Dillinger Four

Versus God (Hopeless)
by Tim Den

It took me a few spins to get into these guys… but I must admit that the hype is real. It pains me to see so much of what punk should be actually manifested under one moniker. It frightens me that ideals can be practiced. Dillinger Four are intelligent but not pretentious, educated but street-savy, punishingly hilarious yet insightful, a bombardment of deep thinking and social commentary drenched in cheap alcohol and ass jokes. Oh, and boy do they fucking rock. Comparisons to Elvis Costello mixed with Fifteen come to mind when the opener kicks in, until you realize “Holy shit, this goes beyond comparisons.

No wonder these guys are huge: they sound original!” Anthemic dual-vocal melodies flying everywhere like the bassist’s jiggly stomach, sweat flowing in streams either because you’ve danced non-stop or you’ve laughed too hard. Dillinger Four are the perfect punk rock machine: good times, honesty, energy, fueled by a rich background in both music and book-learnin’ (drummer has a Ph D). They can bitch and moan because they know exactly what they’re bitching and moaning about.
(PO Box 7495 Van Nuys, CA 91409)