At first taste, The Dimes may remind you of a piece of peppermint candy you found in the pocket of an old sweater that’s been hiding in the back of your closet for sometime. Initially you hesitate, but then you take a bite and suddenly your mouth is exploding with a cool, fresh, minty flavor that makes you feel like you just brushed your teeth.
Wildly melodic and inherently quirky, The Dimes’ sunny day indie-pop is born of the same Northwest, um, loins as The Decemberists, The Shins, Ben Gibbard and even recent Austin-to-Portland transplants, Spoon. Known for causing breakouts of unexpected hand clapping and foot stomping among fans at their shows, The Dimes boys have cooked up some delicious indiepop goodness on their new release, The Silent Generation.
However, even with all of the charming comparisons to their Northwest kin, The Silent Generation is built around something undeniably original. While singer-songwriter Johnny Clay insists the record isn’t a full-fledged concept album, he will tell you that most of the record draws its inspiration from a series of Depression-era newspapers that guitarist, Pierre Kaiser, found buried beneath the old floors of his 1908 Portland home. At first, the papers were a novelty item and a good read for a history buff like Clay. But it wasn’t long before he fell in love with the cast of bizarre characters he found, resurrecting them on the new album.
Fascinated by the new material, the four friends started doing what they do best - geeking-out in the studio, creating the gleeful and quirky arrangements they’ve become known for: foot stomps and hand claps, punchy guitars, glockenspiels, melodicas, flutes, and their signature statement – perfect heart-warming harmonies that even Brian Wilson would applaud.
The result is the band’s first full-length record, unraveling like a soundtrack to an odd documentary film, bringing to life a world of endearing, yet enigmatic characters from long ago. A film where a 19th Century Czech opera star can hob-nob with Al Capone-era Chicago gangsters, while an eight-year-old boy from Kansas flies high above a cornfield after being sucked out of his homeby a tornado. A strange world perhaps... But not to worry. The Silent Generation will rile you up, spook you a bit, romance you some, then ease your mind with happy melodies, clap-along beats and unique instrumentation that will bring you back home.
Recent press for the record:
"This hooky debut from this tuneful quartet is a moving meditation on hard times, delivered with a Death Cab for Cutie light touch... The Dimes employ an array of flutes, glockenspiels, melodicas, tambourines and handclaps to heighten the mood, with "Catch Me Jumping" and "Paul Kern Can't Sleep" skyrocketing exuberantly." 3 and 1/2 stars
- SPIN Magazine
"Tiring of today's trite , say-nothing lyrics, 'The Silent Generation' picked me up and danced me around the room like a rag doll. The Dimes' singer/songwriter Johnny Clay is a gifted storyteller... I missed their two previous EP's; but non fatal mistakes in life are for correcting."
(Top 40 Cd's of 2007, #19)
-Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover.
"Melodic sweet guitars over gorgeous voices and phenomenal lyrics define The Dimes. From Portland Oregon, this band has made quite the impact with their latest release The Silent Generation. If I have to say so myself, it's going on my top 10 and currently is in high rotation in my iPod."
-Seattle's KEXP 90.3FM
"Interesting, semi-pastoral ambitious pop that's nostalgically inclined lyrically -- detailed scenarios from past eras that capture your interest."
-USA Today
"...Beach Boys harmonies, pop storytelling...and an opening track containing enough whimsy that you've got to assume it was recorded after a screening of Wes Anderson movies."
-The Tripwire (BLOG)
"...This is pop you can simply revel in. The slow build of "Catch Me Jumping," for instance, steadily strummed acoustic guitar and a muffled, thumping bass drum–is simply gratifying. And when the soaring group "oh woh ohs" come in, you might as well stop kidding yourself: This one's going on repeat."
-Willamette Week
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