Dryvetyme Onlyne

Slingshot Dakota
Their Dreams are Dead, but Ours is The Golden Ghost
Self-Released; 2008

As any testosterone-filled, indie-rock-loving male can openly attest, women who make music are ridiculously attractive, for a variety of reasons. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re attempting (with various degrees of success) to inject themselves into the male-dominated hegemony that is rock-n-roll. Then again, it could be because guys actually do tire of looking at other guys on stage all the time. Whatever it might be, there’s something unbelievably appealing about an intelligent, creative, passionate woman pouring her heart out through her music, without having to worry about whether or not she’ll show up in the tabloids hanging out with some sleazy reality show “star” or flashing her crotch for the world to see. Even so, women are typically confined to two musical camps: the coquettish, over-sexed tarts who smile demurely from their PR material or the abrasive, antagonistic grrrls who serve as the over-the-top foils to the sex kittens.

Thus, the most amazing aspect of Brooklyn-based duo Slingshot Dakota’s sophomore album, Their Dreams are Dead, but Ours is the Golden Ghost, is that the active attempt to defy musical convention regarding the places normally inhabited by female musicians. Carly Comando’s clear, strong voice projects a world-weary romanticism evident in her lyrics, but they run beautifully counter to her thick, fuzz-drenched keyboard lines and the powerful, hardcore-influenced drumming of Tom Patterson. The result is a 10-song album that is neither sweet nor sour, saccharine nor surly — instead, the listener is presented with a refreshingly strong, emotionally honest album, filled with compelling indie-pop anthems. Songs like “Until the Day I Die,” “Tour Song,” and “Ohio!” make this album a great companion for long-distance drives with friends and/or lovers. Their Dreams are Dead, but Ours is the Golden Ghost is a record that calls to mind the best in musical synchronicity and could serve to restore people’s faith in the ability of good music (and a good woman) to defy marketing trends.

**Download “Ohio!”**
**Download “Tour Song”**