‘Stray Cat Strut’ that every band has on their album!
SUNNY SIDE
Get on the music hall stage! A theatrical mash up of Stray Cat sounding stuff, swingy stuff, bluesy stuff and jazzy vocals!
SEA SIDE RUMBLE
Here we go! Classic rockabilly sound with a party going on! Get up and dance! On the beach! On the prom! Anywhere! Go get an ice cream! Lick it! Dance some more! It’s a beach party! The best! Surf anyone?
AIN’T NEVER TOO MUCH ROCKIN’
Wow! Here we have a very traditional sounding rock n roll track! Could easily be a Bill Haley song with vocals by Wanda Jackson! This will get all the jivers going because it’s a fantastic track based on all the old fifties numbers, fab shout outs as part of the backing vocals too!
SONG IN MY HEART
Who loves an end of the night song? This is, but a bit different! Slow, jazz, scat, very melodic, 40’s jazz vibe. Beautiful and original, simple vocals, gorgeous!
WOWSOME! Again I’m blown away by another band that we’ve been so lucky to have had the opportunity to review!
The Dandies know exactly what they’re doing and the audience they’re aiming for. Not everyone will appreciate their sound, but that’s exactly the same for every band we review! We have all related genres to rockabilly, psychobilly, rock n roll, country, bluegrass, hillbilly, etc etc basically any band with a slap bass in it!!
So, the Dandies, there’s only two of them! Even better! WHAT a sound!
They set themselves apart from other bands on the scene because they offer something different. They don’t try and sound like anyone else, they put their own twist on everything they do.
I can hear influences (especially vocally) from new wave/post punk bands like Lene Lovich, Martha & the Muffins, Siousxie Sioux and even early Toyah.
What a sound from just a guitar and bass, very catchy and different. Keep an eye on these because they’re going to make a stir on the scene. A bit more gothic and punkier but fresh, with a new twist! They’ve nailed it already as far as I’m concerned, onwards and upwards!!
