It’s almost not even fair for me to write this review. I’ve seen Dead Bars countless times, interviewed them for another magazine, and consider them my buddies. But what makes it okay for me is that anyone who knows of this band could easily say the same. I just happen to live in the same city as them and get spoiled by the amount of shows they play. Here’s the thing; no one in current punk sings like John Maiello. No one. His ability to be snotty, melodic, gritty, sweet, and sometimes off key all in the same song is captivating. At a glance, it’s a lot like what the Ramones did—make something impossible to duplicate look so simple and attainable. Behind Maiello are these wonderful piercing guitar leads mixed with strong riffs and dancey drums and bass. This is the group’s first full length and I can tell you from seeing a lot of these songs live before Dream Gig came out that they captured the live feeling of them perfectly. The twinkly piano solo that kicks the record off and the horns at the end were a nice surprise though. I love Dead Bars. Buy their records. –Kayla Greet (No Idea / Eager Beaver)