Hearing rumors that the Dictators NYC were working on a new song was met with equal parts excitement and anxiety in these parts. “New stuff? Yay!! Umm — don’t release the doves just yet. Andy’s written the entire catalogue up until now, and the quality of the tunes has been consistently top-shelf. I know the rest of the guys are all experienced writers, but they’ve never written for the Manitoba persona. There’s no doubt that they have the strength and the reach, but do they have the intestinal fortitude? What happens if this thing, you know — stinks? Are we going to have to avoid eye contact and golf clap every time they play it?”
Rest easy. I’m here to tell you that “Supply and Demand” is an excellent addition to the set, and more importantly, sounds like a Dictators song.
The subject matter, concerning the band members getting off their collective arses and answering the call of duty, is as much a mission statement as WLSRnR was. HDM barks, “We had to do it for them, we had to do it for us!” as if their collective lives depended on it. There’s no RTB solo, but he makes up for it by cramming bits from 6 or 7 solos into his intro to the tune. The whole thing is done at 2:07, making it the shortest song in the set.
Look, no one likes change. The comfort that comes with routine is kicked out from under you like a cheap joke in an old movie. But sometimes change is necessary, and a good thing. If the pipeline of Shernoff tunes is truly closed, then judging from their debut tune, the songwriting duties are safe in the hands of the tag-team of Manitoba and Friedman.
There may still be some copies of the 45 for sale at their upcoming shows, but you can always grab the download here: thedictatorsnyc.com
And don’t forget to vote for it as the Coolest Song of 2015 here!
— Salvi C.
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