Air date: Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Top Shelf Music is proud to present Episode 60 of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosted by Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos! On today’s podcast, Manhattan and Ramos chats with The Dodies, a two-piece garage rock duo from the southern desert of Israel. Yoni Avittan fronts the band as lead vocalist and guitarist, while Ran Aronson sings backing vocals and simultaneously plays bass lines on keyboard with one hand and an entire drum kit with the other.
Their songs dive headfirst into depression, alienation and rage, contrasted by hooky riffs and catchy melodies.
In 2016, The Dodies self-recorded and independently released their first album, but soon after began working with renowned producers Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal (guitarist for Asia, Sons Of Apollo, ex-Guns N’ Roses) and Matt Novesky (owner of Orb Studios in Austin, TX and former bassist of Blue October). The band has since performed shows in New York City, Los Angeles and Austin. The album It’s One Hell of a Ride was released in 2020.
The first single “Boiling Point” was accompanied by a quirky and fun music video (produced by Monster Filmmakers) that shows a lighter side of the band. The animated video for “Alien” (filmed and edited by Eden Zemer, with original artwork by Jenny Vasiutin and Yoni Avittan) followed a few months after.
The Dodies links: Spotify | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Website
About the podcasters
Skunk Manhattan:
Skunk is a musician, primarily known as the frontman and guitarist for eclectic heavy-rock band A Good Rogering. Since moving to Austin in 2004, he has recorded and performed with a wide variety of bands and solo artists over a career spanning more than 20 years and has shared the stage with notable acts, such as Skid Row, Marty Friedman, Uli Jon Roth, George Lynch and Metal Church among others. Skunk not only works as a performing musician and recording artist, but also as a producer and music teacher. With two decades of insight into what it means to be a professional musician and a passion for not only music, but comedy and general chatter, Skunk was quick to jump at the opportunity to co-host a podcast with longtime friend, Victor Ramos.
Victor Ramos:
A Texas native, Victor’s early musical influences are a mixture of classic rock albums played by his Vietnam vet father and a whole lot of ‘the Fab Four’ via his Beatles-loving mother. Sprinkle in some classic country and Motown, and you have a man that would say “¿que?” when other Tejanos would ask what his favorite cumbia was. After a stint in the Marines, Victor moved to Austin in 2000 and began working in the tech industry. He met Skunk in a Spanish class in 2005 and the two discovered a shared passion for not only beer, but music. After years of collectively attending concerts and talking music, the idea to start a podcast centering around such topics seemed like a logical endeavor.
Photography by Kaili Rose
Eclectic Soundtrax links: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Share this article
or
Get music updates in your inbox