Dial F for Frankenstein

When we first encountered Dial F a year

back, they were a band just starting out,

showing glimpses of promise but little by

way of their own identity. Now though, still

in their teens, confidence and personality is

stamped boldly on everything they do.

Essentially what they’re playing is grunged

up indie rock with excursions into spiky

punk-pop and post-hardcore, but their

attention to detail marks them up a good

level or two from the mass of bands playing

similar stuff. ‘Headcase’, for example, is

spirited, sharp-elbowed fuzz-pop that

recalls Radiohead’s grungier moments, while

‘Remedy’ is closer to Dive Dive’s precision

punk. Elsewhere they dip into surf rock or

classic metal solos, even dropping down

into pockets of contemplation without

muddying their musical waters or losing

momentum. Maybe their fifth and final

track here, ‘Noise Pollution’, sounds a bit

pedestrian, but only because they’ve set

themselves such high standards already. Dial

F have an admirable grasp of texture in a

genre not renowned for subtlety, and a heart

full of guitar noise just buzzing to be let out.

We look forward to seeing exactly what sort

of monster they can turn into. - Nightshift Magazine

Dial F for Frankenstein: demo
This demo comes on a Woolworth’s Worthit! CDR, which is just about as good a symbol of low budget, doomed effort as we can come up with. Luckily, Dial F For Frankenstein’s recording is far from a failure; in fact, it’s a cocksure burst of indie rock with plenty of potential and a scattering of neat moments and good ideas, that’s ultimately not quite got the songwriting ability to underwrite the evident promise.
Between the opening guitar part of ‘Substance’, which is rather wonderfully like Johnny Marr playing Bauhaus, and the authentic fuddlydumph that John Peel would identify as completing ‘Headcase’, there are individual enticing moments, but the tracks themselves are instantly forgettable. It’s a ripe, jaunty burst of - well, nothing much, really. Not unpleasant in the least, but they probably work better live than on record. The CD closer ‘Red Song’ is better, with some wonderful vocals stuck between a listless squeal and reigned-in raunch that immediately recalls the excellent performance on the debut Strokes LP, but it’s still ultimately half a song.
It’s left to “Remedy” to indicate what Dial F could really be capable of in the future. It’s built on a sprightly lurch between two frets, with a tastefully lo-fi vocal alleging “it’s 1995? - quite apposite, as the tune resembles ne of the better tracks from the second, less effete and mannered, wave of Britpop. The rhythm section stalks onward with a wonderful compressed energy, and when the (possibly ironic) exhortation comes in to “Dance, you fuckers”, we feel Dial F have got a fighting chance of getting their wish. So, not the greatest demo we’ve ever heard, but hugely encouraging all the same, especially for a youthful group - they’re playing neatly together, creating a well thought out, coherent sound and they have the makings of a vocalist who’s able to carry a song, even if he’s not likely to be swooping the octaves (why are there so fewgood singers around?). The question is whether they’re able to develop the compositional chops to keep the energy going; we’ve no idea of the odds, but we look forward to finding out.

- Oxfordbands.com

"Dial F serve up a wonderfully cerebral, achingly tuneful yet also effortlessly hard rocking recipe; hard to pigeonhole but determined to entertain. Kind of like an amalgation of early Foo Fighters, Pavement and Queens of the Stone Age back when they were good, but with enough self assurance and confidence to make their sound entirely their own. Blessed with infectious choruses and a stupendously tight rhythm section, these guys are definitely going to be ones to watch out for in the new year." - Daily Info

"Dial F for Frankenstein were a supertight ball of raw, punchy energy." - Oxford Mail

"Oxford’s Dial F For Frankenstein are unsigned, but Christ knows how with all those hooks, thrashy runaway guitars and soaring vocals the fangirls are gonna be weak at the knees for. Music bred on Supergrass, Morrissey and ’90s grunge.” - Truck Festival

“The band proceeded to give a painful lesson to the previous bands in the arts of performance, composition, singing and structure. They generally perform powerful, focussed rock rather in the Biffy Clyro Foo Fighters mould, though their best-known song ‘Wes Vega’ is a little lighter in style, with a touch of The Strokes and even Blur’s ‘Song Two’ in the catchy, melodic hoots in the chorus. They too had their technical troubles at one point, but … the band launched into an entertaining two minute jam while the guitarist made his fixes, before plunging into the next song with a cheery ‘And we’re Back!’. Class act.” - oxfordbands.com

Tonight is all about da yoof,
though, innit... No one is
above 20, it seems, both on
and off stage. Dial F for
Frankenstein fit this criteria,
yet have been together for
two and a half years (obviously
no fans of homework). The last
time we checked ‘em out – at
last years OX4 – guitarist Chris
saw fit to be wearing a
cheerleader’s mini-dress. At
first we thought it was some
kind of warped homage to
Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen
Spirit' video, but now we're
not so sure...I jest, of course,
we've all done it. I myself
sported a fetching wee
number – plus pigtails – as
bassist with Cacofonix when I
was much the same age. Very
liberating. [Ed – Bowder, do
we really need to hear this?]
Tonight the band are all
suitably betrousered. And
ready to do some damage...
They tear through tracks from
their latest EP, including Skinsfavoured
newy ‘Wes Vega’,
with its sugar-rush oooohooooh-
oooh! refrain, ‘Thought
Police’, ‘Unknown’ and ‘No
Good’ as well as their older
numbers – including that
punk/thrash teen anthem
about going out until the sun
comes out. Yeah, people, you
know it – if you snooze you
lose! The mosh pit is now fully
underway, largely thanks to
the Dead Jerichos, twisted
instigators that they are,
letting off some post-gig
steam as the bodies start flying
and Dial F storm on.
I subtly take my leave as the
contents of a plastic beer glass
misses my nose by inches.
But the kids are alright... - Oxfordshire Music Scene