Band releases sophomore album onto growing local music scene
By MARIA RAKOCZY
MADISON – “Them Damn Dogs”, a local band in the Huntsville-Madison Area, released their second album titled Unpoetic Flavor on Friday, June 11. The release was celebrated with a performance at The Camp at MidCity Friday night.
The band started in 2013 at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and attracted a significant fanbase. Them Damn Dogs toured the southeast and released their first album in 2015 titled Let Loose. Their style of music blends surf, new wave, and alternative, and the band cites The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Cure as influences.
Now, the band is ecstatic to release their second album, Unpoetic Flavor. Singer and songwriter of Them Damn Dogs, Jerome Villareal, Jr. says “We were finding our sound” during the six years between albums.
After six years, it is only natural that the band’s sound has grown and evolved.
Villareal described the difference in theme of the new album, “Unpoetic Flavor deals with more mature issues, heartbreak, and fear. The songs were inspired by life happening unexpectedly.”
Each song tells its own story drawn from real life experiences and each song conveys its story in different styles. For example, lead single “Focus” is described as “a funky groove track about self-perseverance.” And Another lead single, “Cold Blooded Animals”, is “a surf pop allegory of humanity.”
“Starting Over” is a weird anthem about starting over,” said Villareal of the final song on the album.
Them Damn Dogs credits the techniques of the studio they recorded in and the crew they worked with for achieving the sound they were pursuing in the final cut of the album.
Unpoetic Flavor was recorded in Decatur at the Clearwave Studios, the same studio used by other notable regional artists, like Alabama Shakes, Lillie Mae, and Jason Isbell.
According to the band’s press release, Clearwave Studios and audio engineer Jeremy Stephens contributed to Them Damn Dogs “capturing their best album yet.”
The band is part of a growing vibrant community of local artists and musicians. The band’s performance at The Camp was opened by another local group, Drop Diver, a self-described “garage/indie/alt-rock band.” More music venues are popping up across Madison and Huntsville and festivals like the Madison Street Festival and events such as Concerts in the Park are giving local artists the spotlight and stage.
With Unpoetic Flavor, fans of local musicians now have new music to listen to at home as well. In the press release Them Damn Dogs states their intention for the new album, “They know listeners will take something away from the message of the new album and understand that we all share the same problems and fears in some form or another.”
Unpoetic Flavor can be found on all major music streaming platforms including Spotify and is available via Bandcamp, iTunes, and can be found on the band’s website, www.themdamndogs.com. Fans can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook @themdamndogs.
