It was a couple years ago when Tony Molina’s Dissed And Dismissed garnered him some attention outside of punk and hardcore circles. By then, he’d been making music for over a decade in a variety of bands—Ovens being the longest running—and it seemed like his hardcore-inspired pop songs were finding their audience. Then, he all but disappeared. A pair of Ovens 7-inches were released, but they were of material that had long been shelved, and not a peep was heard from Molina in regards to shows or new music. That is until last week, when Stereogum announced that Slumberland Records will release a new eight-song EP, Confront The Truth, on October 28.
The A.V. Club is streaming “Hung Up On The Dream,” a song that’s indicative of the new direction that Confront The Truth captures. The song is an acoustic ballad that lays bare Molina’s emotions, making for a tender breakup song that sounds a little like Simon & Garfunkel. It’s quite the jump, given that his last six-song EP on Matador Records saw him earnestly covering Metallica. The shift would be more shocking, if Molina didn’t pull it off so well. “Hung Up On The Dream” dives headfirst into the song’s hook and makes the most of it before wrapping the song up in a tight 80 seconds.
Tony Molina tour dates
11/7 – Washington, DC – DC9 *
11/9 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
11/10 – New Haven, CT – Cafe Nine *
11/11 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East Upstairs *
11/12 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool *
11/15 – Columbus OH – Big Room Bar *
11/17 – Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen
* = w/ Wildhoney