The Sopranos hasn’t been in production for nearly a decade, but in the hearts of Brooklyn-based lo-fi noise rock act Dread, Tony and company are as active as they’ve ever been. The group’s new EP is called Dread Is Tony Soprano, and it’s entirely inspired by the series. The band even made the limited edition tape release of the album look like an old Sopranos VHS tape, except the FBI warning has been replaced by a completely bonkers warning from something called the “FVI.”
Concept records are dangerous territory, but Dread manages to make this one work. That’s mainly because it’s not a joke, and it’s not heavy handed in its references. Someone who has never seen the show could still listen to this and love it. “So Dad Wasn’t A Spy,” which is about Vito Spadafore’s son acting out after his father gets whacked, could just be a song about an angry middle-school misfit. “Dead Tone,” which is about Tony and Christopher’s relationship, could just be a terribly creepy song about killing a family member. “Dedication” is pretty clearly about killing Big Pussy, though, since there are some things that you have to deal with pretty directly.
Fans of The Sopranos, lo-fi rock, or all of the above can order Dread’s limited edition cassette or download a digital copy of the EP over at the group’s Bandcamp site. The record is out now on Aloe Music.