Riley Steinbrenner
Seated (from left): Sam Galligan, Brendan Manley, and James Strelow with Alivia Kleinfeldt. Not pictured: drummer Isaac de Broux-Slone.
With glimmering guitars, otherworldly vocals and steady pulsing rhythms, Dash Hounds have risen from the ashes of Modern Mod.
Vocalist Alivia Kleinfeldt and guitarist Brendan Manley met in 2014 when they formed the rhythm section of Modern Mod, one of Madison’s bigger alternative acts. When that band broke up in early 2015, Kleinfeldt and Manley found they worked together well as a duo. “I can almost never finish a song.” Kleinfeldt says. “A lot of times they start as one idea, and by the end we’re somewhere completely the opposite.” Manley, the quiet force in the band, nods in agreement.
The Hounds, who play the Shitty Barn in Spring Green on July 12 with Twin Brother, play a surf-rock fusion that reminds older fans of Neil Young and younger listeners of indie-band Chastity Belt. Manley lends his songwriting chops and smart guitar work to give the band a fully realized signature sound. And Kleinfeldt’s lilting vocals are able to pierce through heavy peaks or softly carry energy when the music becomes quiet and introspective.
Their live shows draw on local talent and music scene connections, with multi-instrumentalist Isaac de Broux-Slone of Disq on drums and James Strelow, who has a burgeoning solo career and appearances with local alt-pop outfit Melkweed, on lead guitar. Even as they draw on the contemporary East Coast sound and influences like Radiohead, there’s a distinct Madison vibe about them — a galvanized drowsiness that makes them seem laissez faire yet in control.
All the band members are deeply entrenched in the local rock scene. “Everyone’s either in each others’ bands or friends, so it’s definitely very tight-knit,” says Kleinfeldt. Their only gripe is the lack of all-ages venues, but the band makes up for that somewhat by playing house shows.
Riley Steinbrenner
Despite being downtown 20-somethings, Dash Hounds are seeking to bridge the generation gap — where the family-friendly day-festival Americana musicians rarely intersect with the night life’s underground rock scene. This is possible, in part, because Dash Hounds members have been playing in Madison for years. It doesn’t hurt that Manley’s dad, Steve, is the grumpy-old-record-store-owner-with-a-heart-of-gold at B-Side Records.
And though many popular young local bands pass up opportunities like the Madison Area Music Awards — which, whether it’s deserved or not, have a poor reputation with Madison’s hipsters — Dash Hounds picked up a nomination for breakthrough artist in 2017, before even releasing a full-length album. That LP is in the works, but for now, the band has released two EPs, available on Bandcamp.
Their latest EP, Eft, explores unhealthy relationships. “Sometimes you’re just not ready to get out of it — or just so stuck in your way of thinking that you can’t see why to stop,” Kleinfeldt says. This theme is immediately apparent on “Dreamboy,” which expresses a self-aware naivete. At the song’s apex, instead of breaking down into noise, Kleinfeldt’s ghostly voice soars over tight background beats while the guitar trills and echoes. “Consult the public for a surefire way to die,” she sings. Eft’s banger is “Yes I Front,” another song that lurches back and forth between quiet meditation and heavy jamming. Manley’s chaotic guitar solo expresses a creeping loneliness. And then the song drops, with Kleinfeldt repeating the line “I’m so glad to be home.” Eft’s closer, “Pudding,” is a simple stunner, evoking what it’s like to be young and alive in a ridiculous world, just trying to take care of yourself and the ones you love.
From the Frequency to the Memorial Union Terrace, to day festivals and house shows, the Dash Hounds are finding their audience growing and broadening as people of audiences of all ages soak in their singular sound.
“It’s a good and a bad thing to have a particular sound,” says Kleinfeldt, “but it’s nice not fitting into one particular crowd.”