The Popdogs – Cool Cats For Pop Dogs

The city of Lincoln produces some great local bands, and these local bands can create some truly jaw-dropping tunes. Most people have a saddening habit of overlooking local music, so lets move the spotlight onto one Lincoln-based band that has me VERY excited.

Today I’ll be reviewing the upcoming debut album of a group of very clever canines who really shouldn’t be overlooked, no matter who you are, or what music you like.

 

I mean come on, throw the dog a bone.

 

 

From Lincoln-based power-pop band The Popdogs comes the stunning new album, Cool Cats For Pop Dogs. The album features ten terrific tunes, including the seriously catchy “Queen Of The U.S.A”, and my personal favourite, the metrical and melodious “Honest Guy”.

The songs are simply structured for the most part, but that just adds to the seamless flow that every song possesses. Easy-listening, tuneful, and catchy as hell. It would be prudent to mention the classic power-pop guitar work in this album; the whole collection of songs is rife with bright melodies and well-articulated chords.

Each song retains the classic nuances of The Knack, R.E.M, The Beatles and The Byrds amongst other great power-pop bands, but with subtle modernisations that make the genre more accessible. For example, you won’t find the dominant bass riffs that this genre of music is known for (My Sharona by The Knack is a good example here), nor will you hear constant vocal harmonisation. What you WILL hear, are bright arpeggios in just the right places, and vocal harmonies being used to enhance choruses and other key parts in the songs.

It is, in my opinion, a very efficient and attractive design.

Other identifiable aspects of The Popdogs music include a real sense of rhythm. I challenge you to listen to their track “Kelly’s On” without bobbing your head along with it. Some of their songs are driven by punchy sequences of power chords for the melodies to float on and weave around. If you listen to Poison Heart by The Ramones, you’ll notice that The Popdogs have a bit of punk pedigree too.

Onto aesthetics, and you cannot deny, the album artwork is also pretty damn cool.

Have you ever seen a more awesome looking dog?

 

As far as the band goes, James Styring is the man behind the microphone providing those classic pop vocals, something which he does phenomenally well. Those bright guitar chops you hear are courtesy of  Mr Tim McKeating.

Once again, the album is called Cool Cats For Pop Dogs. You can find The Popdogs on Facebook, and you can find them on Reverbnation. Check ’em out, and give them your support.