Critically positive punk

With everything happening in the world, everything that has happened, and everything that likely still will, it’s easy to forget that terrible things often lead to something beautiful. Like a flower blooming among the debris of a collapsed building. As Daniel Johnston often and beautifully wrote on several of his drawings: “where there is life, there is hope.” If there is one band that embodies this credo, it is DISHES.

Activist punk as we know it well in the Dutch scene, with razor-sharp, blunt lyrics and a healthy dose of power pop. What makes DISHES complete is a wonderful sense of melody and the ability to simply write great songs. For the Downstage regular, you can find them musically alongside the likes of The Prize; for the true local, they wouldn't look out of place on a double bill with CAW CAW; and for the old hands, you might even hear a bit of Shop Assistants.

Their debut album DRAMA will be released on March 20 via Subroutine Records and is packed with hits, especially “Machine Learning,” which has been stuck in my head since The Sound of Young Holland. Moshing against the patriarchy, the war machine, xenophobia, and everything else that deserves an elbow to the ribs. April 11, basement!

DISHES | Bandcamp