by Caroline Nieto (@caroline.nieto)
If you thought Dummy was a psychedelic rock band, you’d only be half right. Their newest single from Dumb EPs, a compiled repress of their previous EPs, is a departure from the band’s recipe of clean guitars and vintage synths. The LA-based group is known to genre hop, with ambient tracks like “Ethereal Security Guard” or “Touch the Chimes” that experiment with the form and fabric of a melody and expand upon it.
Their song “Oceanographer” falls into this camp, built from a freely picked guitar and textured with the air of crashing waves running through a tinny amp. It’s a hidden track if there ever was one—breaking down the complexities of its predecessors on the record into a free range, circular pattern of a melody. The song pulses in twos, inviting the listener into a warm meditation of sound. Fans of Dummy’s ambient work will take comfort in the rare experience it provides of listening back to you.
Check out the single and the band’s upcoming tour dates (below).
09/04 - Detroit, MI @ Third Man Records
09/05 - Lexington, KY @ The Burl Outdoors *
09/06 - Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theatre *
09/07 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
09/09 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Bells Brewery *
09/10 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts *
09/11 - Huntington, WV @ The Loud *
09/12 - Richmond. VA @ The National*
09/13 - Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage *
09/14 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd
09/16 - New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage *
09/17 - Kingston, NY @ Tubbys +
09/18 - Norwalk, CT @ District Music Hall *
09/19 - Boston, MA @ House Of Blues *
09/20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas + ~
09/21 - Easthampton, MA @ Daily Operation
09/23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls *
09/24 - Buffalo, NY @ Electric City *
09/25 - Cleveland, OH @ Globe Iron *
09/26 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall *
09/27 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue *
09/28 - Memphis, TN @ Goner Fest
09/30 - Atlanta, GA @ Altar (Masquerade)
10/01 - Asheville, NC @ Ayurprana
10/02 - Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records
10/03 - St Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole
10/04 - Milwaukee, WI @ Beet Street Festival
10/05 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
10/07 - Minneapolis. MN @ Zhora Darling
* supporting Soccer Mommy
+ with Empath
~ with Sharp Pins