Band : Dr. Dog
Album title : Shame, Shame
Label : Anti Records
Distributor : Epitaph – PIAS
Release date : 05/04/2010
Release : CD

Dr. Dog was originally started as a ‘60s Pop Rock inspired side-project of bassist Toby Leaman and lead-guitarist Scott McMicken (sharing lead vocals) when they were still in the band Raccoon. Already there from the beginning was keyboardist Zach Miller, and the band was completed by rhythm guitarist Doug O’Donnell and drummer Ted Mark. Early recordings (2001’s The Psychedelic Swamp, 2002’s Toothbrush) were experimental, recorded on 8-track, and self-released. Mark left in 2003 (his duries now performed by Erik Slick), O’Donnell in 2004 (his replacement, Andrew Jones, was eventually taken by Frank McElroy).

In 2004 they were taken on a tour by My Morning Jacket, and after a praising review of their (again self-released) Easy Beat album in the New York Times, other critics began taking notice. It also brought the band their deal with Park The Van Records, whom started the collaboration by officially releasing Easy Beat in early 2005. The band ended the year touring throughout the US on a criss-cross mode. The heavier touring began in 2006, opening for the likes of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Strokes, The Raconteurs, and The Black Keys. September saw the release of the somewhat awkward EP Takers And Leavers, the first 1,000 copies of which had the peculiarity of featuring a total of 200 custom covers each individually made by one oof the band members. In February 2007 the band’s official sophomore album We All Belong was released, and thanks to a headliner tour (with Delta Ssprint as support) plus a series of TV appearances (including Late Night withConanO’Brien, the Late Show with DavidLetterman, and the The Late Late Show withCraig Ferguson) the band’s public profile was high enough for the album to reach #30 on the Heatseekerscharts. A video was released for the song “My Old Song”, and the band got further praise for their cover of Architecture In Helsinki’s “Heart It Races”, featured on the 2007 single. They also supported Wilco on part of their Sky Blue Sky tour.

Each Monday from July 2 to September 3 of 2007, the band posted a total of 10 previously un-released songs on their website, the songs eventually finding their way to the self-released album Passed Away, Vol 1. In July 2008 the band released their 3rd official album Fate, and again appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. This time, the album made it to #86 in the Billboard 200 album charts. In April 2009 they appeared on the new Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and then the band went on tour with The Cave Singers and label mates Golden Boots. Announcement of the band’s signing to Anti- Records came in July 2009. In an interview McCricken said that the album would be “much more modern” and would “be a little more Punk Rock with more electric guitars, which will more acurately show what the band is like in concert”! The first single off the album, the wonderful tune “Shadow People” was made available as a stream and download from stereogum.com on February 9, this year!

So, what’s the album like, you wonder? Well, it’s very much like what some of the Psychedelic Pop Rock bands of the late ‘60s were up to. Having heard the album a couple of times, it’s easy to see (or hear, more accurately) where earlier comparisons to The Beatles, The Band, and The Beach Boys come from! What with already the two slightly different lead vocalists in place, the harmony backings provided by the rest of the band, the piano/ keyboard atmospherics, the nice vintage sounding guitar work with the occasional slide technique, and the lyrical topics…it all adds up pretty neatly to make this a truly great band in the late ’60 Psychedelic Pop Rock category. In fact, Dr. Dog wouldn’t have done bad at all in that era! Overall, the mood on the album is said to be a little darker than the usual Dr. Dog material, but personally I feel very nice with the material offered as a whole. Due to the fact that this review comes a coupe of weeks after the album’s release, I’m capable of telling you that the American public apparently agrees with me, as Shame, Shame this time around climbed up to the #44 position in the Billboard 200. Whether yoù can feel the same about the album, is a question easily answered. Indeed, it suffices for you to visit myspace.com/drdog and check out the songs “Stranger” and Shadow People” (posted there alongside 7 songs off previous recordings) to know whether you like or not! If you’re looking for more audio material before making up your mind about goin’ out to the store to buy the album, you might check whether the album’s posted at Amazon.com (they usually post 1-minute samples for the possible buyers to listen to), or ask your local record store owner to shove the album in the cd-player for a listening session! US citizens, look out for the band passing through your town shortly. Us Europeans may have to travel wide and far to see the band in live conditions during one of their 6 late May performances (Berlin, Köln, Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Barcelona…you’re lucky bastards!!!).

92/100

Tony.