Easy Beat

Dr. Dog

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 15, 2005)
• Original Release Date: March 15, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Park the Van Records
• ASIN: B0007R8FMQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,905 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Alternative Press
5 out of 5 stars

Product Description
Alternative Press 5 out of 5 stars

Product Description Dr. Dog has been creating music in various incarnations in their hometown of Philadelphia for nearly four years now. This five piece collective continues to push each other's creative inner selves in order to gain new musical heights while converting and gaining new fans with each passing day--proving the adage, "good things happen to good people".

"Sure to attract a rabid cult of indie-rock fans." - NEW YORK TIMES

It's easier to compare and contrast than it is to take something for face value, love it, and never let it go. Easy Beat is the debut album from Philadelphia's Dr. Dog. Fans of My Morning Jacket, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Band should pay close attention as they cruise through the desert (at 113 mph) listening to Pet Sounds. Rarely does a record change the course of one's life ... well, until now.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars band with awful name make great record, April 2, 2005

By	doug (Rocky River, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

Dr. Dog..... What a terrible name. Bad enough that I almost decided not to buy it, even with all the great reviews, but I'm glad I did.....it's great. I don't know if I can exactly call this a classic, but it's a whole lot of fun to listen to. It's hard to say who it actually sounds like, but the references to their influences are entirely fair. Big Star, The Beach Boys, and the Beatles are all over this bands sound, but not in the way you're probably used to. Bands like Apples in Stereo copy such bands with great ease and excellent results, but never really manage to sound like anything more than an updated version of the aformentioned bands. Dr. Dog don't really have this problem. Their songs manage to be fresh and familiar all at the same time with fractured guitar leads and oddly perfect vocal harmonies only adding to their already unique sound. Sadly, this is not a band that will probably be taking over the minds of mainstream consumers anytime soon. It lacks the clean sound of bands like the Arcade Fire and Interpol, but the bands rough-around-the-edges sound suits them perfectly and only accentuates the sublte intensity in their sound.

I don't really write the most coherent reviews, but just trust me on this one. It's not a record to be passed up.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Album of 2005?, August 30, 2005

By	tanner llewellyn (Manakin Sabot, VA United States) - See all my reviews

Dr. Dog's pretty obscure but I find Easy Beat to be about as good as any album Ween or the Beatles ever made. It just might be the best album I've bought this year. It just gets better with each listen. The lyrics are non-sensical and psychadelic with the melodies to match. Yet it's still pretty accessible and catchy. It's a little ruff at first, but that's part of the appeal. Just go out and buy it, man. It doesn't matter what kind of music you already like or are into, Dr. Dog doesn't fit into any category and there's no typical type of fan at this point so you don't have to worry about that mumbo jumbo. Just let your ears do the decision making for you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I found a needle in the hay, March 28, 2005

By	Charlotte Sobol (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Every now and again a band comes along that isn't trying to sound hip, doesn't force cynical lyrics, and isn't desperate for fame. Enter the Dog. Their sophomore cd, Easy Beat, is one of the best new cd's I have heard all year, including amazing artists like Devendra Banhart, TV on the Radio, Loretta Lynn and Rogue Wave. While they do sound like an amalgamation of bands you've heard before, like the Beach Boys, like the Beatles and a little like Ween at times, the combination of their melodic keys, distorted guitar, delicate arrangements, and amazing vocal harmonies is like nothing you've ever heard. My advice is to buy the cd immediately and learn the words. Next time they play in your town you'll want to be able to sing along with the rest of the crowd to songs like "oh no." These guys are a rarity in the industry. I had a chance to meet them and was relieved to find them charming, down to earth and genuinely a humble group. They recently had their tour van broken in to (March 2005) during which all of their guitars, amps, and pedels were taken. Thankfully Gibson came to their rescue loaning them guitars so that they could continue the tour. I saw them 3 times and each show was incredible. I really love all the tracks on Easy Beat and was amazed at how easy it was to love songs from their first album, Toothbrush, that I had not heard. In a culture obsessed with Mtv booty shaking and money making it's so nice to have found a new band that absolutely brings music back to where it belongs, in three part harmonies and friendly good old fashioned rock and roll.