RELIX MAGAZINE'S "JAM-OFF CONTEST" WINNERS!!!!
After winning RELIX magazine's "Jam-off Contest"
in June 2009, Diesel Dog received editorial
coverage in July's issue as well as a track
on July's CD compilation.This coverage has lead
the band to yet another track inclusion for
the August- September compilation. With each
compilation having a reproduction of 100,000
these releases have the band enthused as to
the number of people exposed to their
music with this win.--thanks RELIX!!!
It’s a Monday night and I’m chatting with two of
the five members of Diesel Dog. Drummer
Ricky Neu is the quiet but friendly sort who
smiles a lot and pipes up occasionally to
expand on what guitarist/vocalist Doug
Burnside has to say. Doug is relaxed, talkative,
and appears to be as comfortable sitting on a
couch drinking coffee in Neu’s basement as he
is on stage. Diesel Dog, also comprising Ryan
Morrison on keys and vocals, Ian Richardson
on bass and J. Jonas Berkeley on saxophone,
just got back to town from their week-long tour
on the East Coast. They had a blast playing for
enthused music appreciators in cities
including Moncton and Bayside, New
Brunswick.
The eastern jaunt was a landmark occasion
for the band, which was born out of the
remnants of the ’90s band Jacob’s Ladder;
and first performed under the name Diesel
Dog at Brantford’s Summerfest in 2001. Not
only was it their first time out of Ontario, it was
their first shot travelling together in one vehicle.
The tour really tested the waters, Burnside
reports. The results were affirming: both he
and Neu agree that the band enjoyed a fairly
easy week in close quarters and really got to
know each other on a more personal level.
"No black eyes," Neu laughs.
"A strong debut from this Simcoe area band.
Highly indebted to early ’70s Grateful Dead and
The Band, this eight–song effort only hints at
what they’re capable of live. Strong songs and
a fantastic rhythm section make this an
enjoyable debut."-View Magazine “Diesel dog is loved by the
fans for their rockin’ riffs,
toe-tapping, head bobbin’
bass lines and southern
rock inspired keys.”
-Jambands.ca “ Their groove is infectious,
melodic and coming to a
town near you! ”
-Sillouette Magazine “Neo-Seventies Funk.”
-U.F.Productions “This album from the Dog
shows off the bands eclectic
writing styles, jam sensibilities,
and competant musicianship,
all while maintaining a rootsy
and fresh sounding vibe.”
-Jamhub.ca
A CHERRY ON TOP FOR DIESEL DOG
By Denise De La Franier
"I think our stuff has fallen on the right ears,"
says Burnside. "A lot of people had heard of us
before, and there’s such a big jamband scene
out there , just as big as or even bigger than
here. I think part of the reason is the traditional
Celtic roots, a lot of kids were brought up on
the more traditional live music. Maybe that’s
why they really enjoyed us."
Besides fitting in some extra practice time, the
trip also gave the guys the opportunity to iron
out the last few details of their freshly pressed
first release, Cherry Hits.
The studio follow-up to their live promotional
recording Live at the Lanc, Cherry Hits was
produced by Diesel Dog, with Burnside and
Morrison assuming the engineering and
mixing duties.
"I took audio engineering and I got this
bull-headed notion that we could take this on
ourselves," says Burnside. "We were already
recording our songwriting sessions. There
was no point in going elsewhere , we were
scheduling ourselves and it took us a [long
time], but we could take breaks and clear our
heads, come back, listen to the mix, then start
another session. We had more time to refine
and really got to evolve all the songs
ourselves."
The cd represents 'the cream of the crop' of
over 20 songs written in the past year and a
half. The opener, 'Fishing with the Skipper' is a
catchy, crowd-pleasing number with rockin’
riffs and a great '’50s wailin’ sax sound.' 'Ain’t
Got None' wraps things up with an irresistible
toe-tapping, head-bobbin’ bass line and keys
inspired by southern rock. Short in running
length , it clocks in at just a over 30 minutes
but sweet to the ear, Cherry Hits is a groovy,
feel-good disc.
A true member of the jamband community,
Diesel Dog has produced a cd that is a
condensed sample of what they’re like
onstage. The tracks on Cherry Hits "are a little
more cut and dry" than the versions they play
live. According to Burnside, "the songs tend to
go places."
"We’ll never play exactly the same set. That’s
why I think we fit in the scene. We don’t try to
change it up all the time, that’s just the way we
play. We’re coming at it from the traditional
aspect. We’ll get in to the more repetitive
‘hippie-trance,’ but it’s not really our forte.
Though the number of bands classified within
the jamband spectrum is expanding, Diesel
Dog aims to maintain their’ “’70s sound,” or as
Neu puts it, “the more organic side of things.”
The cd release party tomorrow night at the
Lancaster Tavern is organized by local
promoter Mark Tonin and will feature hand
drumming to keep the good vibes flowing
during set break. The University of Waterloo’s
Drum Circle will be there with their collection of
skins to break the ice and lead the primal
rhythms. All proceeds from the show will
benefit Reaching Our Outdoor Friends (ROOF),
a United Way agency “committed to providing
for the safety, support and overall well–being of
homeless youth and youth–at–risk” in the KW
area.
DIESEL DOG - CHERRY HITS
