Attention hipster band fans, meet Mr. McCloskey
As crazy as it might seem, teachers actually have lives too, and pretty cool ones at that. Ryan McCloskey, an LM Spanish teacher, is one of six members of a band called Song Dogs, formed in 2008. Song Dogs, made up of a mix of educators from different areas in Philadelphia, plays live shows at various clubs and festivals throughout Philadelphia and New York. The founding members of the band united while rehearsing for a talent show at South Philadelphia High School, where they were coworkers.
Song Dogs plays a mix of classic, blues, and country rock, with two guitarists, a bassist, a drummer, a percussionist, and an organist. McCloskey, who rocks out on the electric guitar, says that the band’s “strength is in our diversity of sound, our song craftsmanship, and energetic interplay on stage.” The band members share songwriting duties for the original music that they play, and they all sing, which turns varying “vocal harmonies into one of the defining aspect of [their] sound.”
They released their first EP, called Song Dogs and the Nightjar, in 2011, and their first full-length album in 2013, called Wild Country. Their music has achieved mention in The New York Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer, who describe it as a good fit for “road-trip soundtracks” and as “reminiscent of The Allman Brothers and Neil Young.”
McCloskey and his band just released their second full album, Heartlands, which has been self-recorded and produced over the last year in different spaces throughout the city and features guest appearances by other Philadelphia musicians. It represents the band’s collaborative songwriting experience, featuring classic Americana, prairie-style rock, and McCloskey describes it as their “best work to date.” Listen for his mellow lead vocals on track two, called “Like You’ve Never Known,” and track ten, “Same Night, Same Sky.”
You can find Heartlands on iTunes, Amazon, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Pandora. Also, you can head to themerionite.org for an album download code and explore the Song Dogs’ website, wearesongdogs.com. McCloskey has an awesome part-time job; everyone should go check out his impressive work!