free record #10: dios 'we are dios'

after an intended-to-be-short-hiatus, we're back. almost apologies to all the unanswered emails. drag was right. anyways, dios are also back and they're tripping harder than ever. with their third record 'we are dios'--out on buddyhead--they've found their sound as the missing link between the beach boys and grandaddy. maybe there is something in the water out there in hawthorne. maybe not. either way, this is some outta sight rock and/or roll of the psychedelic variety.

starting right where 'dios (malos)' left off, they've only done two things with their down time it seems. those being: buying new records and buying new drugs. where (malos) had a stoner/weeeeeed vibe 'we are dios' comes off as an acid bath or a walk down mushroom lane. kinda like 'sgt. peppers' after 'revolver/rubber soul' i guess. also, insert some syd barrett comparison here. drippy, reverbed vocals here, slowed down and delayed over there all over mellotrons, concertinas and other korg settings and bouncy guitars or slowed fingerpicking. dios sound like they're having a blast playing even though the atmosphere conjured is more fitting to a rainy day. and while singing about drugs, booze, ice cream sandwiches, and boring everyday life they actually give it a sound all their own while you can clearly hear influences--harmonies that would make brian wilson leave his sandbox, excellent pop sensibilities that would make ringo starr smile, proggy visions that would make david gilmour stop and listen for a bit and production techniques that, hopefully, david fridmann would approve of. this album floats around on a surfer haze many ghosts of the past i think would enjoy so, grab this record and take some bong hits for jesus and drift away to soundssssssssssssss.

ps. do you think dios going back to the name dios has anything to do with ronnie james dio's stomach cancer? let's hope not. GET WELL SOON RONNIE!

arbitrary grade: california on the verge of legalizing it!