I first met The Moondoggies at Slims in San Francisco back in 2008. They made a trip down from their hometown of Seattle to play a few select dates in Northern California. I was a huge fan of their debut album, Don’t Be A Stranger, at the time and asked them if they had any plans to tour through Chicago. I mentioned our sessions and they said they’d love to, but weren’t sure when they’d be able to put together a real tour.
Two years later, The Moondoggies released an album called Tidelands, a cohesive body of Americana music that featured the same three-part harmonies found on their predecessor and a sound inspired by Neil Young and The Band. Tidelands quickly became one of my favorite albums of 2010.
I’ve since caught The Moondoggies in Atlanta and Austin and, although it took three years for a pass through the Windy City, we didn’t hesitate to extend an invitation for a live session last November. Enjoy the tracks.
The Moondoggies have been a busy group in 2010. Over the summer, they released an EP, which was followed by the release of their sophomore LP, Tidelands, in September. Meanwhile, the Seattle-based quartet was on the road supporting Blitzen Trapper, and is getting ready to head out on a month long tour of the Midwest and West opening for Dawes. Luckily for those of us in New York and Chicago, the band found time to schedule a few headlining shows. They’re also visiting HearYa in studio for a session today before their show tonight at Schubas.
Last month, The Moondoggies stopped by The Mercury Lounge for a late night set that delighted longtime fans and newcomers alike. The band powered through songs from Tidelands and Dont Be A Stranger, and offered a selection from their recent EP. Highlights from their hour long set included “Aint No Lord”, “Black Shoe”, “Tidelands”, and “Its A Shame, Its A Pity”.
Although each of the four band members give the appearance of playing alone, the resulting blended instrumentals and vocal harmonies make it clear that each player is keenly aware of what his mates are doing. The end product is a band thats primed to take over headlining duties on subsequent tours.
In the meantime, those in Chicago should take advantage of The Moondoggies headlining appearance at Schubas tonight.
The Moondoggies are finally making their way to Chicago and we have a pair of tickets to give away. The show is tomorrow night at Schubas. If you want them, email your first and last name to freeshit@hearya.com.
I know many of you were anxiously awaiting Tidelands by The Moondoggies. It was released on Tuesday and the band also released their first ever video for “Empress Of The North.” Go on out and get that album, despite the opinion of Pitchfork. Tidelands is not an album you’ll play while masturbating to non-fiction literature, but it will be perfect for your Fall barbecue with friends over several beers. You can like them on Facebook and listen to the album in its entirety before you buy.
And why doesn’t Pitchfork allow comments on their reviews?
After one of the worst cubicle occupied days in recorded history on Wednesday, I drove to downtown Atlanta to witness some rock show. I was in search of mental balance and emotional prosperity.‚ What is the remedy for such a plight? Three-piece harmonies. That’s what The Moondoggies and Blitzen Trapper delivered in two magnificent sets. [...]
Seattle’s Moondoggies have wrapped up their new album, Tidelands, due out in September via Hardly Art. They’ve also released a limited EP of the tracks that didn’t make the cut for the full length. You can buy it at their shows or via Hardly Art’s store. Here’s a track from the EP. Catch them on [...]
HearYa and Internet Explorer were in a pissing match for most of the day yesterday. For those readers that use that glorious browser, you may have had some trouble reading yesterday’s post. We corrected the bug – my apologies. We’re back at it and almost done with our best albums of 2008. At the very [...]
I’m getting out of the house this weekend and heading up to San Francisco for some jazz, blues, roots and good ole fashioned American rock music. We talked about The Moondoggies and their phenomenal album Don’t Be A Stranger not too long ago.‚ Since then I’ve read nothing but good things about the Seattle band’s [...]
For those of you that have not been to a live show with me, I have been known to let out a loud scream. It’s an unintentional mix between Ric Flair at SummerSlam and Grace Jones reaching orgasm and usually occurs during a rather intense jam. Songs that have led to his outburst have included [...]
