Dr. Dog retains their bark and bite!
Last Updated on Sunday, 11 July 2010 11:52 Written by Dave
Throughout the last decade that cemented the role of the talent show, as the crooked road into a music career. In West Philadelphia, a jaunty, often lyrically simplistic, but dusty, mysterious and genuine old school indie epitomising act Dr Dog, carried on producing ranging album after ranging album. Taking recognition when it came and not grumbling or changing their ways when it didn’t. Driven by founding members Scott McMicken, and Toby Leaman, Dr. Dog have found the right balance between repetition for impact and, repetition that is not grating and irritating. If only they’d have taught that skill to The Subways then the world would be a better place?
2008’s horn fuelled and piano tinkered sojourn of ‘Fate’, is probably the album that people with a little more than a passing interest in Dr. Dog would tell you to purchase if you only purchased one album of their albums. However, there is an argument for proclaiming that the best introduction to this ranging band would be ‘Easy Beat’. The full range McMicken and company is on offer here, from longing and bluesy to carefree, fuzzy and poppy. Keyboardist, Zach Miller agrees to uncover the veil on their, at times, mysterious ways and approach.
1. Is it an internet myth, half-truth or fact to say that it was My Morning Jacket who helped you achieve recognition, when in 2003 their front man, Jim James got hold of a copy of one of your demos? Do you still have much to do with them?
Zach: Fact. We haven’t had anything to do with them “professionally” since that tour until Jim came to sing on our new record. We still see them around the country and remain good pals but we hope someday to do another tour together.
2. Arguably your most popular of your six albums is, ‘Fate’. Do you agree with this? Describe your moods whilst compiling it, what were your aims with this one?
Zach: I’m pretty sure if we haven’t sold more of “Shame, Shame” we definitely will by the end so not by that measure. But sure up until the new one, most people knew “Fate.” Anyway we wanted to make a more musically direct album this time with less ornamentation.
3. You’ve been around as a band since the turn of the last decade. How do you think that this last decade will be remembered (talent shows aside of course)?
Zach: Digital democracy decade. Nobody had webpages or cellphones or emails when we started. All that stuff was just beginning. It’s a lot different now. Now you have a webpage before you have a band
4. How representative is your new album ‘Shame Shame’, to the sound/vibe of your back catalogue? Before penning this album did you take time to reflect on your previous material?
Zach: No. We were just focusing on the songs and responding to the mood of the lyrics. We don’t really look back to make sure we’re in line with our sound or anything like that. We know who we are and we know what kind of music we like and, we know we can make music that we love to listen to and that’s really our only mind-frame at the time.
5. Describe the Philadelphia scene that you expanded out of, how well did you fit in with it?
Zach: The scene at the time we were coming up was amazing. There were so many great bands who unfortunately didn’t really make it out with us. There are some who are still active but in the beginning I thought “wow, all of these bands are going to be huge” but it didn’t really work out like that.
6. Which of your songs sum up your current mood and why?
Zach: I’ve had “I Only Wear Blue” in my head for a while now. I don’t know if it’s speaking to anything though.
7. A topical question; are festivals a good or bad thing for music?
Zach: I think they’re at best a good showcase, but they can be special. You’re really working against the odds in a lot of those situations. You have to completely set up and soundcheck in 20 or 30 minutes and pray that nothing goes haywire. Then thousands of people show up and you have to play 45 minutes in the sun and wind while trying to get your monitors right. It’s a good test for a band and it’s a good chance for people to see a lot of different music. I’ve seen a lot of bands I never would have seen otherwise so sure I think they’re a good experience but for most bands it’s far from a definitive experience.
8. For me, the album that covers your full range is the understated ‘Easy Beat’. From the delightfully reflective, yet upbeat, key tinkled pop out of ‘The World May Never Know’, through the maudlin blues acoustic led ballad of ‘Dutchman Falls’, to the crooked jaunty acid indie folk trip of ‘Fools Life’. You display depth emotion and heart skipping through genres with abandon. How do you remember this album? And do you agree that it represents Dr Dog at your most varied?
Zach: I guess that’s probably true, at least stylistically. We recorded that in our home recording style in the basement of my house where we practiced. There was still a lot of trial and error and we didn’t really know how to do a lot of stuff so we had to come up with workarounds, like recording drums and cymbals separately. On top of that the songs were from all different times so there were a lot of different perspectives on display there.
9. How do you want leave people feeling after they have witnessed one of your live shows?
Zach: Happy.
Aqualung: Fingertip (Fruitcake Records 21/06/2010)
Written by Dave
‘Fingertip’, as a natural corollary to this life assessing, is probably Aqualung at their most aching and reflective. Soothing and rhythmic, high profile female backing contrasts with Hales’ a touch panicky and bleeding hearted lead. He tops this off with a roving key led accompaniment. Feelings of fragility are ironed out and eventually smoothed over.
‘Lost’, sees the return of that lobbing piano and tenderly brushed percussive punctuation, as a pedestrian pace is settled into. Here, Hales shows that his soulfully meandering leanings of old still drive his music.
Aqualung has lost no momentum and will continue to provide food for thought, meditation and even a little relaxation.
www.myspace.com/aqualung
Rating; 3.5/5
OK GO - End Love (Blue Colour of the Sky Video Series)
Written by Ken Foster
This, like all their videos was shot in one take – but in this instance, the take was 21 hours long. Using time-lapse photography, it follows the band from one day to the next, as they unfurl their sleeping bags at a park near their hometown of Silverlake, CA and kick up their heels the next morning with a group of volunteer dancers.
EUROPEAN / UK TOUR DATES
7/22 Livorno, Italy Italia Wave
7/24 Nottingham, UK Splendour Fest
7/25 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy 3
7/27 Bristol, UK Fleece
7/28 London Electric Ballroom
7/30 Matlock, UK Y Not Festival
7/31 Penrith, UK Kendal Calling
8/20 Biddinghuizen, The Netherlands Lowlands Festival
8/21 Hasselt, Belgium Pukkelpop
8/24 Helsinki, Finland Tavastia
8/25 Oulu, Finland Oulu Music Video Festival
Alexander Price - Rent 23/8/10 Intense Presence Records
Last Updated on Thursday, 17 June 2010 16:15 Written by Ken Foster
I'm not complaining about a cover of a classic song although it did make me pine for the original a little.
Musee Mecanique; Sleeping In Our Clothes (Souterrain Transmissions 03/05/2010)
Written by Dave
www.myspace.com/museemecanique
Rating: 3.5/5
Natalie Merchant : The Lyric Theatre, Salford Lowry 24/05/2010
Written by Dave
Merchant’s infamous, slightly eccentric, endearingly quirky and moment grabbing stage presence still illuminates the set as much as the theatrical neon lights. Merchant and her guitarists are tight and focused as they run through material from the latest album. Each song is preceded by a brief, concise and authoritative biographical introduction on the artist in question and the significance of the piece being performed. Of course, Edward Lear needs no introduction, but was given a suitable and charming one anyway. Before the country and Celtic folk flavoured ‘Calico Pie’, is sung with flightiness and abandon. There’s a subtle forlornness attached to it, tonight. Making you take the song, original poet and tonight’s performer seriously.
A hollow string laden run through Arthur Macy’s ‘Peppery Man’, is underlined by the achingly sombre delivery, as a poignant moment falls upon the full venue. Various emotions and genres are explored jumbled together, then punctuated by a bracing narrative introduction. e.e. cummings’ charming ‘maggie, millie, molly and may’, possesses innocence and a serenity that defies the worldly and well travelled reputation of tonight’s heroine. ‘Native Names’, adds another strand to the serious veil that covers the simplistic base and format of some of material on display. It cuttingly, yet stirringly covers the prickly topic of the perceived desecration of the Native American culture by modern American society.
An off-the-cuff strut and stroll through some of Merchant’s older and popular material, gives the encore some freshness, whereas the vitality is provided by the performers. ‘Tell Yourself’, is as gripping as ever and has a new wave twang to it this evening. Potent lyrics that lash out at society for the ills that it has caused, like anorexia, are playfully delivered.
Despite the fact that Natalie Merchant is now in the fourth decade of her music career, each tour is given the same energy and heart that most acts reserve only for their first tour. Also, each album is given the attention to detail, thought and injection of spirit as though it were a debut album.
www.nataliemerchant.com
Rating; 4/5
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