Today, I talk about something by Dr. Dog for my music series called A Year In December.
The first time I heard of Dr. Dog was on the radio. For whatever reason, the DJ decided to introduce the coming song by saying that he knew a lot of people, including Pitchfork writers, who didn’t like Dr. Dog, but he liked Dr. Dog, so he would play them right then. Ever since then, Dr. Dog became my Pitchfork-hates-them-but-I-don’t band. Yet, this is a band that’s still an enigma to me. I stumble upon new releases, such as this year’s Critical Equation, by chance. The only time I’ve seen them live was when guitarist Scott McMicken was surprisingly invited up on stage at a Delta Spirit show. I’m not sure why I’m not a bigger fan. They always release solid albums, with at least a few catchy songs. I like the portrayal of paranoia in ‘Listening In,’ with its creeping guitar, piano tinkles, odd electronic effects, even something that sounds like a harpsichord. Subtle, just like how they come up in my life from time to time.
Joel Mak 