Reviving the spirit of mid-90s indie classics like Pavement's "Wowee Zowee," these Ohio rockers run the gamut from jangly pop to jarring rock, exploring all corners of the catchy and quirky.

11 MP3 Songs
ROCK: 90's Rock, POP: Power Pop



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Based on two college campuses in Ohio, Fine Dining creates music that bridges the gap between catchy, quirky pop and noisy, energetic rock and roll. Here's some reviews of the band's debut full-length, Debutantes and Dilettantes.


The Columbus Dispatch:

"From the first note, the album signals something special. 'Santiago's Revenge' cuts loose with Superchunk's rampant energy, rides on a melody as offhanded as one of Pavement's and is as catchy as a Shins tune. The album keeps up the pace for the length and gets quirkier."



Kevin Elliott, The Columbus Alive:

"For the lads in Fine Dining, living on separate campuses-Ohio State and Ohio University-is both a blessing and a curse. Musical pen pals for the past two years, they've resurrected the proverbial indie pop spirit by traveling the narrow roads that connect the Capital City with the forest.

Though a decade removed from classic albums like Pavement's Wowee Zowee and Sebadoh's Bakesale, Fine Dining's shambolic self-released debut, Debutantes and Dilettantes, bristles with that same worn-in, twee-loving, off-the-cuff vibe of four-track tapes informed by the collegiate lifestyle and weekend crushes.

Their revivalism is actually a breath of fresh air, though. The leading charge of the stuttered "Santiago's Revenge" and the book-smart wit of "Amory and Irony" are packed with the "doo-doos," the choppy power chords and the surprising turns that make Of Montreal and Superchunk endearing.

Thanks to the miles traveled between songwriting sessions, a good majority of the tracks acquired charming bits of rust and gravel, giving "High Speed Chase" and "Here Comes the Warm Jet" a weathered crunch that doesn't erode the melodies.

But then again, that chasm makes their debut a mixed bag. Slackerisms aside, a lack of practice and the members' widely differing influences inject a few misses into the action. "Stranded" reveals a penchant for heart-on-sleeve cuteness while "Slated to Bomb" is too mathematic for its own good. Neither works well among the otherwise cheeky proceedings.

Still a relatively young band, Fine Dining has plenty of time to finish up their degrees and solidify a sound that's already blossoming. This full-length, along with 2004's Style and Gallantry EP, shows that Columbus' (and Athens') love of brainy, quirky pop has not yet faded."