New Music: Dog on Fleas “Buy One Get One Flea”

Call me a word nerd.  I love when someone has the ability to swirl language around to make something both true and funny.

So, yeah, I’m also a sucker for a good pun.  It takes a pretty bad one to make me groan and roll my eyes.  But if it’s delivered well with the right mix of wit and humor?  I fall apart at the seams with chuckles.

With a title like Buy One Get One Flea, Dog on Fleas’ latest album speaks to that side of me that likes to be pun-ished.  Get it?  Oh, never mind.

It’s hard not to like this band.  With their unfettered energy, bold and varied instrumentation and imaginative writing, Dog on Fleas is a band you can rely on to deliver music chock full of smart, fun and unique ideas.  Their eighth release is no exception, but certainly exceptional.

At the helm of Dog on Fleas stands Dean Jones, a Grammy Award winning producer who may unequivocally be the golden child of the independent children’s music scene.  His endearing voice draws you in, and before you know it, you’re tapping your toes and crooning along to lyrics like “I must be a genius, because I love you.”

My favorite songs on Buy One Get One Flea showcase the band’s humorous and skillful art of language and musicality.

For starters, “Palindrome” provides a fantastic introduction to a literary tactic.  My son loves palindromes and tries to find them everywhere, so this song really resonated with him.  Shortly after the standard “Mom” and “Dad” ones are presented, more complicated scenarios, like short sentences are tackled.  You know what I have to say to that?  Wow.  See what I did there?  BOOM, palindrome!

“High School Reunion” isn’t really a song, per se, as there’s no distinct and repeatable melody, but it satisfies my word nerd essence.  Basically, it’s a bunch of guys standing at a reunion pointing out old friends, which really becomes a riff on funny names like Sam Wich or Dan Singmachine.  And I love the genuine sound of these guys cracking each other up.

Instead of millionaires or billionaires, Dog on Fleas propose the idea of reveling in being loaded with hundos in “Hundredaires.”  This is an economic class structure that I could maybe classify as, say, if I curbed my Target spending a little.

One of the many things I love about Dog on Fleas’ latest album is the sheer variety of musical instruments used.  Strings, woodwinds, brass instruments, kazoos along with traditional band instruments. And is that a glockenspiel or maybe even a theremin that I hear?

Sure, it could sound like a disastrous cacophony, but mastered through Jones’ production, it sounds more like a wicked good time.  Strongest in songs like “It’s a Ruse” and the instrumental “Over the Waves” and “Grand March from Aida”, the bizarre collection of instruments creates a rowdy, boisterously delightful environment.

Not only does Dog on Fleas make songs that stimulate the mind and the ears, but also the soul.  “Thinking Good Thoughts” is a great reminder for kids to think positive and not get so down and sullen.  Resiliency is key.   And the love song “I Must Be a Genius” just makes you feel good, inside and out.

Rounding out the album is “Pardon My Pajamas” (a lazy tune that could be our Snow Day anthem this winter), “Hinterlands” (a lopping travel song), “If I Were You I’d Give Me a Kiss” (pondering an interesting conundrum), “Herring’s Head” (a song that reminds me a bit of They Might Be Giants, with a hint of sea salt),  “I am a Sailor “ (more story than song),  and “Dry Beans” (an ode to the legume).

To celebrate this nugget of an album, I’m giving away one free copy to a lucky reader!  All you have to do to enter is fill out the Rafflecopter widget below by Friday, February 21 at 11:59pm EST. Open to contiguous U.S. residents only.

Dog on Fleas’ Buy One Get One Flea is available on Amazon, CD Baby and iTunes.

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I was provided a copy of this product for review purposes. All opinions are 100% completely my own.