From the San Diego Reader:
Proto-indie trailblazers the Rockin’ Dogs were a vital force San Diego’s early-’80s Ché Underground scene. From their beginnings in the North San Diego County suburb of Poway in 1981 until their demise four years later, their frenzied sonic attack combined with soulful singing and songwriting to forge a sound that transcended its components. The nucleus of the seminal band comprised triple-threat singers/songwriters/lead guitarists Sam Wilson and Dave Ellison. Launching their partnership at age 14, Ellison and Wilson absorbed the influences of ’70s punk, as well as ’50s and ’60s rock and roll, country, blues, and folk music. They later began developing their own unique and complementary approach, designed to offer a loud and joyous answer to the sonic bombast of arena rock.
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