# Artist of the Week: Meet Snowdogs – A Fine Breed of Underground Hard Rock

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2007/05/artist-of-the-week-meet-snowdogs-a-fine-breed-of-underground-hard-rock/
- Published: 2007-05-30T07:10:00-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

They turned their back on classical piano and formed a hot indie hard rock band,
the **Snowdogs**, a three-piece rock outfit from Finland that is just waiting to
explode.

“Who?” you say?

OK, here’s the deal: The band’s name doesn’t really convey the hard rock scene that
they definitely have earned their place in.

Snowdogs punch out infectious hard rock with memorable hooks that are reminiscent
of **The Replacements, Green Day** and **Blues Traveler**.

But that damn name. Snowdogs vocalist and guitarist **Ville Leppanen** conceded 
to _Crazewire_ in a 2004 interview, that it didn’t help the band any when **Disney
Studios** released the movie “Snow Dogs,” (2003) a cuddly-sweet G-rated movie about
a novice leader of a dog sled team starring the “what-ever-happened-to-Cuba-Gooding-
Jr.”
[](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/VR174.jpg)After school they
joined up with drummer **Benjy Reid** and worked diligently to release their cogent
2001 debut _Animal Farm_.The band’s freshmen work quickly won acclaim among the 
British music press and soon forged a relationship that led to their signing on 
with the popular U.S. independent label **Victory Records**.

The influence of the 70’s arena-rock band **Rush** is no accident. Ville’s brother
and bassist **Mat Leppanen** is a huge Rush fan. The two Finnish brothers are American
educated classical pianists. 
Snowdogs caught on pretty fast in the European indie
rock scene after releasing their second album, _Deep Cuts, Best Remedies_ (2003)
gained the band a healthy dose of attention from mainstream, but especially college
rock, radio shows and indie blogs.

In the extremely competitive, and easily-disposable, world of the rock business,
Snowdays ascended to rock notarity fairly fast, but found themselves craving to 
score as many high-profile gigs as soon as possible while they had the momentum –
another savvy move. Rolling Stone magazine even compared them to REM.
With the confluence
of all the right elements and of course the proven talent to make solid, memorable
indie and alternative rock, Snowdogs was now a group fans wanted to see and before
long the band was opening for lead acts like Blink 182, MXPX, Alkaline Trio and 
Less Than Jake.

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Overall, the Victory release of _Deep Cuts, Best Remedies_ did well in Europe, but
not as well in the U.S. Nevertheless, tracks like “End of the World” and “Your Sorry
Ass” are great examples of the band’s talent and why they’ve earned rock and roll
credibility.

Another track “Hell Outta Dodge” is a catchy pop rocker reminiscent of **D-Generation**
laced with hints of **Aerosmith** and Blues Traveler.

Despite the album’s solid catalog of fresh and catchy rock songs interlaced with
thrilling moments of great rock jams, the most influential gaggles of rock music
critics and publications in the U.S. either did not hear them or failed to realize
just how good these guys are.

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