You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, or at least that’s what they say. However, ever since indie rock band Dr. Dog made their debut in 2002, they have continued to stay relevant on today’s music scene. So while this “Dog” may be old, they certainly aren’t finished with their performance.
The band, larger than most groups I write about, has six members – Toby Leaman (main vocals and bass), Zach Miller (keyboard), Frank McElroy (rhythm guitar), Scott McMicken (main vocals and lead guitar), Michael Libramento (percussion and acoustic guitar), and Eric Slick (drums). The combined creativity of these six men has allowed Dr. Dog to successfully release a total of 13 albums.
Their first couple of albums, mainly Toothbrush, Easy Beat, Fate, and Shame, Shame, are retro-inspired, slow, and almost ballad-like. There are long instrumental breaks in between lyrics to piano and electric guitar accompanying the Beatles-inspired vocals. While Leaman and McMicken are the main vocalist, all of the band members help harmonize, which results in a really cool Beach Boys-esqe sound. Toothbrush and Easy Beat are more on the lo-fi side of things, but Fate and Passed Away, Vol. 1 feature some more upbeat songs, making for a rather seamless transition into their newer albums.
Their newer albums, such as Dr. Dog, Critical Equation, Abandoned Mansion, and Midi Swamp, feature more upbeat songs with more prominent vocals. The sound effects used during songs can be described as almost psychedelic, and I feel that there’s a larger variety of percussion in these newer albums. There are less instrumental breaks and shorter intros, meaning the focus can be on the vocals more. However, the vocals are overly prominent and blend in very well with the rest of the song, allowing you to appreciate the song as a whole. These newer albums also incorporate subtle elements of music not just from different decades, but from different places as well; some songs from Dr. Dog mimic musical structures from Latin and Jamaican music, which adds a fun twist.
While Dr. Dog may not be the most recent development on the music scene, they have been and still are a classic. I love their take on mimicking music from the 60s and I think they’re definitely worth a listen.
My Top Ten:
- “Where’d All the Time Go?” (Shame, Shame)
- “Oh No” (Easy Beat)
- “Jealous Man” (Toothbrush)
- “The Pretender” (Easy Beat)
- “The Rabbit, the Bat, & the Reindeer” (Fate)
- “From” (Fate)
- “I Can’t Fly” (Toothbrush)
- “White Dove” (Dr. Dog)
- “Love Struck” (Dr. Dog)
- “Virginia Please” (Critical Equation)
For fans of King Harvest, The Cranberries, The Beatles, and TV Girl.
