Dustheads - Little Pieces

Dustheads - Little Pieces
Don Giovanni Records

One of my favorite hardcore punk bands of late has definitely been Dustheads. I've been lucky enough to catch them live the last two times they've played Philadelphia, and I was beyond impressed. Whether it was in the small living room of Disgraceland, or the big stage of the Church, they killed it. Their live shows are an excercise in energy and anger, and they often find the band on the verge of breaking up just after. Or just throwing mic stands.

After a long, noisy intro, followed by very rock and roll riffage, they start off blaring with "Bike" screaming "Two face, you fucking fake" and proceed to steamroll over everything they can. Dustheads play a great mix of rock and roll and heavy hardcore punk rock. Their singer is snotty as hell, and even moreso since they re-recorded Little Pieces after releasing it on tape last year. This version seems more vicious than last year's version. Also, combined with the intro noise, the ending of side one is frantic and chaotic, and adds to the dark spin that Dustheads are putting on punk and hardcore. The second side starts with a rager discussing that being driven "fucking" insane, and while listening to this, you really do feel how pissed their singer is, and the music compliments it perfectly. The second side of the record seems a bit slower, with "weirder" guitar parts, and it's a bit more musically sound, as far as changes and structures go, but it's still wild and angry and desperate. When he ends the record screaming "The stench of failure hanging on my breath, can't wish for anything but fucking death, I hate this life, I hate this goddamned place, I want to leave this world without a fucking trace," it doesn't feel forced or contrived like a lot of punk hardcore bands. This dude literally seems like he wants to spit in the face of people he sees walking down the street. And if it keeps Dustheads putting out records like last years Tall Tales series and Little Pieces, I'm ok with that.

It should also be mentioned that the album art for this is great. The cover and inner sleeve both look wild, yet have a subdued color palatte. The liner notes, however, leave a little to be desired. The inner opening looks thrown together and cheap in comparison with how great the rest of the layout looks.