(This post originally appeared on my other blog Strawberry Flats, which was dedicated to my love of roots music.)

In the early 1990s I worshiped power pop. If somebody had asked me back then to rank my top five faves, I would’ve gone with 1) Big Star 2) Cheap Trick 3) The Move 4) Teenage Fanclub and 5) The Smithereens. What I’ve always liked about these five is how each one is a rock band first and a pop group second.

This is why I dig the Coydogs. They sound like three old school bar rockers obsessed with the Byrds, Roy Loney-era Flamin’ Groovies, Big Star, early Tom Petty, Gene Clark and Crazy Horse. I stumbled across their MySpace site several months ago and couldn’t fucking believe what I was hearing. Most modern bands whom critics tag power pop (the New Pornographers is the first name that comes to mind) lack the bar rock angle. In other words, they lack the power. There is a good reason for this: more often than not they’re indie kids whose groups are recording projects, not the nightly entertainment at the Holiday Inn out by the airport. Times change, obviously. But I prefer the older model. I love how a band like Cheap Trick balanced sweaty, organic grooves and heavily sweetened hooks. Something happens when you mix those two extremes that just blows my mind.

The Coydogs aren’t an actual bar rock band, yet they discovered the balance I’m talking about. As you’ll soon read in my recent e-mail interview with singer and guitarist Darian Zahedi, their roots lie in New York’s punk rock scene. But when it came time to put together the Coydogs they wanted to create more of a power pop/country rock kind of thing. This explains why the band can really jam. Sure, they have plenty of hooks; and yes, their debut album possesses plenty of in-the-studio ornamentation. But deep down the Coydogs are a live unit with all that urban cool Johnny Thunders is famous for exuding.

Then again, they also possess some of his desperation. The third to last tune on the record is a hellish, little number called “It’s Raining.” Dude has been kicked out of his apartment. His girl is banging somebody else. All he can do is bitch and moan about her bullshit and how it sucks to be outside when it’s raining. Needless to say, the tune drills itself in to the concrete. But hey, it’s super catchy, too.

Strawberry Flats: I’ve been spinning your debut album about three times a week, yet I know very little about you guys. Please give me a little background. How did you come together? How old are you guys? Were you born and raised in New York City?
The Coydogs: We came together out of a close-knit scene that basically centered around CBGB, Mars Bar, and other [Lower East Side] clubs and bars. It was a new heyday for punk and rock in New York, and we had bands that were doing well. But eventually our old bands imploded, and as you know CBs closed down yada yada, and we wanted to do something totally different. We are now in our late ’20s, I suppose. None of us were born or raised in NYC.

You guys live in New York, but unlike a lot of bands there you seem to keep a fairly low profile. Is this intentional?
Some of us don’t necessarily live anywhere in particular. We are not always in the same place at the same time. I think the low profile is just a symptom of our respective lives.

Do the Coydogs play out a lot or do you spend more time practicing?
Hmm. Difficult to say, really.

Why did you offer your debut as a digital-only release? Personally, I would like to see a deluxe gatefold LP!
Gatefolds are nice, if you can find a label willing to shell out for something that many now view as an anachronism. I prefer vinyl, of course, but it’s a luxury now. I think people — not record collectors, audiophiles and purists — are more likely to download a song or two for a playlist. Also, because we are not touring, we don’t need things to sell on the road. It just happens to work out.

How do you guys write songs? Do you have a primary songwriter?
Two of us write songs, almost in completion, then bring them in. We have similar voices, but if you listen close, you can here the distinction.

Also, it sounds as if you and Nick split vocal duties. Who has the gravelly voice and who occupies that higher register?
Ha! I answered before reading on. I suppose mine is a bit harsher and strained sounding. We trade-off on singing high harmonies. Nick [Storella] has more of a Gene Clark thing going but has grit in his voice, too, when he yells. For Darian check out “Daggers” for Nick “In So Deep.”

The first thing that grabbed me about your music was its physicality. Unlike most modern indie bands, who seem to champion production over the jam, you guys groove like an old bar rock band. It’s almost as if you tapped a dead tradition. How is that even possible in 2008?
Ignoring everything but what we really like and feel. Playing from the heart — it’s simple but true and makes the band what it is.

I noticed the Sadies are your MySpace friends. Have you ever played together? You share a love for classic chops that most modern indie bands lack.
Never played together but we really like them a lot. It’s inspiring to hear other bands playing more a traditional style of music in a modern context. They happen to do it better than any other band around right now. I think people have been conditioned to think that if a current band doesn’t show a hefty degree of post-punk or new wave influence, they are not really modern. Malarchy.

I never ask for lists, but what the fuck. What are your five favorite country-rock albums?
Hmm. Country rock? Favorite? Five? Here’s a few that might fit the bill: 1) Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline 2) The Band 3) The Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo 4) The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark and 5) Willie & The Family Live.