Monday, July 7, 2008

Dog Days


Tomorrow, Boston's own Street Dogs put out their new album, their fourth full length LP, and their first on Hellcat Records. The Street Dogs have been streaming the entire "State of Grace" album on Warped Tour's website (in which they are apart of all summer long), but it seems, of course, that it has been taken down on the eve on its release and when I finally sat down to post about this...a week later than I should have.

However, you can still check out the first video for the single "Two Angry Kids" here. While you're clicking and wasting time at work or at the crib, stream some of the new tunes at their myspace. See what you think.

The Street Dogs have toured for years and have opened for many big names in the "punk" community such as Social Distortion, Tiger Army, Rancid and Bad Religion. The SDs are just now really gaining widespread appeal with a growing following, as they make their debut on the main stage this year at the Warped Tour this year. After seeing them last fall in Atlanta with Tiger Army, and having their albums, I can honestly say that seeing the Street Dogs live will grab your attention, have you bouncing up and down, and pounding your arms in the air to their bar room sing alongs, rants and anthems much more than a casual listen of one of their albums will. That's what makes the Street Dogs special- their ability to make the audience feel like a member of the band; you're one of the guys, one of their gang. And that's just what their music sounds like too: a gang of four or five of your best friends that you get rowdy with at the bar and that'll carry you home afterwards or fight 'til the end with and for you in the streets.

Think of the movie Good Will Hunting. Will and his buddies/brothers are shown all around a certain town, oh wait, it's Boston too (coincidentally). The brothers stick together. They work together. They live together. They drink together. They fight against and for each other, together. Like a band of brothers; a gang. Except rather than the five guys in the Street Dogs, there was "Marky, Ricky, Danny, Terry, Mikey, Davey, Timmy, Tommy, Joey, Robby, Johnny, and Brian...and Willy", and they would do anything for each other, as would the Street Dogs. As a listener and a fan of them, one feels like they belong to something special, a tight, close-knit group of brothers, even if no one is actually related by blood. This is due to the cliched growing up songs (that the Dogs pull off I might add), dealing with everything from school bullies, partying, girls, getting into trouble, etc. The songs go back to the basics of adolescence, but touch on the undeniable and unforgetable facets of growing up and moving onto the next level of life with and without your crew. However, the ol' gang is still in tact, as they are bound by a common bond of unity, a sense of belonging and one of brotherhood.

Oh, and if you think they sound alot like another Boston band by the name of the Dropkick Murphys, there's a good reason...See why.

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