September 23, 2005 | Posted by Blair at 8:15 PM

Oh, Dios mio!


EPK by Dios (Malos)

I've been a fan of these guys for a while now, what with their genuinely amazing previous self-titled album just totally blowing my mind last year and all... so I'm really happy that their new record, re-self-titled Dios (Malos), coming out October 11th, is just what I was waiting for from them.

Honestly, on first listen, I was a little down on the new material - it is more fleshed out and polished in many ways, some of which I wasn't really feeling at first. However, I can say for sure that after a few listens, I am definitely captured by the band again. Their multi-part harmonies and their throwback-to-the-60s melodies - in interviews they cite the Beach Boys as one of their biggest influences - are back in spades, fully loaded, and totally genuine. I think a lot of bands around can reproduce the 'Boys' sound these days, but few are able to capture the sunny joy they brought forth while they were at their peak.

The new Dios (Malos) record was recorded with Phil Ek, who's worked with other indie notables Modest Mouse, the Shins, Built To Spill (yes!!!!), and the sound on the new album is so beautifully full and well-rounded, its hard not to like these guys. I very highly reccomend their previous album as well, because it is a generally overlooked modern indie gem.

The new album is again being released by StarTime International, who've been really hitting the nail on the head lately with the new Joggers record, the US release of Tom Vek and Foreign Born (just watch, they're set to blow sky-high).

Dios (Malos) are on tour this fall, hitting so many cities it would be ridiculous to put them all on here, so just check their tour page for info on the dates - go see them!

Dios (Malos) rock my socks.

Comments

fleshed out is the perfect description for the difference between this material, and the old stuff.

i still adore everything this group touches.

Posted by: Haldan at September 24, 2005 2:09 PM

wow, this is pretty bad. i didn't realize they were this cheesy sounding

Posted by: oren at September 24, 2005 3:18 PM

i love them. this album is even better than the first... the brian wilsonesque sounds and the lyrics made it one of my favorites of 2005 already.

Posted by: franty at September 24, 2005 7:03 PM

When was MFR created? just wondering.

Posted by: Leigh at September 25, 2005 12:31 AM

MFR was created in April of 2004

Posted by: robot Blair at September 25, 2005 2:14 AM

dammit...anders are you making the anti-spam rules here? i just tried to post something comparing dios malos to "grunge after [insert the commercial name for a think that you might take orally to make you more optimistic]" and it flagged it as spam.

Posted by: lani at September 25, 2005 2:02 PM

i agree: love the new album but it took me a few spins to get into it. It's definitely a bit heavier on the pop than the psychadelia this time around. I posted diff tracks other than "EPK", which was a tough choice b/c it's one of the album's highlights.

Posted by: julseas at September 26, 2005 11:11 PM

Download "Asshole" by these guys, its dope.

Posted by: John at September 27, 2005 4:51 AM

What happened to the lead singer Joel's brother Kevin? I saw them at Stubb's in Austin over the weekend and he's not in the band anymore.

Posted by: Dave at September 27, 2005 11:43 PM

i couldn't agree with you more about how the album grows on you. at first i was so dissapointed by it but right now i can't take it off. and to the guy who called it cheesy he needs to pay attention to some of the nuances. it's not as simple as it comes off.

Posted by: kelly at October 3, 2005 3:02 PM
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