Published on Apr 28, 2006
I don’t usually spend a lot of time with the artwork
on a CD, but the the cover of Dexter Danger’s Hellafornia
demands attention. Imagine a super hero, complete with cape, flying
near the Golden Gate Bridge. If you look very carefully, you notice
the emblem on his shirt. It’s a heart with a line through the
middle and a safety pin holding it together. It’s the perfect
symbol for this release.
Ever since I heard Count The Stars’ Never be Taken
Alive, I’ve been waiting for another band to grab me and not
release me. I found that band: Dexter Danger. This quartet from
California bring an energy and determination to their music that
captures you and doesn’t release you. I can sit down and listen to
this release over and over. It has the same magical quality, for
me, that Count The Stars has — great musicianship, an awareness of
melody and introspective lyrics. The vocals/guitars of Aymen
Trouble melt into the pounding drums of Russ Akin, who is locked in
with bassist Isaiah Sanchez. Lead guitarist Miguel Ceja provides
interesting solos and another layer to the music.
I like this release so much because Dexter Danger
tackle the main subject of my other favorite bands, namely
Spitafield, Count The Stars, Somehow Hollow, and Project Bottlecap.
The main subject of this release is relationships, mainly the ugly
ones. “No Disgrace Like Home” confronts parental abandonment when
Trouble sings, “So don’t bother because we turned out okay / And we
didn’t need your guidance anyway / You’re the reason we are who
[we] are today / And as for us, I guess there’s no disgrace like
home.” Later, he sings about the frustration that has resulted from
this relationship when he declares “We saw you once or twice, when
you had the time / It’s great to see that you’ve prioritized your
life.”
Another strong track is “System Overload,” which
should have opened the disc, since the riff and vocals are the best
ones here. After a subtle guitar intro, the intensity is turned up
when vocalist Trouble belts out “I hope it’s okay / If I tell you
that I fucking hate you.” The harmonies are perfect and the music
captures the frustration of this relationship. That hatred comes
out when Trouble sings, “You better pray that all the demons won’t
come back to haunt you / ‘Cause you know that I’ll be waiting there
with a smile to taunt you.”
“The Angel That Got Away” is the closest track to a
ballad on this release, with words such as “I’ve been desparate to
see your face / Never thought it would cause so much pain” on top
of beautiful violins and an acoustic guitar. There’s more pain in
my favorite track on this release, “Return To Sender,” which tells
the story of being on tour, sending letters to the special person
left behind, and finding out that they were all marked returned to
sender. It captures the magic of the band.
Another great track that makes me chuckle is “See You
In Hell.” No, it’s not a Grim Reaper cover — Dexter Danger wrote
it. This song deals with another chaotic relationship when Trouble
sings, “I’ve got some knives stuck in my back / From all the
friends I used to have / Revenge is sweet I hear her say / The only
faith that I believe.” What makes me chuckle is how this song leads
into the last hidden track, a vulgar answering machine message
followed by a hilarious vocal collaboration. It summarizes the
release perfectly.
Dexter Danger joins the ranks of my favorite bands.
Their musicianship is tight and their lyrics give you something to
think about. While I don’t wish to be in their world, dealing with
their issues, I think Hellafornia gives me just the right
amount of pain.