Detroit Dives - House Caught Fire

House Caught Fire
recorded at Tempermill Stduios

The Detroit Dives indicate what they're all about in that name, alone... What this trio's trucking is the endearing, clattery, cathartic, and riff-heavy rock that's consistently resonated inside the city's signature hole-in-the-wall/homepride "dive" bars. These local music mavens have plenty of rock experience from previous gloriously gritty outfits like the Junk Monkeys, Black Mollies and the Sunday Painters.

What's sustained in their approach throughout their individual years' worth on Detroit stages is that they've always blended punk aesthetics, be it aggressive hooks, drum-hits or bluesy howls, with the indelible coil of pop melodies and catchy choruses.

Sure, there's some irreverent lyrical commentary in there, as well as a sharp satirical shoving-back against the popular conceptions and misconceptions about rock music; specifically Detroit rock...

The Detroit Dives have a new EP coming out this weekend called House Caught Fire, celebrated at PJ's Lager House in Corktown, (Friday). They're going to be rocking with piano, organ and harmony-augmenting backup vocals to fill out their sound. Opening up the night are the Haley Riots, and Mom Barley - INFO

When the world is going crazy, a great backbeat and some wavy blues riffs provide not only a stability, but a catharsis...

"This town's blood runs in our veins"

Now..., Ron McPherson (guitar/vocals), Kevin Perri (bass) and Andrew Pike, (drums) shared their first single with me, streaming above. Certainly one of their more pointedly irreverent lyrical shoulder-checks into the madness of King Kim, its unfortunately as topical as ever, this week. ("You're on borrowed time" quakes with ominousness...)

But what attracted me to this tune was that, among the 5 new ones, its got so much of the urgency and defiance of punk. It's the grittiest, slickest of the bunch, and there's just a lot of fire coming not only from the guitar feedback and the haunting melody of the chorus, but just how hard those drums are hitting...

The standout track, which you'll hear later this weekend, is definitely the title track. "House Caught Fire" doesn't have the rebellious yell of "Supreme Leader," and in fact it pares everything back into a pianobar blues ballad. The dynamics of this song stand out, with their evident energy and passionate playing style able to lower the heart-rate for the solemn verses and shuffle along to a groovy 70's AM pop rhythm. Of course, since the subject matter is near and dear, the choruses get fiery! It's an ode to Howell's Bar,a West Dearborn "dive" that burned down two years ago. McPherson considered it a "dive bar that anyone could walk into and feel at home in..." This was their "house." It was where the members of this band met each other.

So this EP, the group's second release so far, is very much about picking up those pieces, engaging in deep reflection, and pondering where we'll go next...

Detroit Dives
Fri
PJs Lager House
more info