On their major-label debut, these Saskatchewan rockers – who won Rolling Stone's "Choose the Cover" contest last year – roll out taut, sun-beaten boogie that's snapped into scuzzy shape by producer Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. The Sheepdogs' talent is for variety and economy; songs that might go on for seven minutes are trimmed down to three, as they pinball from garage stomp ("Feeling Good") to Sweet-style metal pop ("While We're Young") to Allman Brothers-esque jazz rock ("Javelina!"). Listening to the Sheepdogs is like having good luck finding classic rock stations on a long road trip.

Click to listen to The Sheepdogs' 'The Way It Is'

“The Pretender”

This song wasn't part of the planned track listing for 2007's Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and was put together in a day. "It happened after we recorded a lot of stuff," said Dave Grohl. Yet it ended up as the album opener and the lead single. Grohl called it "a stomping Foo Fighters uptempo song with a little bit of Chuck Berry in it." The singer hinted at the lyrics' political overtones: "Everyone's been f---ed over before and I think a lot of people feel f---ed over right now and they're not getting what they were promised."