Album review: TRACK DOGS – Still at the Music

October 11th, 2026 by jason

Mondegreen Records [Release date 06.11.16]

I can’t believe the Track Dogs have been together twenty years, released 11 albums and played Glastonbury and the Royal Albert Hall and I’ve never heard of them.

Mind you, they are unlike anything Ive heard before – a heady mix of intoxicating rhythms provided by hand claps and cajon, four lead vocals which in harmony are comparable to Crosby Still Nash and Young, Miles toned shimmering trumpet, and a weave of banjo ukulele, mandolin, keyboards and guitar, all played by the four guys which make up the band.

It would be hard to lay a genre on these cats, as there are so many lurking beneath the surface – an eclectic mix of world, power pop with attitude, (think Paul Heaton), ragtime, latin, cuban, folk and New Orleans jazz all infused with ear worm chorus’s. It’s uplifting, exhuberant, exhilarating, joyous and infectious. The more I play it the more I love it.

They all met in Madrid where they formed in 2006 and still reside there. They are two Irish, one English and one American. They have a self deprecating humour which is evident in the lyrics, of the title and title track of the album, which pokes fun at people who always say “are you still at the music then”, as if is some kind of illness which will be cured eventually. And with titles such as Who Were You Thinking Of, (when we were at it last night), Catching Rockies, about fishing for nine inch, one pound fish in Ohio and I’ll Take You Home. Social observations can be found in The Right Side (Of History) and The Hardest Of Hearts. And what album would be complete without a heart tugging love song as in Mirror Mirror, and the last track The Sun Goes Down. When I first heard this track I thought wow that sounds like Phil Lynott it has to be one of the Irish guys singing this one, and then looking at the sleeve I saw it was indeed a Phil Lynott song, containing unmistakable Lynott vocal melodies and phrasing, and featured on Thin Lizzy’s Thunder And Lightening. It being the last single before they split up.

But wait! I haven’t introduced the purveyors of this enigmatic and enticing music. They are; Garrett Wall – acoustic guitar, ukelele, piano and claps, Robbie K Jones (him of the big beard) cajon, percussion and claps, Howard Brown trumpet keyboards and claps, and Dave Mooney bass mandolin and claps. See how claps play such a big part of their sound. As mentioned before they are all lead and harmony vocalists. Together they make outstanding music, very evident on this 11 track album, which begs to be added to your already eclectic collection.

The Track Dogs (which is a name taken from the underground subculture of people living in New York’s underground train system and not after Greyhound racing) are doing a few dates in the UK in November, none in the north unfortunately. Maybe next time lads. *****

Review by Andy Sharrocks

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 28 September 2026

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CRASHING WAYWARD Bullet For Heart (Golden Robot Records)
DEAD POET SOCIETY Miami For The Weekend (Spinefarm)

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09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
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