Dream Feed w/ Miguel Dakota

Dream Feed is a four piece, “Indie/Alternative rock band” from the state of Colorado led by guitarist/vocalist Miguel Dakota whose star began rising when he was a 2014 season nine finalist on “America’s Got Talent” where he sang “American Woman” alongside of Lenny Kravitz.

After a debut disc in 2015 and a couple of national tours under his belt, Dakota decided to go in a different direction; so along with lead guitarist Ryan Wagner, bassist Will Gaines and drummer Brian Nolan he formed Dream Feed.

Although their style has been called, “Eclectic” and “Pop,” they seem more rooted in blues, funk and good old rock ‘n’ roll with just enough mainstream appeal to have their shot at greatness.

Their self-titled debut disc is 10 tracks of high energy tunes. Starting with, “Hey Now,” an old school, headphone wearing delight which gives both ears a workout from the opening chords to the transitioning drum riffs in the middle; many albums seem to take a while to get their motor running but this one starts its engine instantly.

Track #2, “Sun and Moon” has a bass driven intro with an aura of underlying mystique as it morphs into a pseudo Lenny Kravitz vibe complete with a searing guitar interlude towards the end; a track that foreshadows the band’s versatile style.

“Marigold” is the third track and if they are marketing this cut as the, “Hit Single” then they’ve made a great choice. A very cool breakdown section in the middle with a nice retard at the end sandwiched around Dakota’s simile driven lyrics between the actual flower and perhaps a love  he can’t quite catch up with should make this an easy sell to program directors around the globe.

“Finding Soul” is a well-constructed rocker from start to finish filled with time changes, accents and a very cool final mix that showcases that stereo sound once again

“You’ve got to squeeze the fruit if you want the juice,” croons Dakota on the fifth cut, “Dreamin’.” Dakota’s vocals are strong and a perfect fit for this tune as the sound is powerful, gutsy, edgy and has some fantastic mood changes. You know that girl in the jeans and tank top who just sways to the music in front of you? She’ll love this one and so will you.

“Eat Your Cake” is served up next and is an in your face bass and drum laden work that just flat out rocks and does so with just enough anger and bluster that it grabs you like a vice and demands you pay attention.

Track #7 is, “Push and Pull” and it feels like an ode to Rob Thomas as once again the band seems to draw on some old school influences and tilt them in their favor. Great guitar work, full bass line, steady drums and vocals that are just flat out outstanding.

“LaLaLa” is a quasi-reggae style upbeat rocker that slips into a bridge driven by some very slick guitar work and subliminal keyboards buried perfectly underneath the mix; kudos to the engineer on this one.

“Hearts” features multiple changes and demands on a more than willing to oblige rhythm section. Filled with something different around every turn, this track jumps, pumps, slows down, speeds up and finally races toward the finish line before pulling up short and ending just the way it should; unexpectedly.

Wrapping things up is, “Straight Lines;” hats off to drummer Nolan as touch and dynamics are the theme of this smooth as silk compilation. Gaines’s bass work is a highlight here and skillfully intertwined in the piece; making this a strong finisher with fantastic nuances that leave you looking for a hidden bonus track.

Wagner’s guitar work is stellar, he uses distortion perfectly, doesn’t get flashy and stays within the context of every song; very tasteful player. Gaines and Nolan fill out the bottom superbly allowing Dakota the freedom to run the vocal gamut from top to bottom and all points in  between. The production is incredibly well done, larger than life with great detail to each component; true alchemy behind the console.

This space recommends picking this disc up but there’s a warning; it’s highly addictive and may cause you to listen at above normal volumes so plan accordingly.

To discover more about Dream Feed, please visit www.dreamfeedmusic.com.

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