New Music Monday - Dr. Dog

The blogosphere is all a-buzz these days over a little known band from Philly named Dr. Dog. I heard a review of their latest album We All Belong on the Musicheads podcast recently, and I liked what I heard. A local Philly favorite since 2001, Dr. Dog is clearly enamored with 60’s and 70’s pop, even using primitive recording techniques to reproduce that nostalgic sound. It’s refreshing though, that the band can rise above mere derivatives of their influences and create some truly memorable music. Dr. Dog were noticed a few years ago by Jim James of My Morning Jacket and toured with them in 2002. Since then, word is spreading. Chief songwriters Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken could be considered classic rock-pop revivalists, but there is more going on here than simply rehashing the past. Loaded with talented songwriting, catchy hooks, vocal harmonies and interesting orchestration, the music manages to remind me what was so great about 70's popular music without slavish copying. Who thought echoes of the Bee Gees and ELO would sound so welcome in 2007?

We All Belong was recorded on a 24-track tape, a step up from the 8-track method used on their previous albums. Expect to hear more about these guys, and see this album on best of 2007 lists.


Listen: Ain't It Strange


Buy: We All Belong