With his old band Ovlov, Steve Hartlett proved that a Dinosaur Jr. influence could transcend mere worship. Though Ovlov has been put to bed, that hasn’t stopped Hartlett from continuing on with his own version of Mascis-isms. On November 20 Exploding In Sound Records will release Is Stupider, his debut under the Stove moniker. While the album doesn’t attempt to distance itself from Ovlov, much of it feels like the logical next step the band would have taken had it stayed together. The songs still bask in reverb-caked riffs, but there’s a subtlety present that could often get lost in Ovlov’s wall of noise. The A.V. Club is streaming all of Is Stupider below, in all its glorious stupidity.
Pre-orders for Is Stupider are available now through Exploding In Sound.
Stove tour dates
Nov. 12 —The Rockery—Wyandotte, Mich.*
Nov. 13—Subterranean—Chicago, Ill.*
Nov. 15—Lucky Cat—Milwaukee, Wis.*
Nov. 16—The Death Tower—Champaign, Ill.*
Nov. 17—Blind Bob’s—Dayton, Ohio*
Nov. 18—Ace of Cups—Columbus, Ohio*
Nov. 19—Mahall’s—Cleveland, Ohio*
Nov. 20—Bourbon & Branch—Philadelphia, Pa.*
Nov. 21—Siren Records—Doylestown, Pa.*
Nov. 22 —Silent Barn—Brooklyn, N.Y.*
Nov. 23—The Outer Space—Hamden, Conn.*
Nov. 24—The Middle East—Cambridge, Mass.
* w/ Dirty Dishes