When the Dream Syndicate emerged in the early 80s, frontman Steve Wynn declared that "we're playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it" - he added, "I'll comprise on what I eat or where I sleep, but I won't compromise on what music I play."īoth were true, although their template of Velvet Underground meets Crazy Horse may seem commonplace today (and let's not forget, the Syndicate spawned many imitators), their raw twin guitar, bass and drums approach was not common during an era when slick polished MTV bands ruled. Set to release their new album this summer 'Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions' features singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Wynn, drummer Dennis Duck, bassist Mark Walton, lead guitarist Jason Victor plus their newest member Chris Cacavas on keyboards (you remember him from the 1980s Los Angeles band Green On Red). "Clever, ambitious, and blessedly noisy." AllMusicįeaturing singer/songwriter/guitarist Steve Wynn, drummer Dennis Duck, bassist Mark Walton, lead guitarist Jason Victor plus their newest member Chris Cacavas on keyboards, plus guest appearances from Stephen McCarthy (of The Long Ryders) and Marcus Tenney's expressive sax and trumpet work.Īfter several reissues of vintage recordings, The Dream Syndicate recently revealed they had signed to indie institution and 'international guardian of wonky psychedelia' (Uncut), Fire Records. The Dream Syndicate have moved well past their early Velvet Underground influences and taken on British glam, German prog, and more. The brand-new album from The Dream Syndicate blends vintage Krautrock, Eno-like ambience, Neu-inspired rhythmic groove and a Californian sun baked sheen into their classic psychedelic, melodic, hue. Let's hope they keep on doing that for a long time to come.Very excited to announce our new album 'Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions' set for release on 10th June, with new track 'Where I'll Stand' out today. Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions is a reminder the Dream Syndicate have never stopped being a band that plays only by their own rules, and within those boundaries, they know how to win. And "Straight Lines" and "Trying to Get Over" show that these folks can rock hard when the stars align. The straightforward yet ambitious pulse of "Where I'll Stand," the reverb-laced "The Chronicles of You," and the spare, troubling meditations of "My Lazy Mind" once again remind listeners how good Wynn is at capturing the thoughts of various lost souls. Wynn has never had a problem delivering a batch of memorable songs, and Ultraviolet Battle Hymns captures ten more tunes worth hearing. On Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions, the Dream Syndicate aim for mood and atmosphere rather than showing off their chops, and the performances serve the nuances of the songs without pushing them to places they don't want to do. It's also every bit as imaginative and uncompromising as what they conjured when they were noisy heroes of the paisley underground Wynn drew on Neu!, Brian Eno, and prog rock as touchstones while writing and recording this music, and the cool, steely minimalism of this music makes room for guitars without depending on six-string fireworks to push this music forward. They also made four studio LPs in their original 1981-1989 incarnation, which means this edition - Wynn on vocals and rhythm guitar, Jason Victor on lead guitar, Mark Walton on bass, Chris Cacavas on keyboards, and Dennis Duck on drums - has now given us a body of work as sizable as what they delivered in their glory days. They've gone out of their way to forge a new identity that isn't beholden to their past, and 2022's Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions is the fourth studio album from the second run of the Dream Syndicate. You wouldn't expect the Dream Syndicate to begin an album with half a minute of abstract, plinky synth sounds straight out of the mid-'70s, but upending expectations has been business as usual for the band since Steve Wynn relaunched them in 2012.
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