Composed of brother-sister duo Edward and Alex Bell, and long-time friend Cody Janko, All Dogs Invited is the natural coming together of old friends in new places. The chemistry between the trio is strong, as they have spent the better part of a decade creating music together in the Iowa City, IA area. They had worked together in previous arrangements, but came together in early 2012 with aspirations to create a musical style they had never ventured in before.
The songs are led by guitarist and lyricist Cody Janko, as he creates characters that experience tales of love, hate, defeat, and conquest, all while keeping an optimistic view on life. The stories are then ornamented by multi-instrumentalist Edward Bell’s use of bass, keyboard, or trumpet. Drummer and percussionist Alex Bell rounds out the sound by providing a backbone via her full drum kit, hand drums, or toned percussion.
You may not realize it on your first listen to the band’s upcoming EP release set for March, entitled “Mammals Amongst Us,” but you’ll have at least one of these four songs stuck in your head the rest of the day.
As Alex pounds the drums, you’ll be steadily beating along on your steering wheel or desk as you listen to her. Edwards’s bass is much more in your face than most other indie bands out there, and for good reason. The rhythm section truly work together to make this band a true live sound. Cody’s guitar work accents the solid rhythm section with riffs and chord chunks that lurk in the background completing the songs, but can also stand out on their own when needed.
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This Ep has it all; deep lyrics, fun melodies, originality, and a genuinely raw, organic sound, which is so ridiculously simple and good on the ears. They have a sound which in some ways seems similar to the Killers, but so obviously different at the same time. With this Ep, All Dogs Invited serve up a high dosage of energetic rock n’ roll, recalling a time when music was fun, spirited and made you want to move to the rhythm and beat.
The songs are addictive and catchy, the lyrics original and yet familiar. Very relatable songs and you could definitely pop this Ep in at a party. It’s fast, energetic, and charismatic, but what first draws you into their music is the sheer catchiness of it. The melodies, the punk drum beats, the humbly clever lyrics. Then, as you listen more closely, you’ll start to realize the depth and flair of the arrangements and the pure, raw talent of the band members.
The standout tracks for me, is the title track, “Mammals Amongst Us” and “Go With It.” This band however, is not really comparable to any other band I can think of. At least no other band jumped to mind, and while this album fits squarely into the indie/alternative realm, its highly accessible nature allows for it to be easily devoured by mainstream rock and pop junkies.
Each track on “Mammals Amongst Us,” is packed full of finely-tuned energy, enthusiasm and retro-rhythms, making it evident that this trio is carving a niche for themselves that no one else can occupy.
All Dogs Invited
OFFICIAL LINKS & WEBSITES:
Reverbnation
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