Dialectic

Dialectic is an indie pop-rock band from San Francisco, led by singer-songwriter Ying-sun Ho. Their sound could be described as “The Clash meet The Smiths meet Bowie.” Or “Talking Heads vs. U2 vs. Weezer.” Or maybe “The Beatles of the 21st century.” (Well, no. Not really that last one.) Dialectic emerged from the cavernous halls of San Francisco’s George Washington High School in the early 1990s. “We were just five friends banging on our instruments in the attic of an old Victorian,” says Ying-sun, “hoping to create something that felt like the music we loved: U2, the Smiths, Pixies.” Over the next year or two, they would write and record a demo tape that friends loved but no one else heard. The band drifted apart after high school. Ying-sun began experimenting with hip hop, eventually helping to co-found the progressive hip hop label Freedom Fighter Music. In 2004, Ying-sun put the band back together, returning to his indie rock roots with original band members Danny Barak (vocals) and Mario Trigueros (guitar) and newcomer Ian Kim (keyboards). Dialectic released its first record, the six-song EP Stained, in December of that year. Then, inviting various friends to play on bass and drums, they started performing around San Francisco. Before long, a new configuration of Dialectic took shape, featuring Ying-sun and Mario on lead vocals as Danny left the band. “When we settled on the new lineup,” says Ian, “we really hit our stride. We were clicking on stage, and carried that over to the studio.” The band balanced performing with recording, putting the three-song demo You Should Know in 2006, then their first full-length album, Laugh Like a Bandit / Love Like a Thief, in 2009. The record and their live show got a great response, and the band were set to record another EP in 2010 when Ying-sun was seriously injured in an auto accident. Only recently has Dialectic been able to return to the stage, now with a new band member—Nora Barrows-Friedman on cello—and an almost entirely new set. The band is also finishing up the writing for their second LP, which they hope to record later in 2013. dialectic plays music you love at places you can afford. we like rocking, rolling, eating, and drinking. and you. we like you a lot.