A Christmas gift from Santa Dog

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On November 28, 2005, Monday, I received the following e-mail:

Hey Alfie,

Just found your blog via a Google search. Great to see that our MP3 is on the list. Let us know your postal address, and we'll send you a complimentary copy of our EP.

All the best,
Rowena

Rowena Dugdale is the vocalist/guitarist of Santa Dog, a newly formed UK band hailing from Bristol, England. Her bandmates are Rob Williams on lead guitars, Jojo Harper on bass, and Martin Maidment on drums. They have so far released two EPs, Delicate and The Chemical.

I came across Santa Dog through a music blog site. The name of the band was what first caught my fancy. After downloading and listening to their songs featured on the site, I immediately fell for their music, which had traces of '80s Alternative Rock / Guitar Pop / New Wave.

I was really surprised to receive a message from Santa Dog's vocalist, more so, to receive a complimentary copy of their second EP directly from them.

Here's my reply to Rowena's e-mail:

Dear Rowena,

The honor and pleasure is mine—to receive a kind message from Santa Dog. Actually, I just stumbled upon your song from another blog site. The name of your band caught my fancy; your songs got my interest as well.

Thanks in advance for offering to send me a free copy of your EP. Autographed? Hehehe. It will be a priceless addition to my collection.

As soon as I have received the EP, I'll post a review on my blog site.

Thank you very much.

By the way, you may send the CD here——

On December 9, 2005, Friday, one of the mails Tita Lucy had retrieved from the mailbox was the Santa Dog CD! I never expected to receive it that soon. Immediately, I unwrapped Santa Dog's Christmas gift to me and listened to it.

Santa Dog's EP, The Chemical, contains four songs: "Chemical," "Nest," "Flame," and "Katy," all of which easily sated my musical taste. The guitar tracks of the songs reminded me of favorite bands like The Sundays, The Cranberries, and All About Eve. Rowena's voice has the sweetness of Caroline Crawley's of Shelleyan Orphan.

The Chemical EP starts off with the title track, which boasts of a lush soundscape of interwoven guitar melodies and sound of the synth lingering in the backdrop. Following "Chemical," is "Nest," which begins with subtly distorted guitar strums. I particularly like the glockenspiel-sounding keyboard melody of this song. "Flame" has hints of the aggressiveness of Dolores O'Riordan and the rest of The Cranberries (Think of "Salvation" and "Free to Decide"). The last song, "Katy," is the danceable and sing-along moment of the EP.

DOWNLOAD two Santa Dog songs: "Chemical" and "Delicate." You can also buy a copy of the EP via their Web site.

Again, my gratitude goes to Santa Dog, especially to you, Rowena. The CD you sent me is the first gift to fill the Christmas sock I have hung on the wall.