| Dos (Spanish word for "two") was the name of the all-bass duo of Mike Watt and then wife Kira Roessler. They put out an album of instrumentals followed by an EP of six tracks, with Kira on vocals.
The goal, of course, was to put the bass front and center. From Mike's interview with StarPolish: With us, with Dos (Watt's double-bass
band with Kira), it was always a side project. It wasn't that hard, it
was very creative, not a lot of pressure. Dos was about victory. With
bass playing, especially in the older days, there were big inferiority
complexes. You know, bass is where they put the lame guy, like right
field in the little league. And so Dos for us is like victory. We did not
have to compete with anyone, 'cause we were the only thing.
The self-titled first album came out in 1986 to good reviews. Every track but one is instrumental, with most tracks featured one bass playing the main riff, the other soloing or adding an interlocking line. Trouser Press described it thusly: "... two basses sniffing around one another like curious animals, making it an atmospheric, playful, even loving pleasure to hear." Mike and Kira had both been in fIREHOSE, and some of the composing on Dos reflects that band's sound.
The 1989 EP, Numero Dos was less ambitious, featuring vocals on five of six tracks. Two songs are covers: Billie Holliday's "Don't Explain" and Sonic Youth's "Pacific Coast Highway." Fewer bass tricks and less of a low-end emphasis make for a less interesting sound here.
All of Dos' output to date was made available on the Uno Con Dos CD, released in 1991 by New Alliance Records. It's out of print. A third Dos album, titled Justamente Tres, came out in 1996.
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