Regulator Watts - The Aesthetics of No-Drag

Regulator Watts existed as a band for roughly two years, '96-'98, and called Washington D.C. their home. The Aesthetics of No-Drag (1997) was their first release by the three-piece group.  Alex Dunham providing vocals and his unique guitar sound. Cret Wilson also provided vocals and handled the bass duties, while Areif Dasha Sless-Kitain was on drums. Dunham had appeared previously in Hoover, and later appeared in Abilene and Radio Flyer. Hoover has bared the brunt of comparisons with fellow D.C. band Fugazi, while Regulator Watts is decidedly the most stripped down straight up post-hardcore/post-punk sounding of the bands Dunham had fronted. I only came upon knowledge of this band in the past year or so through this solid post over at Hardcore for Nerds,
which i recommend for even more indepth review of the band's work.

Regulator Watts' sound has its share of discordant moments, but also enjoys heavy doses of steady riffs and repeated parts that allow the songs to develop enough character to individuate. You can still find places where things are broken down and the guitar is allowed to explore and dance between different volume levels and different riffs. The vocals are mixed a bit too far into the rest of the music, but this may have been purposely to attend more to the guitar and instrumentation itself. The drums sound good, the bass can get lost in the mix at times though.


Regulator Watts - "Mercurochrome"

Soaring feedback gives way to soaring guitar chords, creating Dunham's unique sound on guitar, there may be no better song he has written that exemplifies this. The vocals are called out under the soaring guitar, lyrics are audible but the vocals act as a director for the guitar, often initiating chord changes and overall direction. The bass stands out early on as well providing the steady undertones when the guitar runs up the ladder. The drums are consistent yet choppy, but roll into a more straightforward play at times along with the guitar and bass. You can feel the guitar ratcheting up and down at times. About two thirds through the song Dunham scales up to even higher levels, which is even more rewarding when he returns to the main guitar part. Things pick up towards the end of the song with a greater rush to the finish, particularly from the drums.


Regulator Watts - "The Ballad of St. Tinnitus"

Tinnitus being that ringing in your ear after seeing Motorhead without ear plugs in. You can see where this song goes after a few seconds of quite play from the guitar and drums. I love the way the guitar returns following a moment of silence. More forceful and louder. The vocals enter in as calls out in the distance. Here the guitar leads the changes and is followed by the bass and vocals. Chords are held on for what seems like forever and provide a warm and beautiful sound. Half-way through the drums move to muted high-hat hits and the guitar explores things at a more moderate level. A couple double snare hits signal a return to the predominant guitar parts. With forty odd seconds left things get forceful and turns to crashing play right up to the end note that is held and carried.

This album is unfortunately out of print and though you can occasionally find a few copies available through Amazon, they tend to be on the expensive side (think $35). Fortunately kissmysoundsystem has the whole album available for free mp3 download through mediafire.