Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA
The Roof Dogs - Having A Rave Up With The Roof Dogsdotdotdot
artworkThe Roof Dogs may have been from Portland. Their garage instro attack is energetic and edgy, and a ton of fun. Who were the Roof Dogs? Maybe an alter-ego or side project of the Surf Trio (just a guess), given their common home base, and somewhat similar sounds and song lists. This ep was issued in 1991.
Picks: Cannon Beach, Christmas, Down 1-5, High School Drifter, Out Of Limits, Red Tide, Reptile

Track by Track Review


Cannon Beach dotdotdot
Surf (Instrumental)

Super garaged cover of Cannon Beach, with eighties guitar twang, and a ton of edge. The sound is something like the Surf Trio's first ep, thumpy and demo-like. Lots on energy and enough power, and a solid performance.

Christmas dotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

This is close to Robert Calvert's Ejection, at least the rhythm guitar is. The chord progression is right on the money. The melody is not the same, but the strength of the rhythm is overwhelming. Edgy ugly space surf.

Down 1-5 dotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

The Surf Trio did this years ago. This is a fine version, with a different take on the textures and energy. This is more subtle, more ringing, much smoother and more sustained. It makes a world of difference.

High School Drifter dotdotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

Hmm... Is High School Drifter really High Planes Drifter? Pomp and circus pants, as a former Seattle used to say. This is thick and dark, and very late eighties club band sounding. Interesting enough, but kinda unremarkable and derivative.

Out Of Limits dotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

This is a fast and furiously pumped garage arrangement of the Mar-Kets' studio hit. I didn't like this much on first listen, but I found that it grew on me as I wrote this review. It has a grodie edge, and is different enough, but it wasn't that that sucked me in. It was the haunting ambiance of the break, the organ eeriness, the ghostly air of danger. The faster pace of the signature guitar run during that part reminds me of police sirens. Very cool.

Red Tide dotdotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

This is a swell cover of the Impact V's single,all grunged out, and seared at the edges. The fuzz gives this a completely different feel. The arrangement is original, and the energy is intense. Fine hot double picking with extra compressed intensity.

Reptile dotdotdot
Fuzz (Instrumental)

This grodie rumbler evilly stalks the innocent from the the dark corners of the room after too much pizza for dinner. Thick, fuzzed, brooding and threatening, this is a grand example of how mean simplicity can be. The whistling organ is subtly low in the mix, adding a haunted air to this scary track.