Music

Watch the premiere of Big Dick's new video, "Let Down"

by Mark Teo

While Ottawa’s currently known for its garage-tinged punk—thanks to the likes of Steve Adamyk, Average Times and ex-pats like Peach Kelli Pop—in the mid aughts, the city traded in blown-out post-hardcore. Big Dick, named for the classic NoMeansNo track, come from the latter tradition: In the past, the bass-and-drum duo have spent time in noisier acts like Van Johnson and Circle Takes the Square. Not that they’re exactly a Level Plane act—at their loudest, they’re right at home with AmRep’s roster; at their most melodic, they draw easy comparisons to Solids; and when things get noisy, it’s readily apparent that Big Dick fucks with Lightning Bolt.

So yes: We obviously dig their shit. So much so that, after hearing their self-titled debut, we named them a band you needed to hear in 2013. Now, Big Dick have returned with their sophomore, Disappointment, which is anything but: Instead, it sees that duo pushing their sound to their logical extremes. It’s the most punishing, most melodic, and most infectious material we’ve heard from them yet—and that’s why we’re excited to premiere their video for “Let Down.”

Directed by Sammy Lewis of fellow Ottawa act New Swears—whose videos we also adore—”Let Down” is an exercise in misanthropy. Set in a decrepit apartment (not unlike, say, “See You in Hull”), the video follows a solitary dude as he rides his mountain bike around snowy Ottawa, eats Froot Loops pants-less in front of the TV, and tosses pieces of trash against the wall. In other words, it’s a perfectly nihilistic accompaniment to Disappointment.

Disappointment, which was recorded by Yogi at Meatlocker Studies and mixed / mastered by Mike Bond, drops tomorrow via P Trash and Dirt Cult, but if you want to stream it now, head to Big Dick’s Bandcamp. Catch ’em live at the following dates:

March 7 in Toronto at Johnny Jackson
March 28 in Ottawa at Club Saw for the Doldrums Festival