DENNIS DIKEN - Late Music (The Smithereens)

A release(note a solo album!) speared headed by Smithereens drummer and all-round good and massively talented guy, Dennis Diken has created a love letter to the styles of music that most move him on "Late Music". Homages to post-psych jangle, sunny Beach Boys meditation and raucous Who-ish hard rock, Diken along with The Bell Sound have delivered a winner - which also features help from the likes of Jason Falkner, Andy Paley, Nick Walusko and Nelson Bragg of Wondermints, The Honeys(yes, THE Honeys!) and long list of other LA-based luminaries.

"Diken draws from the same mid-60s millieu as DiNizio`s Beatle-esque songs for the Smithereens, but he leans more heavily on the mod sounds of the Creation and the Who, the pre-orchestral Moody Blues, the California beach sounds of Gary Usher, the harmonies of the Beach Boys, Raspberries, and Association, and the studio production of Brian Wilson...That Diken can sing is no shock to Smithereens fans, but the completeness of his vision as a singer, songwriter and bandleader is a welcome surprise."- Hyperbolium.

"Dennis Diken has to be one of the best kept secrets in rock `n roll. As stickman for the Smithereens, who recently celebrated their 30th anniversary, Diken`s most recent vocal exposure has been on The Smithereens` cover of The Who`s Tommy. He had the undesirable job of trying to replicate Roger Daltrey`s searing, and emotional vocals on most of the songs - and he aced it! On Late Music Dennis sounds like he`s having a great time, and it shows! He said that he`sbeen writing songs since he was a kid of about five or six years old. Now, I know a LOT of people could probably make that claim, but on Late Music you can pretty much draw a linear, hip musical timeline from the opening cut, "The Sun`s Gonna Shine in the Morning." If Pat Dinizo had opted to write more cool, upbeat working-on-a-sunny day tunes, instead of his classic, I-hate-myself-for-loving-you sizzling rockers, this could be a classic Smithereens tune. It`s like finding a long-lost Beach Boys, fun-in-the sun holy grail! The closer, "Tell All The Fools," is a Beach Boys--meets-The Association mid-tempo house rocker that Dennis and the assorted musicians deliver with a shirt-sleeved rolled up work ethic. " - Jersey Beat.

" It doesn`t require an advanced degree in sixties musicology to hear strong echoes of the Who, the Move, and other punchy British acts throughout Late Music`s baker`s dozen of tunes. Strong, chiming guitar-driven tunes with clever little musical turns populate this disc... A near-perfect blend of sweet and strong, Late Music is a tasty treat indeed. Catchy songs filled with hooks for most people (and subtle musical references for we obsessives) come together to create a supremely enjoyable album. And of course Diken`s drumming is top-notch throughout, giving the pop songs a good kick in the ass all the way through. As original as a project informed by these sensibilities could possibly be, Late Music by Dennis Diken with Bell Sound deserves a wide hearing. Here`s hoping the disc`s success convinces Diken to continue down this musically fruitful path." - MusoScribe.

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