These Mad Dogs of Glory

Local quartet These Mad Dogs of Glory buffs up its roots rock tendencies with steel guitar twang that deserves a two-step as much as headbanging. Second release Sweet Appalachia has already crept onto local “Best of” lists with the help of Austin music mistress Laurie Gallardo’s Good Music Club series. Scuffed, gritty, and raw, these guys are your new favorite bar jam. Thursday caps the group’s December residency upstairs in the cozy confines of Lamberts. - Abby Johnston / Austin Chronilce

The lines between roots and rock have always been blurry at best. When you get right down to the meat and bone, rock ‘n’ roll is just amped-up hillbilly music. Austin quartet These Mad Dogs of Glory proudly live in the frontier land between the two. They’re rootsy as hell, with plenty of rock ‘n’ roll grit.

We here at KUT are big fans of These Mad Dogs of Glory. The band’s sophomore EP (released this past summer), Sweet Appalachia, ended up on two of our year-end, top-ten lists (Check out Laurie Gallardo’s and David Brown’s for more great stuff). They made the record at local it-producer Erik Wofford’s (who’s worked with Explosions In The Sky, White Denim and The Black Angels) Cacophony Studios. The five-song EP features the epic two-song opener “Appalachian Funk” Parts 1 and 2 (which you catch a killer live version of care of The Good Music Club), and today’s song of the day, “Veils.”

The tune has an easy-swinging, mid-tempo country rhythm, and plenty of warmth and twang courtesy of some lovely pedal steel. It’s also a dark tune, about a road-weary traveller making his way from state to state with little but the hum of the asphalt to keep him company. It’s an oft-attempted, but still very welcome, rock and country idea, and These Mad Dogs of Glory tackle it with heart, and an honesty that comes only from experience. The band sounds loose, and the vocals inject plenty of whiskey-soaked pathos to the tune. - Paul Carrubba - KUT Austin 90.5

#2 These Mad Dogs of Glory - Sweet Appalachia - Laurie Gallardo - KUT Austin 90.5

#4 - These Mad Dogs of Glory - Sweet Appalachia - David Brown - KUT Austin 90.5

Alt-country rockers These Mad Dogs of Glory serve up the perfect platter of twang, pedal steel, and guitar riffs that is sure to get your boots scooting and grooving.

Check out three of their stellar songs from The Good Music Club taping a few months ago and catch them around town soon! - Austinist

Radio interview and live performance on Texas Music Matters with David Brown on KUT 90.5

Our segment begins at the 3:45 minute mark. - David Brown - KUT Austin 90.5 FM

Madman roots-rockers These Mad Dogs of Glory, absolutely a rock ‘n’ roll band but far more than that. Their EP Sweet Appalachia is a must for your soundtrack on the road – most notably my fave, “Golden Boy.” - Laurie Gallardo - KUT Austin 90.5 FM

When did putting on rhinestone embellished jeans and hair product replace a couple of beers and a few smokes as a pre-concert routine? Remember when rock ‘n roll bands were rock ‘n roll bands? Remember when political incorrectness was part of a band’s mystique and charm? Remember when song lyrics meant something? Remember when frontmen behaved and looked like frontmen? Yeah, we miss those days, too. These Mad Dogs of Glory cruised into New Braunfels for a show this month and reminded us that all hope is not lost. Their first album, Isle au Haut, is due for release in late September. Get your hands on it, get into your car, roll down the windows, press play, and drive somewhere.

Q&A

TD: I really liked your set at Phoenixpalooza. How long have you guys been together?

TMDOG: Since January of this year. We're only 6 months old.



TD: A good band name is important. How did you come up with These Mad Dogs Of Glory?
TMDOG: It comes from a line in the Charles Bukowski poem, Beasts Bounding Through Time.*



TD: What did you think of New Braunfels?
TMDOG: It’s a killer spot. The people seemed to like our music. I don’t think they came to see us, but we got a good response to the music. We really liked the bands we played with that night. We had played a show with Javi Garcia of New Braunfels at ROT Rally in Austin and the booking agent for that show contacted us to play Phoenixpalooza in New Braunfels. We hope to get down there more often.



TD: What has been your favorite gig so far?
TMDOG: Lovejoy's on Neches St. in Austin. It was our very first gig. Everyone was rowdy and it was a really loose show. There was a good amount of people there that really dug it. The electrical was messed up and the mics were shocking us. We were getting shocked all night. We had to put bar towels on the mics. It was fun. It was before they banned smoking cigarettes in there, so everyone was smoking...it was fun, man.



TD: What are your songs about?
TMDOG: Everything. Drinking... music from the perspective of a low life...yeah, that sounds good.


TD: Music or lyrics first?
TMDOG: It really depends...a lot of times I’ll have a riff revolving around in my head all day and I’ll write the lyrics that way. Some days I'll just think of a line and go home and write it down...it’s not a set process...it just comes when it does. There is no set way of doing anything.



TD: How 'bout an album?
TMDOG: We’re working on it right now. It’s somewhat recorded and a 7 song EP should be ready by late September.



TD: What’s the name of it?
TMDOG: It will be called Isle au Haut. I don’t know if that will be the name of the demo part, but that will be the name of the full album.



TD: Whose music do you like?
TMDOG: Everything under the sun. Music in general. You can’t pinpoint it. I love all music in general... it just depends on the mood.



TD: Well, what do you have in your car right now?
TMDOG: The same CD’s I’ve had in my car since 2007 when I lived in Los Angeles. Wilco, Ryan Adams, The Dead, Beck, Jane's Addiction, and this other guy who I can’t think of his name right now...but he’s really good...but I don’t listen to music in my car at all...I listen to KUT.*



TD: Who made you want to play music?
TMDOG: For me, it’s... I just have to do it. I skated and played in punk bands my whole life. That’s all I know how to do.



TD: Tell me about the upcoming movie Stacking Chips?
TMDOG: The trailer is out and they're still in production in Los Angeles, but one of our songs, Second Hand Version of Me is gonna be in the movie. It's an old song that we wrote a long time ago. Just got a waiver to sign for the legalities of our song being in the movie.



TD: What are your goals as a band?
TMDOG: To do this for a living and not have to do anything else...just enough to pay our bills would be fine.



TD: If your band was a car, what kind of car would it be?
TMDOG: A jalopy. An old Cadillac with alot of rust on it. Yeah, sky blue with rust...with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in it...and it bounces alot going down the road.



TD: If your band was a beer, what kind of beer would it be?
TMDOG: Schaefer...do they sell that out here?



TD: If your band was a clothing brand, what brand would it be?
TMDOG: Would Goodwill count as a brand of clothing? Or, how about Salvation Army?...


TD: What's the best way to keep up with the band?

TMDOG: All of our show dates and news happenings are posted on our myspace and facebook pages. We would love to play in New Braunfels again, so definitely look for that.



TD: Oh yeah, one more thing. Why do they call you Moonwolf?
TMDOG: ‘Cause my face is shaped like a crescent moon and my sideburns make me look like a wolf. That’s basically it. - Trey Daffin - The NBScene.com