social crutch New Jersey

Two videos of my favorite local rock band, the Dipsomaniacs playing at the Record Collector in Bordentown, NJ.


DIPSOMANIACS – Social Crutch (FDRlabel. com)
If you connect the dots from the Replacements through the Smithereens through Fountains of Wayne, the other end of that line would eventually intersect South Jersey garage-rockers Dipsomaniacs. Like the ‘Mats, they’ll occasionally crank out an affecting youth anthem that cuts to the core of what being young is all about (“Kids On Base,”) but more often than not, they’ll pen some witty pop ditty with big Nick Lowe-ish power-pop chords built around a groan-inducing pun (“Oh Jose.”) (Hey, that’s okay, I like punks.) There’s almost one good ol’ alt-country twang’er about getting drunk (“Blame It On The Gin,”) and every Dipsomaniacs album comes with its complement of irresistible pop tunes that, in a better world, we’d hear on the radio every ten minutes (“Together We Can Rule The World,” “Halo Around You.”) So you could say that Social Crutch perfectly follows the Dipsomaniacs’ formula, in that the album serves up impeccable pop songcraft with top-notch musicianship, viral melodies, and a wicked sense of humor. In fact, they can keep repeating themselves until hell freezes over as far as I’m concerned. – Jim Testa