Dump is a lo-fi musical project created and headed by multi-instrumentalist James McNew. The band, which began as a side project for McNew while touring with indie rock icons Yo La Tengo, has become an influential force in the world of underground and experimental music.

With a sound that draws from folk, rock, and electronic music, Dump has evolved greatly over the years. However, their signature lo-fi aesthetic has remained a constant throughout the past several decades.

Formed in 1991, Dump’s first releases consisted of simple cassette tapes that were sold exclusively at live shows. These early recordings showcased McNew’s inventive songwriting and lo-fi production techniques, and quickly gained a dedicated cult following. One of the band’s most notable early releases is the 1993 album Superpowerless, which features stripped-down, acoustic versions of McNew’s songs.

As McNew began to garner more attention for his work with Yo La Tengo, Dump slowly became a more collaborative project. In 1996, he released I Can Hear Music, which was recorded with the help of several guest musicians. This album, which features a number of covers, including a beautiful version of The Beach Boys’ “I Can Hear Music”, is widely regarded as one of Dump’s most accessible and enjoyable albums.

Over the years, Dump evolved into a full-fledged band, with McNew playing alongside various musicians from the underground music world, including John McEntire of Tortoise and Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. The band’s sound continued to evolve, incorporating elements of ambient music and experimental noise.

One of the band’s most notable releases in this period is 1999’s A Grown-Ass Man, which features a dense, layered sound that draws from krautrock, electronic music, and even hints of jazz. Tracks like “Kicking The Dog” and “I Can’t Help Myself” feature hypnotic rhythms and swirling, hypnotic soundscapes.

Despite its critical success, Dump remained a relatively low-key project throughout the 2000s, releasing a handful of limited run singles and EPs. However, in 2013, McNew released That Skinny Motherfucker With The High Voice?, a tribute to the late, great Harry Nilsson. The album is McNew’s most accessible, featuring simple, stripped-down acoustic arrangements of some of Nilsson’s most beloved songs, including “Coconut” and “Without You”.

Dump has continued to tour sporadically throughout the years, often playing intimate shows in small clubs and bars. In many ways, the band embodies the DIY spirit of the underground music scene, eschewing big record labels and flashy marketing campaigns in favor of a grass roots approach to making and promoting music.

Whether you’re a fan of lo-fi indie rock, experimental noise, or just off-kilter, idiosyncratic music in general, Dump is certainly worth checking out. With their many different albums and various styles, the band’s music is both engaging and unpredictable, rewarding careful listening and repeat plays. Few bands have managed to maintain such a consistent, compelling sound across so many different releases, and even fewer have done so while remaining so fiercely independent and committed to their artistic vision.

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