So I was hanging out for a quick minute at Jinxed Furniture on Passyunk Ave in South Philadelphia where by buddy Jeremy works about maybe a month or two ago and I hear this music playing. It’s really chill, super rad driving bass lines, progressive drums, atmospheric guitar riffs, and higher pitched Joy Division-esque inspired vocal. So I’m like Jerm who is this? He says oh this is DIIV they’re really rad, proceeds to tell me about seeing them at the Boot & Saddle (rad music venue/bar on broad) and by the time he was done talking them up I already had them on my phone.
DIIV’s style is what I’m gravitating towards lately, smooth, chill with a steady tempo so I can work to it without too much aggression. There’s definitely a nostalgic quality to their sound as well that isn’t completely overdone. Dopamine was the first song that I heard from them and it’s driving feel will have your head nodding right as the track starts. When the vocals kick in they wash right over in the mix and it overall just rules. If you were going to start with any song I’d definitely recommend that one first!
The design component is grungey in nature. Their website looks like it could have been designed in maybe mid-2000’s which fits this shtick of not having a sleek website and more of a found object Tumblr site. Their album cover looks like a fine art piece mixed with a four-year-old crayon drawing. So it’s kind of all over the place and I’m totally cool with it. That said head to their store and pick up the wax if you want to support this awesome band. In the meantime stream the album below and enjoy.
– Aa
