The Cloak Ox – Shoot the Dog
I was reading a recent article by StarTribune’s Chris Riemenschneider about a Minneapolis band The Cloak Ox and it perked my interest. I searched them on Spotify and gave them a listen.
SIDE BAR – Spotify is too good to be true. For 10 bucks a month I can load my iPhone up with new music every release Tuesday or every time I stumble across and article like Riemenschneider’s profile of The Cloak Ox and sample new albums. I know Spotify does not give the artist shit, but I try to make it up to the artist by buying the CD (or if feasible their vinyl LP) for the ones I like. Don’t worry no artist is losing sales – I would never have bought your album anyway (as Eeyore says “thanks for noticing me”). So the fraction of a cent you get from my one listen is better than nothing. There is the chance I might fall in love with your album like I have just done with The Cloak Ox’s Shoot the Dog.
Holly crap – is this good. How does a local band that I have never heard of (not much of stretch as I have my head pretty deeply buried up my middle-aged suburban ass) have such a fully realized sound and totally coherent ALBUM? This is why I keep checking out new music – the same reason prospectors keep panning – for that amazing heavy gold nugget. The Cloak Ox just made a big old brick of an ingot out of that nugget. I have listened to this at least once a day for a week and it just gets richer with every listen.
I hear Pink Floyd, Television, Queen and Wilco, yet it is totally original. Ever read one of those top 100 lists and you see something you have never heard of? You check it out and wonder how you missed this your whole life – that is what The Cloak Ox’s Shoot the Dog sounds like to me. I feel like I found a lost classic, yet it just came out a few weeks ago and it a debut album on a local indie label!
The music is great, but as bonus the album is beautifully recorded with rich arrangements.
I am truly stunned by this album’s greatness – can’t wait to get the LP.
Axl's Catch Groove 
Good recommendation. “This is why I keep checking out new music”. I get it. Gave a quick listen. I liked it.
Always amazed that there are amazing local bands that for the most part are never heard beyond local ears.
So many that we miss. I’ve stumbled onto some really goods ones in my backyard over the years. It’s a hard gig trying to get your music out there. That’s why this word of mouth thing works for me. Spread the love to some of these bands. That’s what you do.