Dr. Dog at the 930 club. Photo by Nicky Devine.
Dr. Dog started gaining notoriety in their home state of Pennsylvania in the early 2000′s. Their unique sound is primarily described as psych-rock, with prominent influences of 1960′s pop-rock and lo-fi rock of 1990′s indie bands like Pavement. Dr. Dog could have easily remained one of Pennsylvania’s best kept secrets, until one fateful night an ex-girlfriend of the band slipped a copy of their album “Toothbrush” to Jim James of My Morning Jacket. Jim James invited Dr. Dog out on tour and the rest, as they say, is history.
The band spent the next few years cultivating a dedicated following across the country, making the circuit of late-night television performances and prestigious festival appearances. In 2009 Dr. Dog signed with Anti-Records and released their most acclaimed album to date, 2010′s “Shame, Shame.”
That brings us up to the present. Already being praised as one of the 10 Albums You Should Listen to in 2012 by Nerve (and all kinds of blogs on the information super highway), Dr. Dog’s newest release “Be The Void” is due out February 7th. While “Shame, Shame” was orchestral in its maneuvers, Consequence of Sound describe “Be The Void” as “a cathartic rock ‘n’ roll album played with near reckless abandon and passion.” Another blog, No Mistake in Mixtape, is calling the new album “the band’s reemergence into its escapist tendencies. The common ground lies in the glossy production, a far cry from early lo-fi recordings.”
The band attributes the shift in sound to the inclusion of two new members, drummer Eric Slick and electronics-percussionist-guitarist Dimitri Manos. Hitting the studio was a reinvigorating experience for the band; “it was reminiscent of when we were starting out and were these fearless weirdos in a basement, so confident and reckless and bold,” says guitarist-vocalist Scott McMicken “It was really liberating.”
Check out one of the new track’s off Dr. Dog’s “Be The Void” called \”That Old Black Hole\”. The video features a determined little hamster and some interesting mosaics and colors.
The band has been focused on conveying their live performance energies across to their new album recordings. With over 7 relentless years on the road, Dr. Dog have developed a a truly wonderful live show with interesting light displays and live jams of their classic songs.
Here’s your chance to catch Dr. Dog live! The band will play the Crystal Ballroom on February 13th, less than a week after the release of their new album “Be The Void.” Tickets are available through Cascade Tickets for just $17 – grab yours soon!
