Dott: “Small Pony”

Photo by Sinead Axworthy

With just shy of a year together, the Irish band Dott are already making waves in their home country. Now the garage-pop act’s taking a run at this one with Swoon, their debut, full-length, stateside release. The band hails from Galway, Ireland, and the members are songwriter-slash-guitarist Anna McCarthy, bassist Laura Finnegan, guitarist Miriam Donohue, and drummer Tony Higgins. In their less-than-a-year together they’ve already made it on Ireland’s premier (and one of the longest running) talk show (or, as they say, rather cutely if you ask me, “chat show”), The Late Late Show. They’ve graced stages at festivals like Ireland’s Electric Picnic and Indiependence. Their tunes have made it on Irish radio and the BBC, and they just played their first show in the States at New York’s Cake Shop.

Earlier this year, Dott released Button, their four-song, debut EP via Graveface Records (home to bands like Black Moth Super Rainbow and Xiu Xiu) in the US. Last week, the band issued Swoon. “Small Pony” is one the record’s standouts. It’s got a definite Ramones-y vibe with its quick tempo, loud ‘n’ punky guitars, and sticky, bubblegummy melody. It’s rather difficult to keep yourself from doin’ a little twisting and shimmying (or your 60s dance move of choice) when you listen. When they hit the “ooh oohs” at the tail-end of the track, you’ll have a grin for sure. It’s a classic pop sound with charm to spare, and Dott will hopefully be sharing more with this side of the pond real soon.

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