Dog Faced Gods

Comprised of bandmembers who come from mixed Hispanic and Native American backgrounds, Dog Faced Gods approach their style of hard rock with a different, deeper perspective than the majority of their peers. The California quartet is based on a small Native American reservation halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Beginning in January 2003, however, when the band formed and began playing live, vocalist Raymond "Shorty" Galvan, guitarist David "Snakeyez" Torres, bassist Fernando "Nando" Gonzales, and drummer Paul Garcia set their sights on what lies beyond. They launched their own label, Voodoo Nation Records, and made a name for themselves by playing such California-based clubs as the Whiskey a-Go-Go, Cat Club, and Cage Club. They also appeared at the 2003 Cypress Hill Smokeout, one of many performances that helped establish a growing fan following throughout the Golden State, and moved up in the club circuit, playing such establishments as the Roxy and House of Blues. The band took their music one step further in 2004 when they readied their debut album, Stoned Council. The culmination of a year's worth of practicing, performing, and songwriting, Stoned Council showcases Dog Faced Gods' untypical hard rock style — an eclectic style with alternative overtones and rap-metal undertones that is intense, personal, and soul-searching in tone but never overly sociopolitical à la Rage Against the Machine. Certainly not your typical California rock band — or from anywhere, for that matter — Dog Faced Gods circa their album debut showed much promise and also little sign of slowing down their forward progress. In mid-2004, the band further invigorated its lineup with Jack Daniels, a rhythm guitarist.