Locals We Are Totes Crushing On

The Moondoggies photo by Abbey of Seattlest and Sound on the Sound

All that talk of lumberjack chic returning to the Seattle scene got us all unintentionally heated under our (flannel) collar about our favorite local band rocking the oh-so-hot look: The Moondoggies. The next big thing out of Seattle sounds like the best of what was created at Big Pink, full of rollicking dusty blues, molasses-thick harmonies, and some straight up shit-kicking rockers.

Lead singer Kevin Murphy's voice is at once rough and sweet, with a slight twang, though he's an Everett boy. He is the Moondoggie fully rocking the lumberjack look, with chops that almost meet under his chin. And unlike the other cultivators of the plaid tidal wave (see: The Fleet Foxes), The Moondoggies actually look like they could swing an axe and not fall over. Murphy is adeptly backed vocally and on the Rhodes by Caleb Quick, who's also been known to look mighty fine in a flannel shirt at a Moondoggies show or two.

The band's debut album Don't Be A Stranger was released in August by Hardly Art. The Moondoggies are currently on the road for their first West Coast tour, where we are certain audiences everywhere are going to fall in love with the band's jangly take on classic rock. If you're a Seattle ex-pat, see if these guys are rolling into your new town and check them out live. We highly recommend you all pick up the band's album at your favorite local record store; it goes great with a cup of morning coffee in the rain or an evening sip of bourbon. With the lumberjack look, sweet slide guitar, and a Band-esque sound, The Moondoggies are locals we totally can't help but crush on.