Dr. Dog – The Psychedelic Rock Band You Need to Know
Contents
Dr. Dog is an American rock band from Philadelphia. The band’s sound has been described as a mix of psychedelic rock and garage rock.
Introduction
Dr. Dog is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was formed in 1999 by lead vocalist and guitarist Scott McMicken and bassist Tyler Goldsmith. With a sound that has been described as a “unique blend of 60s pop, country, folk and psychedelia,” the band has released eight studio albums and tour extensively throughout the United States.
History
Dr. Dog is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was formed in 1999 by Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman. The two had been playing music together since their early teens. The band’s music has been described as psychedelic rock, garage rock, and folk rock.
Formation
Dr. Dog was formed in Philadelphia in 1999 by childhood friends Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman. The band originally started as a duo, with McMicken on lead vocals and guitar and Leaman on bass guitar. The two were later joined by drummer Eric Slick, keyboardist Frank McElroy, and guitarist Doug O’Donnell. The band’s name was inspired by a childhood friend of McMicken’s who used the alias “Dr. Dog” when the two were making homemade recordings together.
The band began to gain attention in the Philadelphia music scene in 2002, after releasing their first studio album, Toothbrush. Dr. Dog’s second album, Easy Beat, was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. The album helped the band gain a larger fan base and led to tours with indie rock acts such as My Morning Jacket and Built to Spill. Dr. Dog’s popularity continued to grow with the release of their next two albums, We All Belong (2007) and Fate (2009).
In 2010, the band released their fifth studio album, Shame, Shame. The album was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2011 Grammy Awards. In 2012, Dr. Dog released their sixth studio album, Be The Void. The album received positive reviews from critics and helped the band expand their fan base even further.
Dr. Dog has released eight studio albums to date and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. They are currently working on their ninth studio album, which is set to be released in 2019
Breakthrough
Dr. Dog’s fifth album, Fate, was their breakthrough. The album was recorded in a remote farmhouse with the band living and working together for months. The result was an intimate and personal album that captured the band’s unique sound.
Fate was followed by their sixth album, We All Belong, which was recorded in a studio and featured more guest musicians. We All Belong is a more polished and polished album than Fate, but it still has the same Dr. Dog sound that fans love.
The band has continued to release new music sinceWe All Belong, including their seventh album, B-Room, and their eighth album, Beacon. Dr. Dog is still going strong and showing no signs of slowing down. They are one of the most original and innovative bands around today, and they are sure to continue to delight fans for years to come.
Music
Dr. Dog is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was formed in 1999 by Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken. The band’s musical style has been described as psychedelic rock, indie rock, and lo-fi.
Genre
Psychedelic rock, also referred to as acid rock, is a style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The sound is characterized by distorted guitars, LSD-inspired lyrics, extended jamming, and a heavy use of feedback.
The style is often associated with the counterculture movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. Psychedelic rock grew out of the Garage rock and blues scenes of the early 1960s. Psychedelic bands would often use light shows and perform lengthy improvised jams.
Influences
Though Dr. Dog has been lumped in with the indie-rock scene, the band’s music is more indebted to classic rock & roll, country-rock, and psychedelia than to any contemporary genre. Based in Philadelphia, Dr. Dog began as the home-recording project of songwriters Toby Leaman (bass, vocals) and Scott McMicken (guitar, vocals). The duo — who share a taste forBeatles-esque pop hooks and rural singer/songwriter fare — were childhood friends who had played in various bands together before finally striking out on their own. With the help of drums, keyboards, and voicings fleshed out through overdubbing, Leaman and McMicken began releasing homemade CDs of their songs in 2001; these early discs found their way into the hands of noted producer Warpaint guitarist John Frusciante, who invited the band to Los Angeles to record an EP with him.
Critical reception
Critical reception of Dr. Dog has been generally positive, with the band’s sound and live performances singled out for praise. The group has been variously described as “indie rock”, “baroque pop”, “psychedelic pop”, and “garage rock”. Reviewing Fate, AllMusic’s Matt Fink wrote that the album “revels in a hazy, lo-fi aesthetic that recalls such forebears as Pavement and early Modest Mouse.” Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune said that the band’s music is “full of deft melodies, jangly guitars, tambourine shakes, reverb-drenched harmonies and wistful nostalgia.” In a five-star review of Shame, Shame, BBC Music’s Mike Diver praised the album as “a marvellous return to form” and described Dr. Dog’s sound as a cross between The Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead.
Members
Dr. Dog is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band’s lineup consists of Scott McMicken (vocals, lead guitar), Toby Leaman (vocals, bass guitar), Frank McElroy (rhythm guitar), Zach Miller (keyboards, guitar), Dimitri Manos (drums), and Eric Slick (drums).
The band has released eleven studio albums: Toothbrush (2002), Easy Beat (2005), We All Belong (2007), Shame, Shame (2010), Be the Void (2012), B-Room (2013), Fate (2015) Critical Equation (2018)
Additionally, they have released two live albums: Alive & Wiretapped: Vol. 1 & 2 in 2006 and Live at a Flux Capacitor in 2012
Discography
Dr. Dog is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band was founded in 1999 by Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman. The band has released eight studio albums, four live albums, three EPs, and one single.
Studio albums
Dr. Dog has released eight studio albums, the first two of which were self-released. The band’s first album was titled The Psychedelic Swamp, and was released in 2001. It was followed by Easy Beat in 2002. The band’s third album, We All Belong, was released in 2005 on Park the Van Records. Fate was released in 2008 on ANTI-, and Shame, Shame followed in 2010. B-Room, their seventh studio album, came out in 2013, also on ANTI-. Dr. Dog’s most recent album is Be the Void, which was released in 2012 on Anti-.
Live albums
2010 – The Night Before the Day the War Ended
2011 – Wait for Love
2012 – Be The Void
2015 – Live at a Flamingo Hotel
Compilation albums
2009: Fame
Fame is a compilation album by American rock band Dr. Dog. It was released on October 6, 2009 by Park the Van Records. The album contains tracks from various Dr. Dog albums, as well as two previously unreleased tracks, “The Ark” and “Uncovering the Oldest layers”.
2011: The Raw Tape
The Raw Tape is a compilation album by American rock band Dr. Dog. It was released on March 1, 2011 by Anti- Records. The album contains tracks recorded during the early stages of the band’s career, before they had signed with a record label.
EPs
Dr. Dog has released nine studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, and six EPs. Their first album, The Psychedelic Swamp, was released in 2001, and the band has been praised for their “Psychedelic Folk-Rock” sound.
Dr. Dog’s most recent album, Critical Equation, was released in April 2018 and debuted at #9 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart. The band is currently on tour in support of the album.
Singles
“The Ark”
“Worst Trip”
“Lonesome”
“That Old Black Hole”
“Bring My Baby Back”
“Nellie”
“The Truth”