Over the past decade, it’s become increasingly in vogue for bands to pay lip service to 90s alt rock, but many of them capture only the most surface level cosmetic elements, missing the critical components that defined that decade’s underground scene. A chorus pedal, a Big Muff, and a flannel don’t go far on their own merits. To put it bluntly, many groups fundamentally do not “get it”. But Baltimore, MD’s Dosser absolutely does.
Where many of their contemporaries are little more than thinly-veiled pop punk acts doing retro cosplay, Dosser gets at the core of what made 90s guitar rock such a compelling force. From leads that hearken back to early Weezer, massive riffs that evoke Jawbox, and razor-sharp pop-rock sensibilities that bring to mind the Foo Fighters’ debut LP, this is a band synthesizing the best parts of various forms into their own potent formula.
Formed in the summer of 2018 by Will Teague, Bret Lanahan, Eric Dudley, and Max Detrich, Dosser’s debut LP finds a band playing at a level well beyond what their short lifespan might suggest. Out now on Really Rad Records, Violent Picture / Violent Sound is about as strong an opening volley as it gets.
“Inertia is a song about trying to find meaning and purpose in a bleak world. I confronted my fear of mortality more than ever during the first year of the pandemic. My brain was flooded with intrusive thoughts as I watched my close friends and family physically and mentally struggle. In a moment of despair, my friend told me “You never really die. Your energy is just transferred and recycled elsewhere.” That’s why I repeated the word “inertia” throughout the song. We have to face the reality of losing ourselves and our loved ones someday, but the only way to stay sane is to keep yourself moving forward.” – William Teague (guitar and vocalist)
THOUGHTS WORDS ACTION 