Dog Men Poets throw down with guitar funk, hip-hop and slam poetry to blend a unique sound. They will open for Fall Out Boy and Paul Wall at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on June 20. Alicia Wagner Calzada | Contributor

Listen to snippet of Dog Men Poet's 'Anthem'

The band: Dog Men Poets

The sound: Danceable, groove-oriented funk with three- and four-part harmonies grounded in a tradition of slam poetry.

The members: Brouillet, vocals and keyboards; G-Smiles, funk guitar; Fernando, bass; BJ, percussion; Damien a.k.a. Salinas, drums

Their words: “The first album, I think we were just having fun with it. The stuff we've been writing lately has been a lot more personal. I think it's just a shift, a natural growth of the songwriting. If that's ‘Spinal Tap' enough for you.” — Brouillet

Their record: Birth of the Cool (2005)

Where to see them: The band tends to play at Rebar and Jack's Patio Bar & Grill regularly. This month, they're playing the Fiesta Oyster Bake at St. Mary's University on April 21. and opening for Fall Out Boy and Paul Wall at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on April 25.

The Web: dogmenpoets.com; myspace.com/dogmenpoets

The 210 take: DMP sounds like a lot of different bands — G-Love, Floetry, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sublime — but no other band sounds quite like DMP. The guys start each set with a spoken-word piece, but that doesn't mean they can't throw a hell of a party. Look for their new album, tentatively titled Down for the Cause, set for late spring or early summer.

Jessica Belasco | Contributor