This edition of Indie Rock Bops taps into sharp left turns, cathartic energy and playful weird-pop rock. Today’s pick delivers a whirlwind of melody, chaos and charm that refuses to sit still.
Dog Years – A Different Animal
Dog Years twist indie rock into corkscrewing, kaleidoscopic shapes, creating something chaotic, heartfelt and instantly addictive.
Newcastle outfit Dog Years return with A Different Animal, the first single from their forthcoming album MEGAFAUNA. It is a restless, jagged, fast-switching track that feels like flicking through decades of musical memory in one breath. From 60s jangle to 90s alt-rock clang, the band collide eras and instincts, stitching them into a song that constantly tries to wriggle out of its own skin.
The band recorded the track in their shared practice room at Clothworks, a former clothing factory turned creative hub. Surrounded by dub on one side and a Blur tribute band on the other, Dog Years worked in the cracks between the noise, capturing big live performances in a tiny rehearsal space. The approach was scrappy, instinctive and immediate: one or two takes, then move on. That urgency bleeds through the track’s spiky guitars, tumbling rhythms and Carly Fee’s gleaming harmonies.
Songwriter Simon Fee’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics add another layer: abstract but emotional, obscure yet oddly profound. The result is a track that spirals between humour, catharsis, harmony and chaos. It is ambitious without being bloated, packed with ideas but never losing its melodic punch.
With its bold detours, rapid-fire energy and unmistakable personality, A Different Animal is a thrilling opening statement for the MEGAFAUNA era, proving Dog Years are more inventive, more confident and more fun than ever.
