"When I'm all alone I practice my Nihilist Chant / I don't choose what happens or what can / I may be torn in two but I will never come unglued / I construct a sword around my will..."
The refrain: "I couldn't fool the most even foolish man / I couldn't fool even the most foolish man..." feels like a cosmic joke and it sticks with me like one of those sticky truths you can't shake off your fingers. The deep groove and musical interplay with dissonant lead guitars, growing layers of sound gets in your head and down to your feet. From top to bottom "Nihilist Chant" feels like a festival performance that you can't get out of your head. The outro is the perfect exhilarating conclusion as the whole band leaves everything on the stage in your head, a blend of alt rock, blues, art funk, post punk, art rock and passion.
Dig into their bio below but this section (their birth story) is worth pasting up:
Formed in 2016 in the small college town of Granville, Ohio by singer-guitarists Andrew Marczak and Jesse Cheshire, the band evolved from a loosely assembled recording project inspired by the weirdo-experiments of Elephant Six and the singer-songwriters of the 1970s. With the addition of Sean Maher on bass and Walker Anderson on drums, the sound became steadily more electric, and a raucous, Replacements-like energy came to define the band’s live set in their headquarters of Columbus, Ohio.
I look forward to hearing more from the Roof Dogs.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://open.spotify.com/artist/45e9K9a9j7pGZEGv3wvh9u
https://www.instagram.com/theroofdogs/
The Roof Dogs are a four-piece rock outfit recently relocated to Chicago, Illinois. Blending together elements of Americana, post-punk, and garage rock, the group’s sound references a diverse palette of musical history. Formed in 2016 in the small college town of Granville, Ohio by singer-guitarists Andrew Marczak and Jesse Cheshire, the band evolved from a loosely assembled recording project inspired by the weirdo-experiments of Elephant Six and the singer-songwriters of the 1970s. With the addition of Sean Maher on bass and Walker Anderson on drums, the sound became steadily more electric, and a raucous, Replacements-like energy came to define the band’s live set in their headquarters of Columbus, Ohio.
With the release of two EP’s in 2018, the home-recorded and experimental Are Too Cool, and the more straightforward, retrofitted This Week’s Winner, the Roof Dogs announced themselves as a band willing to veer in different directions to find the sound they are looking for. One single in 2019, Six Blocks, combined the group’s DIY aesthetic with increased attention to capturing the energy and noise of the live show. Regional touring and strong local activity have sharpened the band’s stage presence and magnetic performances.
Today, the Roof Dogs' music is defined by Anderson’s muscular drumming, Maher’s melodic and witty bass lines, as well as Cheshire and Marczak’s focus on clever and imagistic lyrics and nods to art rock and punk legends such as Television and John Cale. Together, these elements create a music that is both intelligently indebted to rock and roll’s rich history, and full of chaotic energy reflecting our own uncertain times. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in their latest double A-side single Summer in Algeria/Devotion. Recorded in their new home of Chicago, these songs represent the Roof Dogs’ latest iteration. Polished and modern studio recordings, nevertheless mangled by snarling guitars, waves of feedback, and a relentless rhythmic pulse, these tracks mark bold steps taken in the direction of the group’s future.
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