We're bullish on the Sheepdogs

Note:  This is going to sound like "the dog ate my homework" but ... Blogger was down for two days and we lost all of our new material, including this rave-up on the Sheepdogs.  It might be too late to cast a vote in the Rolling Stone cover competition, but it's never too late to learn about a great band. Check these guys out.

We can't say we're all-out rooting for the Sheepdogs to make the cover of Rolling Stone.  That kind of manufactured notoriety reminds us of American Idol finalists who are often very talented but cursed to wander the world with the creepy stigma of Reality Show Creationism.

On the other hand ... just in case this exposure gets the band out of Canada and into some American venues where we can see them perform, we're casting our vote right now. You might want to cast yours, too, after hearing what these furry guitar slingers from Saskatchewan bring to the stage. 

It's Round 3 of Rolling Stone's "Do You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star." The field has been narrowed to four bands: the Sheepdogs, the Empires of Chicago, Lelia Broussard of Los Angeles and Fictionist of Provo, Utah. The final two will battle it out at Bonnaroo for a chance to grace the magazine's cover.  Fame and fortune is almost certain to follow.

We've got a soft spot for the Sheepdogs, whose jamming guitars, thumping base line and tight harmonies remind us of the best days (and nights) of the Seventies.  The band's list of influences includes the Allman Brothers, Humble Pie and Free, and it sounds like they put those  in the blender, added a dash of Blind Faith, and hit the "pulse" button. To learn more about the band click on http://www.thesheepdogs.com/ or go to http://www.myspace.com/thesheepdogs.

We had been wondering for some time what became of the great rock-a-boogie sound of that era, and turns out it's been percolating north of the border for some time. The Sheepdogs released their third album Learn & Burn in 2010 and appear, with all of this heightened exposure, primed for a leap into the mainstream. If they can just make it to Bonnaroo the world will surely learn.