DOS Justamente Tres 1996

by request

 

Discogs 

 

Artist Biography by John Bush

Dos is a curious yet interesting double bass guitar side project for Mike Watt (of the Minutemen and fIREHOSE) and his former wife, Kira Roessler (from Black Flag). Formed as a vehicle to take the bass beyond its perceived background role and into the forefront of a band, Dos (named for the Spanish "two," not some operating system) also became a therapeutic experience in the wake of Roessler's departure from Black Flag and, more tragically, Minutemen D. Boon's sudden death on December 22, 1985. After exchanging demos for the better part of 1986 (Roessler had moved to Connecticut), the duo reconvened to record their self-titled debut late in the year, subsequently releasing it on Watt's own New Alliance Records.

Because it continued to share attention with the pair's many other musical concerns, Dos have undertaken a sporadic touring (essentially when Roessler occasionally flew in to open select fIREHOSE dates) and unhurried recording schedule. These have included 1989's Numero Dos EP, a 7" single called The Bob Lawton EP for Thurston Moore's Ecstatic Peace label in 1991, and a second LP, Justamente Tres, released a full decade after the first. Despite such infrequent activity, it should be noted that Dos has now become the longest-running band project of Watt's career, as well as the main one in Roessler's. 

Tracklist

1	Down In The Dumps	2:48
2	Dream Of San Pedro	2:50
3	Imagine That	2:33
4	Intense Song For Madonna	1:37
5	'Til The Blood Ran	3:00
6	Sidemouse Advice	2:38
7	Excerpts From A Captain's Log	3:52
8	To Each His Dulcinea	1:39
9	Powerful Hankerin'	2:45
10	Little Doll	1:37
11	Willow Weep For Me	2:26
12	Even The Pain Has Changed	2:10
13	Formal Introduction	1:34
14	Angel Face Is The Devil's Daughter	4:26
15	Number Seven	1:17
16	Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth?	1:57
17	Number Five	3:29

MIKE WATT Ball-Hog or Tugboat 1995

Discogs

Mike Watt Biography by Mark Deming

One of the most influential figures in West Coast punk rock, Mike Watt first found recognition as the bassist with the unique San Pedro punk band the Minutemen (best heard on their 1984 masterpiece Double Nickels on the Dime) and his subsequent project fIREHOSE (typified on 1987's If'n). While Watt was a superb bassist, he's just as well known for how he does things as how he plays. Musically, Watt's basslines are a rich mixture of rock, funk, and jazz influences, powerfully fusing rhythm and melody, and he's worked with a broad range of collaborators, from Sonic Youth to Kelly Clarkson. Watt's solo albums are usually conceptual affairs, with a dominant theme uniting the songs (his father's experiences in the Navy informing 1997's Contemplating the Engine Room, and a near-fatal illness inspiring 2004's The Secondman's Middle Stand), with the bassist guiding by example but never dominating his fellow musicians. He also participates in ad-hoc projects with favored collaborators (such as Dos, Spielgusher, and Unknown Instructors) and sits in with established bands (he handled the bass on Porno for Pyros' Good God's Urge, the Stooges' The Weirdness, and the Cutthroat Brothers' The King Is Dead). Wherever his muse takes him, Watt is always guided by his philosophy of Econo, taking the boundaries imposed by working on a limited budget and using them as a path towards simplicity and creative self-reliance.

more

Tracklist

  1. Big Train
  2. Against The 70's
  3. Drove Up From Pedro
  4. Piss Bottle Man
  5. Chinese Fire Drill
  6. Intense Song For Madonna To Sing
  7. Tuff Gnarl
  8. Sexual Military Dynamics
  9. Max And Wells
10. E-Ticket Ride
11. Forever - One Reporter's Opinion
12. Song For Igor
13. Tell 'Em, Boy!
14. Sidemouse Advice
15. Heartbeat
16. Maggot Brain
17. Coincidence Is Either Hit Or Miss