Signed to popular indie club's IAMSOUND and National Anthem off the back of just one single - the divine, dusty rock track 'The Ocean and the Sea' - Bird Dog have a fair weight of expectation resting on their shoulders. Fortunately for these five strapping Californians, they have more solid tunes to back up the initial hype. Misty Shrub, their debut EP, drops early next year, but rather than hang back and bombard us with new music in January, Bird Dog are offering up another taste of the record in 'The Desert Song'. As you might guess from the title, this one bottles a feeling of pure road-trip nostalgia; throwing a rucksack into the boot of an battered sedan and turning up the sunny, sweet melodies - euphoric chimes, simple rocksteady beats, yearning guitar licks and crystal-clear chants. A real joy to spin when reality (and the cold) begins to bite. - DC