Dogs on Television - Dogs on Television (Dogs on Television)

If you’re yearning for the days when power trios were all the rage and every overdriven three-piece garage band wanted to be Grand Funk, Mountain or Cream, you need look no further than Boston’s Dogs on Television. With guitarist/vocalist/songwriter James Houlahan (ex-The Jody Grind) at the helm, DoTV’s debut album is a rollicking foray into the hard rock of forty years ago, when just about everything on the rock stations was “stoner” rock.

And so, along with bassist Sam Sanders and drummer Brian Arnold, Houlahan’s songs are heartfelt and honest while being fuzzy and energetic and fun. There’s a bit of The Rolling Stones in “Start a Fire” and “I’ll See You,” some Grand Funk in “Big Dumb Train Song” and perhaps even a bit of Led Zeppelin in “Ben Riley.” Okay, so it’s not the most original recording on the planet, but what is these days?

At a time when hard rock means boring radio drivel like Staind and 3 Doors Down, it’s nice to hear somebody doing it the way they used to way back then, before it was “classic” rock.