I try to stay on top of what's going on in the rock scene these days. The music industry is so expansive now that hoping to keep up with everything going on is a fool's errand; no, best to stick to one genre and run yourself ragged trying to keep up with your little niche. So, the rock scene. There's a lot going on in rock ‘n’ roll right now. A massive revival of late 70s hard rock, a renewed interest in southern and western rock, and recently an uptick in bands inspired by the new wave movement of the 80s. If you're asking my opinion, however, the hottest new thing in rock has to be Dogpark's new single “75$72.”
Dogpark is a New York City-based outfit that's been around for a few years now. Since 2023, they've dropped two EPs and several singles, which have garnered them a loyal following. Their sound is reminiscent of the grimy blues rock that exploded in the early 2000s. It's muddy and warm, the kind of thing you hear spilling out of a secondhand boutique amp with a blown-out speaker. Stylistic, savvy, but still dingy enough to rock the foundation of your favorite skeezy dive. “75$72” is the epitome of such music.
The song starts off mellow—a little picking, a steady beat, and lyrics that lay down the rhythm. By the time the song swells to the first chorus, you're hooked. Then that second guitar comes in, and before you know it, they're dueling for the title of tastiest riff you've heard all week.
This is a tune best enjoyed on a speaker that can speak the hell up. Never mind audio quality; your only concern here is volume. In an ideal scenario, each kick of the bass drum would feel like taking the business end of a wooden bat to the chest; however, you should be able to at least feel the static buzz of the warring solos in your teeth. Anything less is doing Dogpark a disservice.
Dogpark is a band that's easy to fall in love with. They sound like something you've heard once before, playing over the semi-professionally wired speakers of a basement record shop. So familiar yet still going in its own direction. It's a timeless flavor of rock with a kiss of blues that Dogpark seems to have a mastery of.
If you haven't heard “75$72” yet, I recommend hopping in your car, turning the stereo up all the way, and blasting it until your head begins to pound in time with the beat. There's plenty more where that came from as well, so don't be shy; take the deep plunge into Dogpark today. If you like what you hear, there are a few dates left on their Corporate Pudding tour, so you may be able to catch them live yet. If you can’t, don’t worry; there looks to be big things on the horizon for Dogpark.
