Category: Regions

New York City indie-rock band Charlie Sub & Sound Dogs will be releasing their single, “The Bronx Is Burning,” exclusively with NYS Music today, April 25. The single and title track of the EP will be officially released to the public on Friday, April 26.

The full EP will be unveiled on May 17, which blends 70’s inspired rock and roll with a modern twist. The band goes back to an iconic time in musical history, driving a melody that is full of emotion and passion from a city that never, ever sleeps.

Band leader and vocalist Charlie Sub and his seven-piece band layer elements of blues, jazz and soul over their indie-rock core. The single begins with solo snare, followed by a blazing saxophone melody. The remaining six follow in the energetic tracks. Throughout the song, the band builds up climactic tension, heard through Sub’s rich vocals and the dynamic energy of the band, to help support while reflecting on the chaos, dread and brewing anger of the late 70’s NYC scene. 

People were on edge that summer as raw energy pulsed through a smoky city. The highlight of that year was the Yankees, under Billy Martin, winning the World Series. As you watched the home games on TV, clouds of smoke from the burning Bronx buildings would sweep over the field.”

Charlie Sub

When Sub sings “The Bronx Is Burning,” you would think you were hearing the vocals of David Bowie along with this horn-fueled, angsty tune. With the addition of dark horns and a rhythm section to further shape Sub’s story that one could hear through his penetrating lyrics, you wonder where Sub gained inspiration for “The Bronx Is Burning.”

“It was 1977 and I was living on my own just out of college,” said Sub. “New York was in bad shape that year. The city was bankrupt; ‘Son of Sam’ was terrorizing people and landlords were burning down their buildings to collect insurance on their bad investments. People were on edge that summer as a raw energy pulsed through a smoky city. The highlight of that year was the Yankees, under Billy Martin, winning the World Series. As you watched the home games on TV, clouds of smoke from the burning Bronx buildings would sweep over the field.”

Charlie Sub & Sound Dogs perform original music inspired by an iconic era in rock-n-roll history. They combine the singing and songwriting skills of Charlie Sub with the guitar mastery of Pat Branch, keyboard melodies of Rich Brotman, dynamic backing vocals of Genevieve Faivre, saxophone harmonics of Pete Esser, richness of guitarist David Newman and tasteful drumming of Gandhi Gonzalez. Founded in 2014, Charlie Sub & Sound Dogs bring their own infusion of rock, blues and 70’s inspired history back to life, with regular shows of original music throughout New York City.

The inspiration behind Sub’s music goes back to his childhood. His father, Paul Sub, owned and managed the Coventry Club in Queens, a famous club that featured acts like Kiss, The New York Dolls and others that were starting out in the ‘70s. Sub, who previously worked for his father at the club, was inspired by the groups that performed. Sub would later use this inspiration to build his own musical identity and create his original sound.

“The Bronx Is Burning” will be available everywhere tomorrow. The four-track EP slated to be released on May 17, can be pre-ordered on Apple Music and Amazon. The band will celebrate the release of the EP with a series of upcoming shows, with further summer announcements to come. The Bronx is Burning was recorded by Michael Abiuso (The Venetia Fair, Kiss Kiss, The Gay Blades) at Behind the Curtains Media.

You can follow Charlie Sub & Sound Dogs on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, YouTube, and their website where you can learn about their music and future gigs HERE.