From any way one might look upon them, The Sheepdogs of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, are living the dream of being rock stars on the rise.
Earlier this year, the band became the first unsigned act to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, and it didn't take long for the band to be scooped up by Atlantic Records in that wake. Combine that with a choice set at Bonnaroo, and things are indeed pretty rosy for the young band.
And these stoners from the Great White North very much deserve the shine coming their way, based on the strength of the five songs on their EP, Five Easy Pieces. Their brand of Doobie Brothers-inflected rock 'n' soul swims along, establishing a hearty promise for more scruffy goodness to come down the line.
With the Sheepdogs swinging through town tonight opening up for the amazing Robert Randolph at the Granada Theater -- and no World Series game to worry about -- we thought it would be cool to see what fellow Canadian acts these newly discovered Canadians believe deserve our attention sooner than later.
The Sheepdogs' All-Time Top Five Favorite Canadian Acts You Should Also Know
Sloan. They're the greatest power-pop band of the modern-era. Their album, Navy Blues, became one of our favourites at age 12 and it's still a favourite today.
Thrush Hermit. Big riffs, rockin' jams and Joel Plaskett's keen sense of melody made the Herm a winner. Clayton Park is one of the Sheepdogs' go-to driving albums.
Matt Mays. Yet another East Coast rocker, Mays is great whether strumming an acoustic for a little country-tinged roots music or dialing in a big helping of classic guitar rock. Check out the Matt Mays & El Torpedo album.
The Sadies. One of the best live bands you'll ever see. The Sadies mix country, garage rock and surf rock, all with a healthy dose of psychedelia. Touring with these lads made us a much better band.
The Deep Dark Woods. Our brother band from Saskatoon, these fellas play a slow-rollin' brand of rock that is born out of traditional folk music. They sing with great harmony and play some mean guitar too.
