The Casual Dots to Release First Album in 18 Years 'Sanguine Truth'

The Casual Dots is a trio formed in Washington, DC in 2002, featuring Christina Billotte (Slant 6, Quixotic, Autoclave) on vocals and guitar, Kathi Wilcox (Bikini Kill, Frumpies) on guitar and backing vocals, and Steve Dore (Snoozers, Deep Lust) on drums. The band has announced their second 10-song full-length album, Sanguine Truth, produced by Fugazi's Guy Picciotto and due out September 23 on Christina Billotte's Ixor Stix Records.

The band's minimalist off-kilter pop sound is shaped by Billotte and Wilcox's slashing and interweaving guitar parts, Billotte's iconic tough-but-sweet vocals, and driven by Dore's propulsive 60's-style beats. The new songs were composed and recorded between 2004 and 2019, at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara and at Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn with Eli Crews. Spread out between three of the western world's largest cities, the band members would regroup periodically to add a song here and there.

Although the songs were written over a long span of time about various events and themes, many of the album's songs appear particularly relevant to recent times. For example, the lyrics for "The Frequency of Fear" were written and recorded in January of 2016, before the political insanity that would be realized over the next several years.

The instrumental "17 Year-Old Locust" was written in 2004, the year of the same locusts that spawned 2021's Brood X. Then, "Palindrome," a reminiscence of a friend who decided to depart this world too soon, is a commentary on mental health and a situation that seems to be more prevalent than ever in this day and age.

The Casual Dots have also announced the reissue of their 2004 self-titled debut album. Recorded in 2003 at Inner Ear Studios with Don Zientara and Guy Picciotto, the 10-song album is at once of its time and timeless. It features standout tracks "Clocks," "Hooded," and "She's The Real Thing," as well as covers of songs by Etta James and LaVern Baker. Originally a CD-only release on Kill Rock Stars and long out-of-print, the album will be reissued on white vinyl via Ixor Stix Records on September 23. Both albums are distributed by Dischord Direct.

Listen to the single here: