Search - Hangdogs :: Beware of Dog

"Beware," a Great Leap Forward

Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 10/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Hangdog's sophomore release, "Beware of Dog" is a big step up from their debut album, "East of Yesterday." They seem more comfortable with their folk rock/honky tonk style and the songwriting has improved immensely. The first track, "The Gun SOng," crackles like a Colt .45 with a harrowing tale of an abused woman's revenge. The third song, "Anocostia" tells the unlikely story of a vetrean burned out by his own U.S. Army during the World War I Vetrean's Pension Riot in Washington in the early 1930s. There are a couple of grea rave-ups, including the title track "Beware of Dog" and "St. Claire of Cedar Rapids," as well as some good quieter numbers like "Angelita Turns" and "The World is Yours." "Beware of Dog" moves The Hangdogs to the front of the alternative country pack. They are in fact a great rock band that uses its retro sound to maximum effect. "Beware" is one on the best rock albums so far of Y2K."

Take this dog home!

Greg Hamilton | Raleigh, NC | 01/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Another great album by this group from NYC. I especially loved "Other peoples houses", sung by drummer Kevin Baier. This song provides some comic relief on a blues/rock album. I'm no music expert, but this is a great cd."

Hail to the Dog Pound

Jack Chandler | Opp, Alabama | 02/13/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're thinking that Americana music is only bred south of the Mason-Dixon line, you're dead wrong. Straight out of the Big Apple, the Hangdogs second release Beware of Dog captures the finer points of this genre with an invigorating performance aura and a mature display of songwriting. Slightly more rock 'n roll oriented than their first album, East of Yesterday, Beware of Dog covers a broad range of musical styles which are penetrated by lead singer "Banger" Grimm's nasal-twang vocals. The album cranks up with its first track, "The Gun Song," a cowpunk rant about the inevitable revenge of a victim of spousal abuse. The dogs tone down with two slower love tunes, "Angelita Turns" and "Somewhere Near Heaven," asserting a distinctive Tex-Mex flavor through melodic accordion drones and simple acoustic guitar progressions. In "Waltz This Waltz Alone," we get the feeling of an oldschool Merle Haggard barroom drinking song. "Love in here (the bar) don't last forever, but it might until 4," moans Grimm over the high and lonesome whine of the steel guitar. The Hangdogs kick it back up a notch with two gutty honky-tonk tracks, "Meet Me at Tommy's" and the album's title song, "Beware of Dog." Traces of musical contemporaries such as the Bottle Rockets and the Backsliders cannot be avoided in these two compelling country jams. Beware of Dog would not be complete without a bit of politics pervading the air. American class struggle and inequalities, as well as governmental negligence toward the common citizen, seem to be themes that run bitterly throughout a few songs on the album, including "The World is Yours" and "Out There." The band responds to a historic post-World War I incident in "Anacostia," where a group of protesting veterans were turned upon by the US Government, who ultimately set fire to their campsite along the Potomac River. This new release from the Hangdogs is a highly commendable collection of mature roots rock and Americana music. It represents the best elements of this progressive, rapidly expanding genre of music. Do yourself a good deed and invest in the dog pound."