Next time you walk into a music store, check out the W section and count how many ‘Wolf Bands’ there are. There’s Wolfmother, Wolf Parade, Wolf Eyes, Guitar Wolf, Steppenwolf; you get the point – wolves happen to influence many musicians, especially when it comes to naming their bands.
And even though the word might be imitated, ‘Wolf Bands’ are never duplicated. A perfect example of this is Attacked By Wolves, a wolf band straight out of Toledo. You probably neglected them because they are not shelved under “W.” Wolves have a tendency to be sly.
Originally starting as a joke band, two guitar players Jordan Powers and Josh Jones played acoustic sets in clubs around Toledo. They soon found that their music sounded better with drums behind it and created a wolf band of their own.
“We wanted something cheesy,” Powers said. “People expect to see some kind of metal band and they get us.”
Attacked By Wolves produce a sound that is hard to define. But rest assured it is anything but metal. When describing the type of music they play, Powers called it Indie power pop.
“We try to mix as many genres as we can into one song,” Powers said.
The variety of genres explored by the band is apparent when listening to the band’s latest EP, “Ohio.”
Track one resembles a show tune and is followed by a song with hints of inspiration by the Beach Boys, the Beatles and Weezer.
It has been exactly three years since the Attacked By Wolves first entered the music scene.
Their lineup has changed throughout the years, but today the band consists of three guitarists/vocalists Powers, Jones and Doug Kollman, with JJ Kenczewicz on bass and Dave Hasbrouck on drums.
In 2005 the band released a self-titled album. Two years later, their anticipated second release was recorded in a three-day period in November of last year.
To celebrate their efforts, Attacked By Wolves will be performing tonight at the “Ohio” CD release party.
The show is at the Underground, behind Club Bijou in Toledo.
Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $7 at the door, but a discount coupon from the band’s MySpace page will get you in for $5.
Attacked By Wolves will be performing with four other bands including Bathhouse Betty, Purple Crayon, Straight to the Withdrawl and the Undeserving.
With this kind of lineup, there will be a little something for everyone. Of course, Attacked By Wolves fans will get their money’s worth.
“We’re an entertaining band,” Powers said. “Josh might drop his pants in the middle of a song.”
