With the pair of them having albums imminent, it makes sense that Atlanta's Dog Bite is about to hit the road for a US tour with Toro Y Moi, while the chillwave artist is now an established name, 'Velvet Changes' is the debut full-length for Phil Jones, although he's been working under the Dog Bite Moniker for a few years, self-releasing sample-based psych-folk as well as taking on production work. So it may be his first proper offering but he's no amateur, so we should be allowed to expect a fairly decent record here, and a fairly decent record is what he duly supplies. While this may not be the most glowing of recommendations, it's worth mentioning that the high points here are worth the entrance fee alone, and the rest is thoroughly pleasant too.
Steeped in the chillwave that his touring buddy made his name with (but is gradually moving away from) as well as lo-fi dreampop and the odd glimmer of shoegaze, these woozy songs aren't immediately as rewarding as they become, yet that's not to say that first impressions will be a let down, more that once you get to know them a little better they return the favour by sounding that bit more magical than they may have done originally. 'Supersoaker' is perhaps the first song where you get a sense of what Dog Bite is aiming for here (no pun intended), it will appeal to anyone with a penchant for any genres that end in "...gaze". It's that rich sound of a thick broth of serene distortion with a sweet pop song hidden within.
The same trick is repeated on 'No Sharing' and then we're in business. 'Prettiest Pills' takes a full-on leap into shoegaze with a grittier sound and those same echoing vocals in the distance, 'Native American' repeats the same trick. On 'Holiday Man' he also looks at the early 90s, blending Jesus & Mary Chain fuzz with baggy beats and more gaze-type atmospherics. The final pair of 'The Woods & The Fire' and 'My Mary' round things off in a typically hazy fashion.'Velvet Changes' is a solid album, the odd song isn't much above average (ironically 'You're Not That Great' is a bit routine, 'Paper Lungs' a little dull)) but generally the standard is high and there's the definite potential, particularly with a big tour on the horizon, of Dog Bite building a (deserved) sizable fanbase.
Dog Bite's website
Pre-order the album
Catch him live:
TOUR DATES WITH TORO Y MOI
01/30 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
01/31 - El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
02/01 - Dallas, TX @ Trees
02/02 - Austin, TX @ Emo's East
02/04 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
02/05 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
02/06 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade (Heaven Stage)
02/08 - Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
02/09 - Richmond, VA @ The National
02/10 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
02/11 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
02/13 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
02/15 - Boston, MA @ Paradise
02/16 - Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
02/17 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
02/19 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
02/20 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
02/21 - Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theatre
02/23 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
02/24 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
02/26 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
02/27 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
02/28 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
03/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
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