Very exciting times these – Three albums in less than two years from our favourite new band and each one better than the last. Dot Dash invented the “Post Mod” genre and now with this album has perfected the sound. Urgent, Exciting, Concise and yet so timeless and ageless. Can it get any better than this? Only Dot Dash know for sure and time may tell the answer, but for now immerse yourself in the one of the finest releases of the year, maybe even of this decade.
But don’t just listen to us – here is what some other people said about their previous releases:
“A seamless sequence of flawless songs, full of atmosphere, Byrds-like guitars and Buzzcocks trade mark ooohs and ahhhs. Hook-laden and captivating — a plethora of perfect pop songs.” — 13th Floor Vendetta
“Post-punk and C86… a little fuzz and heaps of melody.” — Sound of Confusion
“Somehow sounding loose and exacting at the same time… If Sonic Youth had decided to be a pop band, they would have sounded an awful lot like Dot Dash.” – Bankrobber Music/House of Hassle
“Winter Garden Light’ is one of those albums that come out under the radar, but years down the line it’s regarded as a masterpiece.” — Critical Mass
“Dot Dash features ex-members of Julie Ocean, The Saturday People, Youth Brigade and Swervedriver. The Washington, D.C., quartet just issued its sophomore album, Winter Garden Light (The Beautiful Music), the follow-up to last year’s spark>flame>amber>ash.”
– Magnet Magazine
“Winter Garden Light, the second LP from Dot Dash, delivers punk pace, a bonus quantity of pop hooks, assured vocals and anthemic choruses. A ten-track locomotive that gathers steam for a bit more than a half hour and leaves you wanting to press the replay button.” – When You Motor Away
“Dot Dash may very well have delivered the most gratifying pure-pop album of the year.” – Wilfully Obscure
“An unexpected coalition of Washington’s punk and pop tribes, Dot Dash proved melodic, dynamic and cohesive on its 2011 debut album, ‘Spark>Flame>Ember>Ash.’ The quartet’s follow-up, ‘Winter Garden Light,’ is even better.” – Washington Post
“Moving confidently forward from their loose, garage-y 2011 debut, Winter Garden Light plays like a pocket history of indie guitar rock with some jangle here, a Fugazi bass lick there and walls of sizzling shoegaze feedback everywhere—all to wonderful effect.”
– Pop Matters
“An updated C86 vibe… reminiscent of an experimental, raw R.E.M… ‘Shouting in the Rain’ is punky, featuring a Peter Hook-like bass line, then goes in an Undertones/Only Ones direction.” – Pennyblack Music
“Brightly propelled 80`s New Wave with well-trodden and prolifically strung power pop best describes this blissful East Coast four-piece. Think early days of English Day-Glo pioneers The Buzzcocks, The Times, Television Personalities and the Creation label.”
— Mojophenia
“The second album from Dot Dash is a gem packed full of great melodies and post-punk energy… a pop rush.” – Trip-TV
“’Winter Garden Light’ is a shining beacon in a ravaging storm and a likely candidate for album of the year.” – Small Takeover
“An eclectic fusion of power pop, indie/alternative, mod, and shoegaze vibes. The sound explodes into wall-of-sound dreamy arpeggios, garage fuzz and high velocity dream-pop energy.” – TPR Magazine
“Riffing on relaxed melodic pop with fuzzy guitar tones and sauntering emotion… Winter Garden Light suggests Dot Dash will continue to grow more intricate and exciting.”—All Music
“Dot Dash packs hooks into its 2nd album… it’s got a little Joy Division, The Vapors and early R.E.M. in its DNA.” – Powerpopaholic
“With Winter Garden Light, the group has altered their sound, creating a warmer collage of pop tunes infused with melody and excellent guitar sounds. A perfect one-two punch between traditional indie rock and lofty pop… Mission accomplished.” – Austin Town Hall
This is what the press release said:
Summer is nearing an end — time for a new Dot Dash album.
Half-Remembered Dream is the third Dot Dash album released in less than two years.
The 10-track Half-Remembered Dream, out this month, was preceded by Winter Garden Light (released in September 2012) and spark>flame>ember>ash (released in September 2011) – all on The Beautiful Music, the Ottawa, Canada-based indie label that has been issuing underground pop records for more than 10 years.
For the new record the Washington D.C.-based quartet traveled north to neighboring Baltimore, where Half-Remembered Dream was recorded at Lord Baltimore Studios.
As before, there’s a persistent thread of melancholy running through Dot Dash’s ringing, intense, melodic pop, but it takes on a variety of forms. Amidst jangling, wistful guitars — contrasted by often thunderous bass and drums — Half-Remembered Dream is, by turns, energetic, plaintive, and punky.
Dot Dash plays out frequently and has shared recent bills with Ash, The Drums, The Bats, The Monochrome Set, and Glen Matlock, among many others.
Band line-up: Terry Banks – guitar & voice; Bill Crandall – guitar; Hunter Bennett – bass; Danny Ingram – drums.
Half-Remembered Dream is available as a CD directly from The Beautiful Music’s PayPal-enabled ordering portal at www.thebeautifulmusic.com
The album is also available as a download via iTunes, Bandcamp, eMusic, and Amazon.
For more info on Dot Dash, please visit https://www.facebook.com/dotdashdc
Half-Remembered Dream
Beauty 024 Now Available
$11.00 CDN
Here are more samples on Bandcamp.
Once again we are proud to release our new label sampler. The free download is available here: 
update and it hasn’t even been 3 years since the last one – getting a bit ambitious aren’t we.
have a few new releases this year, starting with another Free Label Sampler (after the huge success of our last one which crashed our system- so if we seem to vanish for a while you’ll know why) so you can hear a few songs from some recent releases and to whet your appetite for some that are just around the corner – we may even include a song or 2 not on our label just to confuse you.
A seven year world-wide search for Dreamworld recording artists, The Impossible Years, has located Todd Shuster as he is reviving his original band, The Jags (not the UK version), and efforts are under way for a blog interview and a TVP cover (which is now completed). Schuman The Human will serve up a hauntingly classic version of “Look Back In Anger” and even includes the fine talents of one of my favourite drummers and Creation Records staple, Dave Morgan (The Loft, The Weather Prophets, The Rockingbirds, etc. etc.). You will certainly fall in love with The Just Joans cover, who have just released their first album (on vinyl!!) and will likely be a household name soon as they play many of the UK festivals. “Painting by Numbers” is given an interesting facelift by Norb Payr of The Jaybirds and Subcandies fame. Robert Scott from The Bats (who also released an amazing solo album recently) contributed a track as did fellow New Zealanders, The Puddle. Bright Lights Big Zombie’s beautiful take on “She’s my Yoko” and a submission by Japan’s The Penelope’s will guarantee your satisfaction. Ohhh and There’s So much more, but I’ve already said too much.
I also discussed this project with Phil King (from Lush/The Servants/Apple Boutique) as he was an old friend and actually started his first band The Beautiful Losers with equipment that he got from Adrian. Adrian also produced his first few songs which recently got released on edition 59 records in Germany. He also helped out with Second Layer and played guitar on a song on Cinematic as well as linked Adrian with Felt to produce their last album. We are very eager to move forward with this in 2012. We had several covers already – one which was previewed on the free label sampler, but thanks to German Sound fan, Powertool Records promoter and old friend, Thomas Keitch, who decided he would help out, and he has/is scouring the planet looking for worthy contributors. As a result, this project has really started moving ahead with submissions coming in and Jack Rabid even agreeing to contribute a track and Roy Moller has recorded his, and an old Jazz Butcher band member is rumoured to be involved with many more covers in the works. We’ll keep you in the loop.
The Social Icons have confirmed that they have begun recording their sophomore release with an interesting twist, Nick says they have begun the migration and are becoming a musical collective??? What can this mean for the ex-rebels? Stay tuned to this blog for more news as it happens… or at least every six months!!! Lol. Also keep checking the TSI site for leakages of rare tracks and the stories behind them. 
Roy Moller is also a busy man with a follow up to last year’s Marc Riley approved “Playing Song’s No One’s Listening To” (Beauty 017) being released on the UK label, the Mecca Holding Company. The album is called “THE SINGING”S GETTING BETTER” and was just released May 1st, 2012 and it has more of his wit and talent on display. He also has enough songs recorded for a follow up album which may see the light of day on at a label near you. Stay tuned. 
