Bark at the moon

>> Howlin Hound Dogs rock 'n' roll over

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

"The guy who recorded the record didn't get it at first," chuckles Howlin Hound Dogs drummer Peter Sandmark. "I kept telling him to put more echo on the vocals, and he was looking at me like I was crazy. Only later, when he listened to it over and over while burning demo copies did he finally figure it out. He called me up to say he got it, and how much he liked it."

What Sandmark and co. were after in the recording of their debut platter Jitter Bop Baby! was an authentic sound to match their choice of authentic rockabilly tunes, be they obscure covers or originals of their own. The quartet has been at it for several years now, keeping Montrealers on their feet with genuine and reasonably paced rock 'n' roll jitters that never raunch out into revisionist psychobilly mayhem. That said, "I'm glad we used the modern recording equipment," notes Sandmark, "which gives it that extra punch to put it over the top."

Further accuracy comes through in the vocals of singer/twangster Noel Thibault. In person he's pur-laine Québécois, on plastic he's a pure-bred, high-lonesome country boy straight outta Tennessee. Queried on this, he smiles and rattles off a list of his influences: "Johnny Walker, Johnny Burnett, Johnny Cash..." Nobody's makin' a Johnny-on-the-spot out of this guy!

What's most important to these guys is doing their part for what they see as a vibrant, worldwide rock 'n' roll scene that's too lively to be squared away as simple nostalgia, and too inclusive to be an obnoxious insiders' club. "You hear all kinds of music at these things," says Sandmark, "Rockabilly, swing, jump blues, country, western swing--and from all over, too."

Such events are also admirable for how holistic (excuse the new-age lingo) they are. At throwdowns like the Hemsby Festival in England and Viva Las Vegas down south, live bands are just part of the fun, along with DJs, clothes, cars, décor, haircuts, tattoos and retro-style dance lessons--Montreal's own Miss Wolff, who jumpstarted the scene here with classes, is a regular vedette at such events.

"We're gearing up for the Road Agents Rumble in Connecticut this July," says Sandmark, gazing fondly at images of crazy hot rods that herald the event. In the meantime, the key's in the ignition for Jitter Bop Baby!, and there's room on the rumble seat for everyone.

CD launch at Swimming on Friday, May 25, 10:30pm, $5