The Dingees Crucial Conspiracy Closed The Book on Some Serious SKA Punk Fusion in 2001

The Dingees have been one of those bands that people love to hate. That’s at least what I got from people whenever I said I was a fan. I saw them play a lot. I saw them play at the mega show that was Skamania with The Supertones and Slick Shoes. I saw them play with Stavesacre and Project 86, and I booked them to play a show at a church in Orange County with Makeshift3, Beauty to Ashes, and The Discarded. I recall begrudgingly paying Pegleg (the singer) their fee, even though not a lot of people came to the show. But hey, we broke even, and I got a free shirt for my troubles. He was down. “The Crucial Conspiracy” had come out and it seemed like no one cared about the once promising band on the Tooth and Nail roster.

“The Crucial Conspiracy” seems like a concept record, as the artwork is amazing. The art done for the record is definitely something to see, as the band’s record is placed into an Orwellian perspective. I love how the art and design flows through a very concrete and visual representation of what the album’s main themes are.

As for the songs, the record is a jumble of what The Dingees do best, only with one addition, far better song structure. The band matured on this record, so much so that you really get pulled into the lyrical elements. There is a Christian theme here and there, but it’s not “JESUS ONLY”, it’s a matter of freedom, peace, and hope that can translate across belief systems.

The power of the record is found with the slower tracks, including “Dear Sister, Dear Brother”, “We Rot The VooDoo”, “Latch Key Kids”, “The World’s Last Night”, and “Declaration (The Crucial Conspiracy”. These tracks are by far the best tracks ever put out by The Dingees. They found a way to make you think, listen to the lyrics, and blend a sense of reggae fusion that you missed out on. That’s not to say that their faster songs are not good. “Christina Fight Back”, “General Information”, “Spray Paint (We Won’t Carry Over), and “Summer” are impressive in their flow.

The sum of the parts of this record from The Dingees is a great way to close out the record deal that the band had with Tooth and Nail. I just wished more people heard it, and supported the band’s shows. They still play from time to time, and they released an independent record. However, The Dingees haven’t been as popular as they were when “Chaos Control” hit MTV and they were playing with the likes of The Supertones on a regular basis. I don’t know why bands like this don’t get more attention, but today, “The Crucial Conspiracy” is my pick to start October or any month.

Pick up “The Crucial Conspiracy” HERE, but look out for the limited edition all grey Vinyl record. It’s really rare.

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