The Black Dots

To call the members of the Black Dots voyeurs might be a stretch — but they certainly like to watch. For the past few years, singer/guitarist Wade Henderson and his wife, bassist Nicole, have been staples at numerous shows throughout the metro area — up front and singing along to every word. If their band’s debut shows us anything, it’s that they’ve learned a thing or two from that experience. The Dots’ self-titled EP takes the vocal style of Fake Problems and mixes it with the swagger of Two Cow Garage. John Brandow’s creative leads add a classic-rock element, while drummer Tim Lutes’s persistent gallop tips a stick at early-’90s pop punk. It all makes for an impressive debut from a band that, though together for less than a year, has honed its chops while intently watching the bands it hopes to someday become.