This site too slow? Try a mirror  --  Subscribe to the Guide  --  Find artist:
the Ectophiles' Guide: * Guide Home* What's new* * Alphabetical* Genre* Commentator* Location* Random artist* Search* Contact the editors* Credits

Hank Dogs


Country of origin:

England

Type of music generally:

Contemporary folk, folk/rock

Status:

Most recent release, Half Smile, 2002 (US) and 2004 (UK)

See also:

Hank Dogs' brief Wikipedia entry

Comparisons:

Vocally Sandy Denny and Beth Orton

Covers/own material:

Own

General comments:

Guitar-based contemporary folk and folk/rock music with gorgeous vocals and lovely harmonies. The lead singer, Piano, has a stunning voice, somewhat reminiscent of Sandy Denny and Beth Orton. (Neile)

Comments about live performance:

I saw them open for Joan Baez about a month ago, and I found them generally tedious. They seemed to have pretty nice harmonies, but the set was completely listless. I couldn't make out many of their lyrics, except they seemed to be generally downbeat. I thought their sound might actually play out well on disc (or maybe in a smaller club?). Half of the people around me thought they were terrible and played far too long (about a 45-minute opening set), while the other half bought their discs. (3/99, neal)

Recommended first album:

bareback

Recordings:


bareback

Release info:

1999—Hannibal Records—HNCD 1413

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for fans of contemporary folk

Group members:

Piano—vocals, guitar
Lily—vocals, drums
Andy—guitars, bass, drums, vocals

Guest artists:

Sam Harley—bass on 3 tracks, strat on 2 tracks
Marilyn Barker—drums on 2 tracks
Vince De Cicco—accordion on 2 tracks
Dom De Cicco—steel on 1 track
Frey Smith—double bass on 1 track
Mark Jordan—trumpet on 1 track
Amanda Easton—ambience on 1 track
Julia Palmer—cello on 1 track
Zeb Jameson—piano on 2 tracks

Produced by:

Hank Dogs (3 tracks); Hank Dogs with Sam Harley (3 tracks); Sam Harley with Hank Dogs (6 tracks); Executive Producer, Joe Boyd

Comments:

This is really lovely throughout, especially the harmonies, but there are two songs that totally knock me out and are the stuff of obsession: the painfully haunting "Let Go" and the Spanish-rhythm-based dark and spare title track, "Bareback". These are amazing, heart-wrenching songs. The rest of the album is tough and and lovely, but these: wow. (Neile)

I had heard one song, "18 Dogs" on the radio once, and bought the CD based on that...glad I did, it's one of the best folk CDs I've heard in ages...produced by Joe Boyd, it's almost like stepping back in time 25 years. Musically it reminds me a bit of Pentangle, but with deeper vocals. (sspan)


Half Smile

Release info:

2002—Rykodisc/Carthage (US); 2004—Spinney (UK)—Spinney 004CD

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for folk fans

Group members:

Piano—vocals, guitar, sticks, accordion
Lily—vocals, drums, accordion, autoharp, percussion
Andy—vocals, guitars, bass, drums, mandolin, banjo, steel, e-bow
Dixie—love, inspiration

Guest artists:

Adam Kirk—dobro (5)
Jake Rousham—Fender Rhodes (6)
Julia Palmer—cello (9)
Jason NcNiff—guitar (11)
Matt Tweed—strang-up bass (12)

Produced by:

Hank Dogs; Executive producer, Joe Boyd

Comments:

The 2004 UK version has two extra tracks.

I don't like this as much as their first. It's like the bulk of that album—really lovely harmonies and tunes, but still not my thing. I really like the two edgy tracks on their first one while the rest I can appreciate, especially the harmonies. (Neile)

Don't miss Half Smile. Arguably better than their first. (phclark@uswest.net)


Why the ads?


Folk/Rock

1 - 40 of 124 entries

Ac-Ha  Ha-Me  Mi-We  Wi-Yo  >>

Click the bullet for speed (drop the menu) or the name for convenience (keep the menu)


>
The Acadias

>
The Albion Band

>
All About Eve

>
Blue Line Highway

>
Boiled in Lead

>
Melanie Bomar

>
Melissa Bret

>
Edie Brickell

>
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

>
Luke Brindley

>
Jonatha Brooke

>
Nancy Bryan

>
Jeff Buckley

>
Mary Chapin Carpenter

>
Marshall Chapman

>
Tracy Chapman

>
Bruce Cockburn

>
Cordelia's Dad

>
Cowboy Junkies

>
Crash Test Dummies

>
Crash Vegas

>
Julia Darling

>
Sandy Denny

>
Sandy Denny and The Strawbs

>
ani difranco

>
Nick Drake

>
Drop The Box

>
Kathleen Edwards

>
Penny Flanagan

>
Fotheringay

>
Allie Fox

>
Abbie Gardner

>
Garmarna

>
Thea Gilmore

>
Patty Griffin

>
Debra Guy

>
Trina Hamlin

>
Hank Dogs

>
Glen Hansard

>
Sarah Harmer

Ac-Ha  Ha-Me  Mi-We  Wi-Yo  >>


Other Genres...
the Ectophiles' Guide: * Guide Home* What's new* * Alphabetical* Genre* Commentator* Location* Random artist* Search* Contact the editors* Credits

DISCLAIMER: Comments and reviews in the Ectophiles' Guide are excerpted from the ecto mailing list or volunteered by members of the list. They are the opinions of music enthusiasts, not professional music critics.

Entry last updated 2008-11-16 18:00:26.
Please request permission if you wish to
reproduce any of the comments in the
Ectophiles' Guide in any context.

The Ectophiles' Guide to Good Music is copyright © 1996-2004 by the editors.
Individual comments are copyright © by their authors.
Web site design and programming copyright © 1998-2004 usrbin design + programming.
All rights reserved.