ODDLOT

There’s an arresting potency from the start of the set from Dallas’ rowdy blues-punk ramblers, Oddlot. A throbbing crowd met them last week (11/8) at Lola’s as a part of Fort Live’s monthly Wreckoning. The band unleashed a rockstorm of ferocious intent conveyed with a bellyful of punches, sliced up with randy devil guitar parts from Chris Merlick and Dan Dobson, they never lose sight of the lead vocals of Joe Jarvis, which melds the rawest sides of both Blues and Punk rock. Throaty and full of gasoline, Jarvis and his harmonica are the barbed wire wrapped around the encampment of this freight train of a band.
Drummer Nick Dagovitz pushes from behind, establishing an insanely compulsive drive. The transition between “Gotta Get Mine” and “Jefferies Song” sees the crowd lurching forward towards the amps. The assault and refrain inherent to the rock forecast makes for a pulsing rhythmic spasm, as the bounce climbs the spine and delivers the body in folds of unconventional whirl. The songs are a rampage of sonic viscosity generating a thrilling shower of applause and howls from the crowd. When Jarvis brings out the Maracas of Death we all feel the noisy push down the inevitable mountain.
From song to song, it is easy to hear myriad strains of rock, blues and punk, truly living up to their name. As Chris Chapman describes their sensibility, “Oddlot is a stone soup of various rock forms drawing from influences that run from the 50s through to present day.” Those influences swirl and meld to form an explosive energy that also maintains its soul throughout. It is one thing to crank things up, but many times that sheer noise can subsume the heart of a song. Listen to “Humans Give Me The Blues” for that melting pot sound, vibrant with that post-punk nerve center.
The five of them have been in batches of bands over the years, getting to know each other around the scene until eventually the right time opened up last year. You can hear the cumulative experience on their EP, which gets its hooks into you quick and leaves you wanting more. They do a great job of conveying that live combustion to the DIY recording, “No matter who was up recording, we were usually all there, giving input and encouragement. That's what makes this band great - no egos or bullshit getting in the way - we're all open to suggestion and fully expect it.”
These fellows are genuine and we hit it off immediately, they are passionate about the music they love as well as the music they make. This made for an inherent connection with the audience, who wore drawn to the perfect balance of loose and tight. At the end of the night, they left me with a copy of the set list and a promise of future conviviality. Though this was the first time for Oddlot to perform in Fort Worth, there is no doubt that they will be back soon. It looks like they will be a part of the 12/9 Norton Records Benefit show at Magnolia Motor Lounge. We’ll have more information on that show as well as future Oddlot sightings here on Fort Live. - Fort Live