Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Dr Dog / Wye Oak @ The Glee Club, Monday 3rd November 2008

Into 'The Studio' at The Glee Club for this one. It's an intimate little venue with no stage, just a patch of floor at the front of the room. I rather like it though. It's like being in the band without having to do all the singing/playing and living in motels stuff. Anyway...first up 'quiet/loud, then quite quiet then really loud and bangy again', merchants Wye Oak all the way from Maryland (where the cookies come from...possibly). They're a two piece with vocalist Jenn providing nicely floaty vocals and drummer Andy beating the bejesus out of his drum kit. I like the quiet/loud thing. They kinda reminded me a little of Two Gallants...drawing you along in a mind drift of contemplation then smashing you round the head with a blizzard of noise. Listen to their track Please Concrete and you'll hear what I mean.

Headliners, Dr Dog, are no strangers to the odd blizzard of noise themselves...albeit it a more psych/rock kind of noise. Like The Beatles, The Byrds or The Band (other bands beginning with B are available from all good retailers)? Well, hell, you'll love Dr Dog. Masters of the three part harmony they've been around for a few years now but really seem to be hitting their stride on new album 'Fate'. 'Hang On' in particular is just lovely. Dr John meets The Beach Boys - it's a bit boogie woogie, a bit slide guitar, a bit rock, a bit country, a bit gospel...and those harmonies. Oh yes. I'm getting moist. Live, they're a formidable prospect. One of the lead vocalists...Taxi he seems to be called...bopped around like a man possessed. But the whole band did the biz. Love the bearded bass player...they sound like he looks...and he looks like they sound. They only played two dates in the UK so we were lucky to get them here in Birmingham and, whilst the venue wasn't massive, I think they won over every single one of us. You should've heard the 'appaws' (applause...paws..appaws? oh please yerselves).

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