To quote 1984’s Spinal Tap: “Now, Philly, that’s a real rock and roll town.” Taken out of the context of the movie, this quote means little more than a compliment to Philadelphia’s music scene. However, like the majority of Spinal Tap, the quote is a joke. Philadelphia had a famous music scene, but it had almost nothing to do with rock and roll; the sound of Philadelphia was soul music, R&B by the likes of Patti Labell, Teddy Pendergrass, and the Dellfonics. The only major rock and roll artist produced out of Philadelphia before Spinal Tap was Todd Rundgren, and he’s not exactly an international superstar. Yet, this lack of prominent, well-known rock and roll acts does something interesting: if a band achieves even a small amount of national or regional success, they become heroes within the music scene. The other factor in creating this heroism is the tendency for most Philadelphia artists to stay loyal and local, even with increased success. In Dr. Dog, we see a Philadelphia artist who have commanded the most rock and roll respect since Todd Rundgren or the Hooters — whom many people of my parent’s generation will cite as the most impressive Philadelphia band. Dr. Dog’s influence has been so vital to the area that a new wave of distinguished artists have been following their path for the past ten years.
Dr. Dog has typical origins, beginning with the two band leaders, Scott McMicken and Toby Leaman, discovering their musical similarities on an eighth-grade field trip. Their first album to be widely distributed was 2005’s, Easy Beat, which coincided with a tour alongside Jim James’ My Morning Jacket. Over the past ten years, Dr. Dog has released four other studio albums, along with a few EP’s and rarities albums. They have not garnered especially favorable reviews from magazines like Pitchfork, and they have only in the past five years been earning major spots at festivals outside Philadelphia, but what makes them so critical is their importance in Philadelphia.
Growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs, I did not know there was any good modern music being made. I was raised on the classic rock my dad showed me, which I devoured as my only musical sustenance because I did not have older brothers or older friends who were hip to what was going on. But luck shined on me one Sunday morning as I read the Inquirer’s review of Dr. Dog’s 2008 album, Fate. I bought it off iTunes that day because it was so amazing to me that music, supposedly worth listening to, was being made in my backyard. I shared the band with every one of my friends who would listen to me, and I arrived at college a few years later to discover hundreds of others kids that loved Dr. Dog like I did. This little thing that I loved, that I admired and revered, was being loved and admired by a greater audience than I ever knew existed. I would go to their concerts when they returned to Philly and strike conversations with people who have been seeing Dr. Dog live since they released their first album. There was a secret world built on the backs of this band. But everyone was in on the secret, and since attending Temple I’ve watched the number of signature Dr. Dog hats and t-shirts soar, as the community has spread.
Since Dr. Dog’s small appearance on the national scene, with songs in movie trailers and spots in the nation’s top music festivals, other noticable rock and roll acts have put Philadelphia on the music map. The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are the biggest artists to ride in Dr. Dog’s indie wake. Though I’m sure these bands would have made a name for themselves out in the world, gaining as much national notoriety as they have, even without Dr. Dog to preceed them, it was essential for their long-term success as Philadelphia bands for Dr. Dog to set the stage and plant the seeds in the scene. Dr. Dog’s DIY attitude works perfectly in a blue-collar city that lives in the shadow of New York City, but is determined not to be percieved through that shadow.
http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/thisisspinaltap.txt
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2608-easy-beat/