1 of 2
COVER
2 of 2
About a week ago, Mark Pagano (he is the cartoon guy on the right in the album art above -- the one with the guitar), sent me a copy of his band's new CD, Your Heart is a Muscle. FIRE DOG is a great name for this band -- the music reminds me of my grandfather's zippy auburn-colored hunting dog, Damsel, who was excited about everything, whether or not it involved dog biscuits or chasing rabbits. The band describes its sound as "original Rock, Crackle, POP. Irresistible harmonies, punchy rhythms, tight, howling pop arrangements;" its mission statement is to spread "positive vibrations through songs of truth and intrigue, to create a sound full of energy and optimism for the 21st century." (Oh, and: to make people dance).
Don't let the candy colors of the album art deceive you. And don't let the poppiness of the music lead your mind astray, either. FIRE DOG is not just the aural equivalent of Mike & Ike's; there is much that's deep and nutritive here, even though it has a beat and you can dance to it. Standout tracks are "Hurricane of New Orleans," and a cover of Elvis Costello's "Peace, Love and Understanding" that Fire Dog makes compeletely its own. Ah! And of course the title track, which is loads of fun, especially when you listen to it while watching the video, created by local artist Sarah Paulsen:
Your Heart is a Muscle is available on vinyl (yay) as well as CD. You can pick it up at local record stores or off CD Baby or from the band's website, seefiredogroll.com or loveoramarecords.com. --Stefene Russell
