Dinoczar

If you don’t remember Dinoczar, the darkly-weird Bostonians from our review of The House of the Rising Fuzz—an anthemic east coast garage psych compilation in which their single “Cream” blew off our doors with speedfreak riffs, muddled jive, and rambling, headbanging solos—then you have another chance to pay closer attention.

We’re pleased to share the news that Dinoczar’s debut LP Sick Wind is due out early next year, and that they’ve dropped its first single “Burnt Out.”

This time around, it’s less in-your-face punk and more proto-stoner metal that’s been dominating the underground lately. That’s not to say Dinoczar are backing off or falling in line, not in the least. Even though the band is a lowly three-piece, the only thing minimal about them is the vocals. The holy trinity of guitar-bass-drum assaults with formidable savagery. But it also pings the sweet side of the spectrum, and slows down for moments of instrumental rumination before crashing back into its biting, awesomely unintelligible chorus. About 20 seconds before it ends, the song eerily bleeds out into some Lynchian distortion that gives an out-of-body effect—like dying—before an unseen, omnipresent listener cuts the track with the press of an analog STOP button. (Rough translation: God digs tapes, broh!)

Dinoczar and their self-assigned signifier of ‘doom punk boogie’ sums it up perfectly, and the featured artwork for the new album is a colorless rendering of the saddest pack of Marlboro Blacks you ever saw (though I have no sympathy for it, because apparently awesome music doesn’t make it smile). This is a track that gets you excited about Dinoczar’s debut, a band definitely on my 2016 radar.

Janky Smooth will definitely be ready for the debut, early next year. See you then. - Janky Smooth

Laguna Beach, CA based Dinoczar were most certainly the star attraction this past Thursday when they graced the stage at one of TT the Bears final shows. The guys are spending some quality time here in Boston, and they offer up a unique and inventive blend of hard nosed noise rock coupled with a fast paced, frenetic percussion beat that is almost impossible not to dance to, and invokes a sense of creativity and unbridled passion that can't be denied at this point. It was like a breath of fresh air after first witnessing them on stage, and getting the opportunity to chat with Jake very briefly I realized how grounded and extremely friendly each of these guys are. They also possess a huge musical skillset that will serve them well down the road, and make them a long lasting band in the process as well. - Music Box Pete

A grinding, gutteral sound has emerged from Boston’s underground in the form of a heart attack inducing new track from grungy sludge punks Dinoczar. “Burnt Out” is just a sample, a sneak peak of an eight track LP titled Sick Wind due out in early 2016. If you aren’t familiar with the metallic basement trio, now is a great time to get acquainted. With two EP’s out already, the band has managed to take the “garage” aesthetic that has been so prevalent in Boston during the 2010’s and warp it to fit their heavier than heavy song composition.

Late 60’s proto-metal is one comparison but the band also incorporates 70’s power pop that when combined with the rain drenched alt-rock of late 80’s Seattle creates a sound that spans decades and generations. What you’re left with are songs that incorporate sporadic tempo changes and grimy riffs that recall the cacophonous rage of a thunderstorm. “Burnt Out” continues in this vein, but see’s the band more self-assured.

Even after the first listen, it’s clear these dudes were shooting for classic 70’s rock tones (drummer Aaron Swartz admitted to wanting a Thin Lizzy style riff) and the trio delivers just that while simultaneously shedding nostalgia and embracing the sound of this city’s current fuzzy musical landscape. Tight chord progressions develop over the scratchy, hollow vox of lead singer/guitarist Paul Dunne. Coupled with distorted, squealing solos (of which there is an ample amount) the words seem distant, even echoed; calling you forward and enticing you to the end where you’re swallowed whole by Swartz’s tumultuous output on the drums. Jake Cardinal’s smooth and groovy bass rounds out the band’s sound and lends itself to the 90’s influenced grunge punch that is ever present.

With a recent slot on Ben Semeta’s House of the Rising Fuzz comp and live shows that see the band fulling embracing the all-encompassing power of their songs, the group is poised for the release of their first full length. Check them out November 5th at the Middle East with The Dazies, Neutrinos, and Sponge where the band will have limited edition cassingles of “Burnt Out” with fellow Sick Wind track “I Lost My Head” on the b-side. In the meantime, give “Burnt Out” a listen below. - Boston Hassle

"On the local end, the babes of Dinoczar held their own as representatives for the venerated House of Rising Fuzz scene. Although word on the street is that they originally hail from Laguna Beach and, by proxy, still have no concept of what snow looks like, the trio brought out new cuts from their upcoming Sick Wind LP with the menacing fury of someone that has shoveled until the sweet release of IcyHot doesn’t even feel good anymore. Or, you know, the fury of people that had to live on the same beach as Lauren Conrad, but never got invited to her sweet ass drug parties. We’re just happy they’ve decided to claim this coast as their new home." - Allston Pudding

Fresh off a summer tour and with 2 EPs to its name, Dinoczar isn’t a new band, but its approach to today’s debuting single “Burnt Out” is that of a group that’s stepping into its own. Combining the trio’s familiar fuzzed-out progressions with echoing vocals and a thick layer of sludge, the track reveals the band developing a heavier, more complex sound for the 2016 release of album Sick Wind.

“This song, in particular, came from me wanting to write a Thin Lizzy riff,” explained drummer and vocalist Aaron Swartz. “I wrote the riff and the chord progression and then showed the boys one day. From there, we jammed it out until what it is today. There wasn’t much additional writing for this one and it all came kind of naturally.”

Check out the track below, then catch the band live at the Middle East Upstairs on November 5th, where they’ll be releasing “Burnt Out” on a limited edition cassingle with b-side “I Lost My Head.” - Allston Pudding

"If you prefer something louder with a grungy crunch, check out Dinoczar. This “doom punk boogie” trio from Boston via Laguna Beach comes from the school of Terry Malts fuzz rock, and they bring it with tempo changes. Check out their work on the single “Burnt Out” - it blasts a hole in your brain, and just as it kicks ass, then dives right into a bluesy downer, then toward the end picks you back up off the floor and smacks you around a little. Or a lot. “Burnt Out” is the single to their next album due out in early 2016. I expect their next album to bring a matured fuzzed-up sound in all sorts of creative directions." - WMWM Salem

[Translated from French] "Then comes Dinoczar and 'Cream', one of the first titles to have caught my attention. Piece most of all punk compilation, there is no shortage of Jay Reatard resume what he had more subversive." - Still In Rock

That explains why Boston garage-punk trio Dinoczar, despite uploading its music to Bandcamp and Spotify, continues to sell cassettes for a few bucks. Cassettes are the only non-digital format they embrace.

In underground and house-show circles, the exchange of tapes “isn’t much of a surprise anymore,” said Aaron Swartz, the band’s 22-year-old drummer, who, on a recent flight from Boston to the West Coast, nonetheless drew stares and curious comments from nearby passengers after pulling out a cassette player. “It gives us a lot of creative freedom.”

The Dinoczar musicians, all Northeastern University students, live that ethos to the fullest: They own a professional dual-deck player (acquired for $30 at a Somerville garage sale) to dub copies one by one. “J-Card” liner notes, meanwhile, are copied and cut at a Staples copy center. A stencil is used to airbrush text onto the cassettes. - boston.com

If Dinoczar had an abusive husband, Dinoczar would amputate the husband's ding dong while he slept. And if Dinoczar had the misfortune of having their penis detached, they would have it sewn back on, and use the gimmick to launch a new career in porn. Dinoczar are like John Wayne and Loretta Bobbitt. - BDC Wire

Dinoczar kicked off the night to a packed house with a guitar-heavy set that spotlighted intense instrumental breakdowns. While Dinoczar’s playing wasn’t quite perfect, the group put every ounce of energy they could muster into the performance and ultimately delivered. - Allston Pudding

"...and punk-as-fuck Dinoczar paying homage to hardcore on 'Cream'" - Lo-Pie