There’s a lot of people out there that have gone through a party-phase in their life, some a little more than others, but one thing that most of these folks have in common is a crazy story to tell later in life about that one night. A night where death may have been narrowly escaped, or cops showing up to a house party and sitting asses on the curb (at least the ones remaining that didn’t bail out the back door and jump the fence…). The good news is, everybody loves a good shindig story, and Dale and the ZDubs have one hell of a tale to tell with their newest single, “Neighbors” featuring Ballyhoo!
Have you ever punched a cop in the face? Neither have I, but apparently Mikey did…
and I’ll be damned if he didn’t get away! This jam is a great reminder that if you’re gonna party hard with crazy friends, it’s a good idea to wear running shoes. “Neighbors” is an unbelievably true snippet of a wild night had by DZD frontman Dale “Snail” Rodman and friends from a while back. Recreational drugs and copious amounts of booze may be to blame, but one thing’s for sure: the neighbors had to be pissed.
There’s a lot of great party songs written by plenty of great bands out there, but within the rock/reggae/ska genres, it’s seldom seen to have one as punk rock as this. In a phone call I had with Snail just before a soundcheck (DZD is currently on tour with Tropidelic and Palmer Squares during the Florida leg of Trop’s To The Surface Tour), he explained how his recent prison stint opened his eyes and removed his lyrical muzzle, urging him to write whatever the hell sounded good, adding that a good party jam can be a little tougher to pull off compared to the majority of the feel-good or more serious tunes (a challenge he openly accepted, and in my opinion, did one hell of a job doing).
He began putting the song together while incarcerated but never thought too highly of it, until something clicked and told him fuck it, it’s well-worthy of putting out there!
Howi Spangler of Ballyhoo! joined forces with DZD to really put “Neighbors” over the top, and the two Maryland based reggae-rockers vibe perfectly together on this track. Its fast paced ska rhythm on the verses is complemented with a chill reggae beat during the hook, breaking up the song into layers and exemplifying the music-making abilities these two have. Dale has the utmost respect for Ballyhoo!, a band that he says he’s listened to for ages and is an inspiration for that DZD sound we all know and love.
Incredibly, both bands are on the lineup for Reggae Rise Up – Florida next March (grab your tickets here), and when asked if there was any chance they would perform this song together, Dale replied with, “Dude, if Howi is reading this…you better be up there singing it with us bro, cause we’re playing it!”
Dale and the ZDubs with the help of Ballyhoo! has once again told one hell of a story with a kickass, high-energy melody guaranteed to switch the mood into high-gear. This single, along with the nine previous singles dropped by DZD, was recorded by the talented Jason “Jocko” Randall (John Brown’s Body) at More Sound Recording Studio in Syracuse, NY. Whether you’re in your party years now or want to relive the debauchery of your past, crank this jam loud and proud, just don’t wake the neighbors!
Dale and the ZDubs Artist Links: Website | Spotify | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook
Ballyhoo! Artist Links: Website | Spotify | Instagram | YouTube
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Disclaimer: All views presented in this album review are those of the reviewer and not necessarily those of Top Shelf Music.
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