Dr. Dog - Be The Void - Printable Version +- Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com) +-- Forum: Music Discussion (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4) +--- Forum: Alternative (https://www.music-discussion.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11) +--- Thread: Dr. Dog - Be The Void (/showthread.php?tid=6674)

Dr. Dog - Be The Void - Music Head - 09-02-2012 online listen heard these guys last album which left a positive impression that was before I was posting these new ones this one is equally so reminds me of some Modest Mouse in parts not as full, so more the vocals I guess another one making the list 1.7 from me and a converted 2.4 from the pros at allmusic from the album - That Old Black Hole http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmq7MSwUUAQ released Feb 7th, 2012 Bio - from allmusic The Philadelphia-based Dr. Dog are part of a long tradition of D.I.Y. pop oddballs who blend unapologetic '60s pop worship with lo-fi recording techniques and an apparent disregard for current trends. The group began as a part- time offshoot of the more traditional indie rock act Raccoon. Over the course of several years, guitarist Toby Leaman and drummer Scott McMicken found enough free time to record the casual, sprawling 35-track set The Psychedelic Swamp in a basement rehearsal space, 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 shared songwriting and vocals), as well as 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, the band's almost nonexistent national profile began to rise. With O'Donnell replaced by former Raccoon bassist Andrew Jones and several Philadelphia friends making guest appearances, 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 2008. In the summer of that same year, the group released Fate. Fate featured some of the band's most polished production to date. It also became Dr. Dog's highest charting album, peaking at number 86 on the Billboard 200 and earning positive reviews from outlets like Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. After touring in support of the album, the group signed with the ANTI- record label and released 2010's Shame, Shame, a modern album that featured more guitars than the band's earlier work. Golden Boots member Dimitri Manos, who had played with the band on Easy Beat, joined up with the band as a full member, and made his first appearance on a full-length album in 2012 with the release of Be the Void early that year. Album Review - from allmusic Always looking to tinker and experiment with their sound, Dr. Dog push their melodic, psych rock sound in a rawer direction on their seventh album, Be the Void. The album finds the band stepping away from the intricately crafted sound of their earlier albums in favor of a more vibrant, spontaneous vibe, resulting in an album that feels looser without ever feeling lazy. The languid thump of "Lonesome," the album opener, immediately paints a picture of a group who are making an effort to just feel their way through a song rather than over-thinking it. While a lot of bands tend to get a bit aimless when taking this approach, Dr. Dog have such a refined sense of songcraft that their "loose" is another band's "finely crafted." Even at their rawest and most instinctive, Dr. Dog can't help but write songs with layers upon layers of pop harmonies, allowing the instruments to deftly dance around one another on songs like "Heavy Light." To add to the more primal vibe of the album, Be the Void is swaddled in a warm fuzz that kind of rounds off the edges and gives the whole album a stripped-down, elemental feeling. Though this puts the album miles away from the meticulously assembled pop of Easy Beat sonically, its sense of exploration makes it a kindred spirit. After all of these albums, Dr. Dog still haven't lost their love of pop music, and the more organic nature of Be the Void proves that melody isn't just in the band's heart, it's in their DNA. Track Listing 1. Lonesome 2. That Old Black Hole 3. These Days 4. How Long Must I Wait 5. Get Away 6. Do the Trick 7. Vampire 8. Heavy Light 9. Big Girl 10. Over Here, Over There 11. Warrior Man 12. Turning the Century