JOHN APICE, AMERICANA HIGHWAYS  "This Chicago band’s 4-song EP has inspiration that drips from the garage rock ethic of the ’60s. They wisely take a sharp, heavy plane to the grain of their musical wood & shave the rough edges by adding Americana varnish. “Rock & Roll Healer,” may be a little gruff but it has rootsy suggestions that spike the brew. All 4 cups of this distilled metric musical hooch were produced by the players Dave Ashdown (vocals/drums/bass/guitar) & Rich Ashdown (lead guitar).

Not all songs will appeal to the purist roots rocker but an effort is maintained that truly is the American way of rocking out economically. It’s not progressive rock. No Procol Harum heavy-duty chances or Yes swashbuckling swishes. It’s an Americana garage grease & paint job. The harder tosses at the Kewpie dolls like “Holograms” is power chords & thrashing drums with unified vocals in a drunken stupor of harmonic abrasiveness. I say that with love.

It’s got its persuasive moments & it can be heard that the duo tries to keep the folk-rock embellishments in line despite the overwhelming flames of grungy fabrications endemic of the EP Jaguar.

An introduction to their homemade genre that emits lots of fumes. The mixture will bop n’ bob the heads of younger listeners. The older aficionados of the garage rock cinder block thick sound will tear off a layer of skin from the inherent ‘60s artists like Electric Prunes (“I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night”), The Stooges (“Down On the Street”) & the Strawberry Alarm Clock (“Me & the Township”). Then, later in the ‘70s with The Wild Stares (“Piece of the Picture”) & early Wire (“Dot Dash”). These old cronies will invest in a crooked smile as they negotiate their Pabst Blue Ribbon with shots of dASHDOWN in their waxy ears.

It’s not for everybody, but for some. It has roots not in mineral rich soil but mud. Brown like beef gravy mud — caked & dried from the sun on your body. It’s music to bask in. Oh yeah, their musical thrust should be more out of the poet Carl Sandburg persuasion. That’s an aim their music would thrive in even more. Or it should with that city of Big Shoulders attitude chased by their thick chords & Kelsy’s greasy burger beats. Highlights – “Rock & Roll Healer” & “Holograms.”

TIM MARTIN, AMERICANA-UK  "A book of introspective lyrics which stand alone but take on new life when matched with his incendiary music:  Chicago, by way of Cirencester and Surrey, musician Dave Ashdown started thinking about a book of his lyrics when a support slot at SXSW in 2019 unexpectedly turned into an hour and a half solo show. ‘Lyrics From The Heartland’ champions songwriting as a means to dreaming and healing. All proceeds from it will benefit the Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, which celebrates self-determination and the sovereignty of Native nations.

In the foreword he says that he is “closer to the lyrics than the songs.” He is interested in how the meaning of his words has shifted over time and has found the process of reassessing the words and reinterpreting the feelings cathartic.The question with any book of lyrics is, “do they stand up without the music playing the background?” And here the answer is yes, they do. Ashdown’s writing style lends itself to reading his lyrics as poems. ‘Nativize’ from his 2022 album ‘The Dirt Tastes Good Right Here’ appears simple on the page. Read it a few times however and the message seeps out of the words. “This Red, White & Blue, we bled for you too. Spirit never died, time to Nativize.”

As someone unfamiliar with his music as dASHDOWN I deliberately didn’t listen to the music until after I had read the words. In the context of the song they have a quite different feel, the thoughtful words taking on an anger through his raspy voice and high energy indie rock sound, not a million miles from Crazy Horse at their most electric. The more acoustic ‘Wishin’ On You’ from 2020’s EP ‘Wish’ remains introspective, on the page and in the music.

Some of the lyrics here appear aren’t in songs available on his Bandcamp page, so they can only be read as poems. ‘Shock To the System’ which I interpret as a rumination on his former life as head of Artist Relations for Washburn Guitars is one such.If you don’t know dASHDOWN’s work, or even if you do, this is a book that can be read as poetry, without needing the context of the music. But it may well make you a fan of that music as it has with me.

Also just released is the latest dASHDOWN EP, ‘jAGUAR.’ Described as an “4-song,11-minute rock meditation” all the songs appear in ‘Lyrics From The Heartland.’ Musically Ashdown says it is “a whole less Americana than my usual efforts, no acoustic guitars in fact, but it’s certainly American rock with twangs of the Heartland.” Despite that assertion it does fit right into the broad church of Americana. Lyrically ‘Rock & Roll Healer’ is on message with many of the themes from his book: “You’re a healer, bustin’ loose like an 18-wheeler … Set your intentions and hit the road …” Rich Ashdown’s superbly dirty electric guitar sound is up there with Neil Young’s 90s peak, on ‘Holograms,’ where his epic solo complements his brother’s fractured yowl of a singing voice perfectly. This is music that sits in the mid ground between The Clash and the Long Ryders, and it’s hard to think of a higher compliment than that." 

MICHAEL DOHERTY'S MUSIC LOG  "Books of song lyrics can be as powerful and moving as the songs themselves, and sometimes in an even more personal way. The first such book I acquired (if memory serves me well) was Robert Hunter's A Box Of Rain. Songs I'd heard hundreds of times, songs I knew forward and backward and from any point in between suddenly took on fresh meaning for me, which I had not expected. I had simply thought it would be nice to have the book as part of my growing Grateful Dead collection, and was not thinking it would change the way certain songs hit me. But while reading that book, I felt a stronger personal connection to many of the songs. And that makes sense. After all, when reading the lyrics, there is nothing in between the words and your brain, no one else affecting the way a word reaches you. You can take it in at your own pace, go back over a certain verse or line as many times as you wish, sit with a lyric for a while and see where it takes you. 

Since then, I've had that experience with other books of lyrics. In fact, for my birthday just a few weeks ago, my mom sent me a book of Mekons lyrics, and a similar thing happened. And now comes Lyrics From The Heartland, a book of lyrics by Dave Ashdown, who records under the name Dashdown, which is written as dASHDOWN. You might also know him from his work in Waiting For Henry. This book contains lyrics both from Dashdown and Waiting For Henry.

The lyrics are presented in alphabetical order by song title, and the book begins with "7 Generations," a song that was included on Dashdown's Wish. In the early 1990s I got turned onto a band called Clan Dyken, who also had a song titled "Seven Generations." It was through that song that I first learned of the principle of trying to look that far ahead when considering the consequences of current actions. This song by Dave Ashdown likewise addresses that concept, and these days that idea seems even more striking, even more important, particularly as many people don't seem able to look ahead as far as next week, never mind trying to foresee the repercussions for that great length of time. People don't seem to care how we leave the earth for future generations. "Standing here in eternity/singing songs about modernity" (p. 7). This song places us at a point along a much larger journey. And in "Nativize," there are these lines: "Gotta look to the future/with an eye to the past" (p. 28). By the way, proceeds from this book benefit The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples. So there is another reason to want to add the book to your collection. The lyrics to "Hangnail," a song from the 2016 Waiting For Henry album Town Called Patience, include these lines, which stand out for me: "showed up on Monday/looking like Sunday" (p. 20). There is some humor there, to be sure, but I also like how those lines will create slightly different images for all who read them, depending on what a Sunday means to them. In that way, the readers participate in the meaning of lyrics. And I love that in "Sister Soundcheck," there is the line "It's gonna take a reality check" (p. 34), perhaps equating the sound and reality, at least in our minds. Music plays a strong part in many of the sets of lyrics presented here. 

"Checkpoint Charlies" is named after a music venue in New Orleans, and mentions Johnny Thunders. And there are lines like "the guitars chime" (p. 10) in "Back To Buck Lake," and "feel the magic/in a sound" (p. 14) in "Could It Be." I suppose the latter isn't necessarily about music, but it is in music that I feel the magic. The lines from that song that especially make me smile are "Did you think/you'd seen a holy ghost/are you kidding me/you're the most." Something about that phrase "you're the most" kind of delights me.

And there are many more references to music. For example, in "Capes," a song from the most recent Dashdown EP, there is the line "go ahead, tell Tchaikovsky the news" (p. 16), a nod to Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." And "Hurricane Honeys" (from 2024's Can't Get Too High Or Low) contains a nod to Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally." "She Goes By April" contains references to Jimi Hendrix and Debbie Harry. And of course "Life's Too Short To Play Covers" is all about music, and refers to several specific artists and songs. "Got this tune by The Babies/Billy Squier from the '80s/ain't afraid to tackle Johnny Cash/'cuz we been everywhere man" (p. 23). Other lines from that one that stand out, especially in a book of lyrics, are "you'd think by learning the lyrics/you'd be able to summon the spirits." Well, with this book, Dave Ashdown provides an opportunity for all of us to summon the spirits."

The four songs of his new EP, Jaguar, are included in the book, so folks were able to read the lyrics before hearing those songs, and perhaps develop their own ideas of how the songs might sound. The EP has since been released, so now those folks have a chance to discover if their own ideas were close to what was recorded. As for me, in some cases, different lines stood out while listening to these songs than when reading the book. Dave Ashdown plays guitar, bass and drums on these tracks. Rich Ashdown is on lead guitar.

The EP opens with "Rock & Roll Healer." We hear a single bell sound at the beginning, and then the song kicks in, quickly becoming a good, raw rock number, and we hear that bell once again in the background. "There you go, you're a dreamer/Bustin' loose from a parking meter/Set your intentions and hit the road." There is a straight-ahead movement to this song, a rock song without adornment, but with some strong work on electric guitar. That's followed by "Capes." When I was reading the lyrics, the nod to Chuck Berry stood out for me, the line "Go ahead, tell Tchaikovsky the news," and I wondered if this one might have that kind of early rock and roll vibe. And while there is a definite rock thing involved here, particularly in its driving beat and some of the guitar work, the vocal approach is actually more relaxed, even warm. And it is that vocal performance that really pull us into this one. That Chuck Berry line passes, and other lines stand out for me. "We all been fakes/And we all been flakes/And we all wear capes," he sings. Interestingly, the lines in the book are "We all been flakes/We all been fakes/But we all wear capes." This track ends up being my personal favorite.

"Holograms" comes on with a much heavier vibe at the start, and features a raw vocal performance. This one too has some variations from what is presented in the book, a re-ordering of some lines. "All you devils/looking at me/Gypsy eyes/Don't want to believe." And a line that jumps out at me each time I listen to this track is "Don't know what I'm gonna do." That might be a sign of our times as much as the power of the song. Does any of us know what he or she is going to do? This track contains a nice guitar lead just before the end. The end then seems to come rather suddenly. The EP concludes with "Shiny Things." There is a delicious rock and roll excitement to this song, and certainly something of that garage rock appeal. It has the raw power of a live track. And check out these lyrics: "Planets go round constantly/Stardust smile, yeah, wouldn't you agree/It's wishful, it's so serene/Checking out my new machine/Planets collide eventually."

LANGEN GOLDSTIEN, GIRL AT THE SHOW SHOWS  "It’s a cold and blustery Sunday up here in the Twin Cities. It has me not wanting to leave the house and even putting tonight’s show in jeopardy because it’s just so dang cozy in here with my four cats. Sure, I may be feeling a bit lazy and maybe just got up from an epic two-hour nap, but there’s still a lot of day left. I’m not sure that my mind will be changed as far as leaving the house or not, but I am sure that I can fill the next couple of hours with checking out some new music, and that seems like a perfectly delightful way to spend my Sunday. I have a lot of music to review, so let’s jump right in and start with ‘Jaguar’, the new EP from Chicago’s dASHDOWN.

‘jAGUAR’ starts with the grit-filled “Rock & Roll Healer.” The grit can be a bit biting at points throughout this song, but it perfectly lays out dASHDOWN’s signature sound. There’s a slight roots undertone to the grit, but the thing that really steals the spotlight when it comes to this opening track is the rock n’ roll heart. It’s no-frills, not fancy; it’s raw and dirty in all of the right ways and proves that this duo is paying homage to bands of years gone by while also making it clear that they have their own signatures to throw into the race as far as timeless bands go. At just under three minutes long, this song feels short and as if the band could have expanded on some of the thoughts and plans laid out in this opening track, but have no fear; we still have three more tracks to enjoy when it comes to this EP.

“Capes” comes at you with a bit more sensitivity rather than brash grit, and that shines a light on the whole other side of dASHDOWN, which is truly lovely. This song is slow and steady but far from boring and quiet. There are dynamics hidden throughout this song that help drive the lyrical content of this gorgeous song home. Figuratively speaking, this song’s biggest and loudest line is, “And we all wear capes…” I know that’s such a simple statement, but I love how this could be interpreted in many ways, and the other words in this song allow you to drift into your own cape. Another short song, dASHDOWN, allows you to get lost in a slightly grungey rock n’ roll world with this track."

I hope you didn’t get super settled into the more tender side of dASHDOWN with “Capes” because the band completely changes everything as this EP moves onto “Holograms.” This third song seems to thrash around in a bit more of an intense matter than the previous songs. Sure, it still has dASHDOWN’s signature grit and almost roots-inspired undertone, but “Holograms” hits and hits hard. Throw in some power chords to really drive the point and power of this song home, and you are left with one of those songs that leaves you feeling validated and triumphant in a very strong way, all the while looking for those “gypsy eyes.” 

This all-too-short EP closes out with “Shiny Things” which seems to split the difference between the tenderness of “Capes” and the intensity of “Holograms” while adding an almost Americana tone to the mix. It reminds me a bit of 90s alt-rock with some of the movement happening in this song, but it also feels too innovative for me to put this track in that box. Think the Replacements but with a shot of Jameson to pair with every PBR drank at the CC Club in Minneapolis. It’s dirty like the previous tracks and definitely has a carefree attitude behind it, but it has this soaring power about it that makes this track a perfect exclamation point to a wonderfully powerful EP.

Whether you find yourself leaning a bit more into the roots world of things or prefer your rock n’ roll to be heavily dirty and even with a little spark of Americana, ‘jAGUAR’ from dASHDOWN is the album for you. Heck, dASHDOWN is the band for you. This is not their first release and surely won’t be their last, so if you like what you hear here, make sure to check out some of the other material they have out there!