Representative Albums: "Easy Beat," "We All Belong," "Fate"
Biography
Philadelphia indie pop act Dr. Dog is part of a long tradition of D.I.Y. pop oddballs who blend unapologetic '60s pop worship with lo-fi recording techniques and a complete disregard of current trends. R. Stevie Moore's quirky eclecticism is one obvious touchstone, as is their love of the straightforward pop hooks and tape hiss of Guided by Voices, Pavement's willfully fractured song structures, and the playful experimentalism of the Olivia Tremor Control and the Apples in Stereo.
Dr. Dog began as a part-time offshoot of the more traditional Philadelphia indie rockers Raccoon, whose guitarist Toby Leaman and drummer Scott McMicken recorded the casual, sprawling 35-track set The Psychedelic Swamp as a duo in a basement rehearsal space over the course of several years, finally self-releasing it in 2001. As Raccoon ended, McMicken and Leaman transformed Dr. Dog into a proper band, with McMicken on guitar and Leaman on bass (the two share songwriting and vocals), plus guitarist Doug O'Donnell, keyboard player Zach Miller, and drummer Juston Stens. This lineup recorded 2003's more focused and poppy Toothbrush, which like The Psychedelic Swamp received a low-key, self-distributed release.
When My Morning Jacket's Jim James, a friend of Leaman and McMicken from their Raccoon days, hand-picked Dr. Dog to open for his band on an East Coast tour supporting their first major-label album, It Still Moves, the band's almost nonexistent national profile began to rise. With O'Donnell replaced by former Raccoon bassist Andrew Jones and featuring Broken Social Scene-style guest spots from various Philadelphia friends, 2005's Easy Beat was picked up for distribution by the indie label National Parking. Following its release, the band toured again with My Morning Jacket and M. Ward and performed several well-received sets during the 2006 South by Southwest Festival in Austin. The stopgap EP Takers and Leavers was released in September 2006 in advance of We All Belong, which arrived in early 2007. Throughout the rest of that year, Dr. Dog began posting previously unreleased tracks on their website; the songs were later released as Passed Away, Vol. 1 in March of 2008. In the summer of that same year, the group released Fate. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
Scott McMicken (Taxi),
Toby Leaman (Tables),
Zach Miller (Text),
Juston Stens (Trouble),
Frank McElroy (Thanks)
Former members
Doug O'Donnell (Truck),
Ted Mark (Today),
Andrew Jones (Trial)
Dr. Dog is a psychedelic rock[1] band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The current lineup consists of Toby Leaman (bass), Scott McMicken (lead guitar), Frank McElroy (rhythm guitar), Zach Miller (keyboard), and Juston Stens (drums). Lead vocal duties are shared between Leaman and McMicken, with all members contributing harmonies. In addition each band member has a nickname, and they have explained that friends of the band also receive nicknames, which are drawn from various aspects of their lives and personalities (Former member Andrew Jones, for example, is a certified lawyer)[1].
The band's version of pop-rock is strongly influenced by bands of the 1960s. They are often compared to The Beatles, The Band, and The Beach Boys[2]. Their earlier recordings show influence of the lo-fi sound and pop sensibilities of indie rock bands of the 1990s, such as Guided By Voices and Pavement.[3] Recent albums have featured more polished production.
The band began as an offshoot of Leaman's and McMicken's earlier music project called Raccoon.[4] Dr. Dog formed with the addition of Miller, drummer Ted Mark, and guitarist Doug O'Donnell. Their early recordings were experimental and recorded on eight track. They self-recorded and self-released their first album The Psychedelic Swamp in 2001. They released Toothbrush in 2002. Mark left the band in 2003 and O'Donnell left in 2004. The band's early years were spent largely in and around Philadelphia where they developed a small fanbase.[5]
In 2004, My Morning Jacket brought them on tour. Soon after, The New York Times music critic Kelefa Sanneh praised the group's album Easy Beat in a December 2004 article, leading to attention from other critics. They signed with Park The Van Records, who released the album Easy Beat, and completed their first cross-country tour in 2005. A music video was released for the song "Fool's Life". Late 2005 saw the departure of Jones, who became a full-time lawyer. Jones was replaced by Frank McElroy.
Dr. Dog decided to post ten un-released tracks in streaming audio from their website. A new song was posted each Monday from July 2 until September 3 of 2007. Eventually, the recordings found their way onto their own album, titled Passed Away, Vol. 1. In 2008, the band released Fate. They appeared again on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on July 17, 2008, in support of the album and then on the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on April 2, 2009. Then the band went on tour with The Cave Singers and label-mates Golden Boots.
On July 29, 2009, it was announced that Dr. Dog had signed to Anti- Records, with an album forthcoming early spring, 2010 [6]. The new album is tentatively titled "Shame, Shame", which is also the title of a track that will be on the album. In an interview with Scott McMicken, he said that the new album would be much more modern and would be a little more punk rock with more electric guitars, which will more accurately show what the band is like at a live concert [7].
