Dead End Friends
Gig Seeker Pro

Dead End Friends

Duluth, Minnesota, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011 | SELF

Duluth, Minnesota, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2011
Band Rock Post-punk

Calendar

This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

Press


"Album review: Dead End Friends' debut starts off on the right note"

Well-written, high-energy rock music is one of those things that is more difficult to make than one might think. Too much energy and not enough tune, and you’re dead in the water. Write a good song and record it poorly, same result.
Duluth’s Dead End Friends are doing it pretty well, thankfully. There’s not much that they do that hasn’t been done before, but that’s OK. What their debut album presents is a group with a fairly good handle on what it takes to make a memorable rock song.

“Ghost Town” plugs along well enough with some vaguely Brendan Benson-styled singing and big ol’ power chords, but the chorus hits hard with neck-veins-a-poppin’ vocals and a hook that’s easy to latch onto.

“It’s a fight defending yourself / When they all try to take it away,” sings, uh, the singer. (The liner notes don’t say which singer sings which song.) He’s got a good range and lots of confident rock attitude, which is half the battle with music like this.

“Radio Poison” is better, with a straight-up radio-rock anthem chorus befitting of the song’s topic: rock ’n’ roll. “Take cover in the radio / hit the ground as you start to feel the truth,” goes the hook.

The vocals on “The Great Experiment” are gruffer and more pop-punk, somehow, and there’s lots of “whoa-oh-ohs.” The tune isn’t as strong as the first couple on the record, and the breakdown doesn’t quite fit. But, hey, it’s got a brief drum solo in it, which is nice to hear. Too many bands exist in this state of shrinking-violet wall-flowerness, and a drum solo is the opposite of that.

“Something for the Kids” has lots of high points. The band’s Foo Fighters energy carries them a long way, especially in a song like “Cage,” where the buzzy main riff sets up the rest of the tune, or in “Concrete,” where a “Times Like These” vibe is present.

There’s stuff the band could do better, as one would assume, this being the group’s first release and all. At times, the production is somewhat airless, and the band sounds like it could do well to crank up the low end and get away from the fairly trebly presentation heard here. There are also some tentative guitar solos, shaky drum fills and slightly out-of-tune bass tracks here and there, but it’s nothing so bad that the group won’t rise above with more experience under their belts.

Bottom line: If energetic rock with solid hooks is something you’re in the market for, make pals with Dead End Friends.

Dead End Friends / “Something for the Kids”

Recorded at: Puglisi Recording Studio and downstairs living room, Duluth

Produced by: Dead End Friends (Rockbass Productions)

Website: facebook.com/DeadEndFriendsband

Personnel: Phil McLoughlin (guitar, vocals), Joe Warttman (guitar, vocals), Ben Anderson (bass, vocals), Pete Hannegraf (drums) - Duluth News Tribune


"Dead End Friends: Something For The Kids"

There are bands where what they’re going for immediately stands out and they stick to a sound and own it. While there are the somewhat undefinable elements such as punk and alternative rock that emerge in Dead End Friends’ debut album, “Something For The Kids,” it’s really just best to say that they hit the nail on head with making a solid rock album.
There’s nothing wrong with using some studio tricks and going all out on production to make something sound cool. I will note that this album is a little dry production wise, but I can’t say that this is a bad thing this time around. Dead End Friends just dove in head first on this album and made it all about the rock. This album is held up on approachable and well done song writing with plenty of juicy riffage throughout.
They’re not trying to be something they’re not on this album that ends up being a decently fun listen. It’s the kind of album you might want to put on while disembarking on a road trip. One of the opening tracks, “Radio Poison,” comes out hard driving, mostly upbeat with plenty of energy. While it has all of this, it’s not heavy in the way that if you played it around your dad he’d say, “can we turn this noisy shit off and listen to something else?” Yes, it’s a fine line in accessibility between coming off as being catchy in a way where something ends up feeling kind of like contrived pop-rock or it is so in your face where a band’s primary audience is going to consist mostly of people who have hit a mosh pit in the last few years.
The album crunches well in the spots where it should. For example, the song “Cage” stays pretty heavy with a slick riff that leads into brisk distorted palm muted guitar parts throughout the verse, but as it leads into the chorus, the hook shines through shamelessly. The break downs are effective in affirming to the listener, this is rock being done right. The guitar leads keep things interesting along these lines and they fit the songs in a way where they’re melodically inventive without going over the top technically. Phil McLoughlin and Joey Warttman do the guitar work for the band and I’m unsure who is doing what on the album, but it’s fair to say that the way the guitars work together really makes for a nice journey between the ears.
The rest of the band includes Ben Anderson on bass and Pete Hannegraf on drums and they hold things down while at the same time complete the intricacies that rise up throughout the album. The song, “11:54,” really shows this. This amped up blues/rock song breaks down in parts where all elements of the band come out of the woodwork. The song pretty much defines dynamics in rock music. I’m assuming that McLoughlin is the lead singer of the group. On this track his vocals remind me a little bit of The Damned’s, Dave Vanian. This particular track has some darker themes in the lyrics kind of like The Damned or Black Sabbath. I’m not really going to focus on the lyrics too much other than to say that they’re cool enough where they just flow right along with everything else going on with each song.
On the band’s Facebook site they say that they are influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters and The Black Keys and I can see that. I’m never too excited to compare bands to other bands but Queens of the Stone Age also comes to mind. I’d imagine that anyone who likes these bands will find Dead End Friends acceptable to listen to. Of course, I think this album can stand on its own as far as being a great rock album in general to come out of the area.
The band has been playing shows regularly around the Twin Ports and if their album is anything to go off of, their live show will be worth checking out. Their next show is at Dubh Linn Pub on Thursday, August 21 at 10 p.m. Keep an eye out and prepare for some rocking. - The Reader


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Dead End Friends formed in mid 2011 and has been rocking socks ever since. Members include Duluthians Phil McLoughlin (guitar, vocals), Joey Warttman (guitar vocals), Ben Anderson (rock bass, vocals), and Pete Hannegraf (drums). Their sound is influenced by a blend of the Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin, and The Replacements. Dead End Friends has one full length album and another in the mixing process. 

Band Members