Dope Body

Dope Body is a noise rock band from Baltimore, Maryland formed in 2008 by vocalist Andrew Laumann, guitarist/bassist Zachary Utz, and drummer David Jacober. To date, they have released two full length records in addition to a cassette tape and two split records.^[1] They have since expanded to a quartet, adding bassist Jesse Lyell in 2011, who was replaced by John Jones, late of local contemporaries Roomrunner, the next year.

History

All natives of the Baltimore area, Dope Body, named for a quote from an online video the band enjoyed, originally came together in 2008 for a one-off show at Baltimore's Natural History museum space, while Andrew Laumann was located in San Francisco.^[2] The show was very successful, and the band continued, with Laumann soon moving back to Baltimore and the group releasing the Twenty Pound Brick cassette the next year. More live dates with the likes of Double Dagger soon followed, as well as a split LP with Brooklyn duo Orphan. 2011 was an especially productive year for Dope Body, with their debut full length Nupping coming out on Hoss Records, followed by a split record with Detroit's Child Bite. The group expanded its lineup in 2011, adding Jesse Lyell, who had played with Baltimore punk band Sick Weapons, as a full-time bassist. 2012 saw Lyell leaving the group with John Jones, formerly of Roomrunner taking his place, and the release of Natural History on Drag City records, which was recorded with J. Robbins of Jawbox fame. Dope Body also toured Europe in 2012, and a new single is due out soon.^[3]

Sound and style

Dope Body has been described as "a speedball of dirty noise rock and radio friendly alt. rock"^[4] and compared to Rage Against The Machine and Brainiac.^[5] Alongside David Jacober's virtuosic drumming and Andrew Laumann's primal, guttural singing and intense stage presence, one of the defining features of Dope Body's sound is Zachary Utz's abrasive, heavy guitar and bass work, which is drenched in effects and makes heavy use of loops and samples. Earlier efforts when the group was still a trio have a thinner, drier sound, with more lo-fi production and Utz mostly playing bass and using less effects. The addition of a full-time bassist gave the group's sound some serious weight. 2012's Natural History saw something of a change in direction, with the band's math rock tendencies giving way to more straightforward grooves and big, melodic hooks.

Discography

Albums

• Twenty Pound Brick, Watercolor, 2009
• Self Entitled (split with Orphan), Black Tent Press, 2010
• Nupping, Hoss, 2011
• Natural History Drag City, 2012
• Lifer, Drag City, 2014

Singles and EPs

• Split with Child Bite, Forge Again, 2011
• Saturday, Drag City, 2013

References