2008 Woodie Awards
Street Dogs head to the river
Elizabeth Mullen
Issue date: 6/5/08 Section: Arts
Despite being one of the lesser-known bands at Sunday's WBCN River Rave, Boston's Street Dogs showed that they can win over a crowd in a few short minutes with their energetic punk rock anthems and stage presence.
"We do the same thing whether it's five or 5,000 people, we portray the same message we always give," said Johnny Rioux, who provides the bass lines to songs that deal with subjects ranging from family loyalty to alcoholism to the horrors of wartime combat.
The band is currently adjusting to life on their new label, Hellcat Records, founded by Rancid's Tim Armstrong. Previously, the band's albums were released by Crosscheck Records and Brass Tacks Records.
"It's kind of blowing our minds a little bit," Rioux explained recently in a telephone interview. "We've always been the kind of band who does everything ourselves. They're really helping push the band in ways we've never been pushed before. We're looking forward to having a proper label setup."
Signing with Hellcat Records and playing the River Rave are steep steps up from the Street Dogs' humble beginnings.
"We started the group almost like a poker night, to get away from our mundane jobs and mundane lives," Rioux explained.
The band has transformed from an escape from daily life into a full-time job in the six years since Rioux and vocalist Mike McColgan formed the band. The quintet has released three albums so far, and gains popularity with each album and performance.
On July 8, the band will be releasing their fourth studio album "State of Grace" (2008, Hellcat Records). The disc was produced by Ted Hutt, who previously worked with the Street Dogs on their "Fading American Dream" album (2006, Brass Tacks Records). According to Rioux, Hutt would play "something totally out of left field, like Rod Stewart and the Faces or Bloc Party" for the band and encourage them to pull influences from these groups and apply it to their music.
The result is an album that has the classic Street Dogs feel with some new flavors mixed in. "I feel like the energy of the record is a bit more organic, it follows in the path of our previous records topically," said Rioux.
Attendees of Sunday's River Rave got the chance to preview two songs from the new album, "Two Angry Kids" and "Kevin J. O'Toole," along with some older crowd favorites like "In Defense of Dorchester" and "Fighter." The new songs fit naturally alongside the older ones, and this album is sure to become another favorite for seasoned fans and new listeners alike.
"We do the same thing whether it's five or 5,000 people, we portray the same message we always give," said Johnny Rioux, who provides the bass lines to songs that deal with subjects ranging from family loyalty to alcoholism to the horrors of wartime combat.
The band is currently adjusting to life on their new label, Hellcat Records, founded by Rancid's Tim Armstrong. Previously, the band's albums were released by Crosscheck Records and Brass Tacks Records.
"It's kind of blowing our minds a little bit," Rioux explained recently in a telephone interview. "We've always been the kind of band who does everything ourselves. They're really helping push the band in ways we've never been pushed before. We're looking forward to having a proper label setup."
Signing with Hellcat Records and playing the River Rave are steep steps up from the Street Dogs' humble beginnings.
"We started the group almost like a poker night, to get away from our mundane jobs and mundane lives," Rioux explained.
The band has transformed from an escape from daily life into a full-time job in the six years since Rioux and vocalist Mike McColgan formed the band. The quintet has released three albums so far, and gains popularity with each album and performance.
On July 8, the band will be releasing their fourth studio album "State of Grace" (2008, Hellcat Records). The disc was produced by Ted Hutt, who previously worked with the Street Dogs on their "Fading American Dream" album (2006, Brass Tacks Records). According to Rioux, Hutt would play "something totally out of left field, like Rod Stewart and the Faces or Bloc Party" for the band and encourage them to pull influences from these groups and apply it to their music.
The result is an album that has the classic Street Dogs feel with some new flavors mixed in. "I feel like the energy of the record is a bit more organic, it follows in the path of our previous records topically," said Rioux.
Attendees of Sunday's River Rave got the chance to preview two songs from the new album, "Two Angry Kids" and "Kevin J. O'Toole," along with some older crowd favorites like "In Defense of Dorchester" and "Fighter." The new songs fit naturally alongside the older ones, and this album is sure to become another favorite for seasoned fans and new listeners alike.
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