Christopher Nelson
Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s featured selection, chosen by Afternoon Show host Kevin Cole, is Changing
by The Moondoggies from the 2008 album Don’t Be A Stranger on Hardly Art.
The latest release from Sub Pop imprint, Hardly Art, finds the label continuing its recent obsession with digging into the ’60s and ’70s folk/rock traditions. Once a garage/noise band by the name of The Familiars, The Moondoggies got their start following Kevin Murphy’s (guitar/vocals) 2005 sojourn in Alaska from which he returned to Seattle with the shell of what would become their sound. After three years and an unofficial residency at the University District’s Blue Moon, that shell has filled out quite nicely. The Moondoggies debut, produced by Erik Blood (The Turn-Ons, Charming Snakes), is full of gorgeous, lively three-part harmonies that echo labelmates Arthur & Yu and The Dutchess and The Duke. But these guys, pulling from The Byrds and The Band, thrive primarily on Caleb Quick’s Rhodes Organ, channeling roots rock the way so few can. Don’t Be A Stranger is pretty stacked with mid-tempo tunes, but the band handles transitions in such a creative and unique way from track to track that the album never becomes wearisome. Come out and see the real deal in early October when the band performs during this year’s Reverb Festival (details yet unknown). Stay tuned to their MySpace page for future details. Right now, you can get a quick taste of The Moondoggies in this video compilation from The Stranger, entitled “The Young Ones Music Showcase,” featuring bands they predicted would break it big this year (the Moondoggies clip is about 2 minutes in):
