This is the second review that I've done from Fail Safe Records that involves at least one member from a 90's melodic hardcore band that I like. This time it's As Friends Rust, whom will probably go down in mix tape history by having the audacity of having a song called, "The First Song on the Tape You Make Her." Neat. Anyhow, How Dare You have as their "Sounds Like" on Myspace as "Four guys that just got off work" and if there's ever been any better way to describe this band I would love to hear it. How Dare You sounds like four older gentlemen that like their beer and like their guitars loud but probably hate the hangover and their ears ringing the next day at work. How Dare You are from Orlando, Florida which has the Magic Kingdom in its city limits but I bet you How Dare You wishes they were from a bit farther north in the co-opt grocery store, cheap beer swilling, beard growing land of Gainesville.
To label any band a "beard core" band is almost a slap in the razor burn to almost any Floridan act that happens to know where all the stores that have short sleeve flannels are. Nevertheless, when the worn out Chuck Taylor All-Start fits, you might as wear it out. If Comfort Road was a little less clean sounding and a bit more gruff you'd think you were listening to Hot Water Music's spunkier little cousin. If you have ever hung out at the Hardback Cafe or ordered something from No Idea Records than you already have a good inkling on How Dare You sounds like.
Luckily for How Dare You, I'm all about that godforsaken "beard core" sound. How Dare You is a more straight forward than Hot Water Music or Small Brown Bike but they definitely have more in common with those two bands than just having a three word band name moniker. How Dare You writes nice catchy singalong type melodic punks songs about anthems, basements, regrets, and memories. I hope that How Dare You can get some time off from their day jobs and come rock out in a basement in my fair Twin Cities sometime soon. Us older folks need to rock out together and hate work the next day as much as the kids that get to sleep off their hangovers in Psych 101.
