DR. DOG

• March 13

  • 8:30 p.m., March 13, The Blue Note, 17 N. Ninth St.

    Tickets: $15

    Despite their loyal hometown following, Dr. Dog could have very well remained a Philadelphia phenomenon had McMicken's then-girlfriend not slipped a copy of Toothbrush, a collection of home recordings, to Jim James of My Morning Jacket, who would take them on their first tour. By 2007, their album _We All Belong _ was earning the band opening slots for Wilco and the Raconteurs and they were turning up all over late night television. With Shame, Shame, Dr. Dog has created a song cycle of doubt and despair, bookended with the woozily swirling harmonies of Leaman's lonely opener "Stranger" and the harsh self-critique of the title track, a gnarled admission that sometimes it's best to admit your mistakes and move on. Their most openly autobiographical release, ranging from McMicken's exploration of West Philly underlife in "Shadow People" to his account of two soul-bearing late night conversations in "Jackie Wants a Black Eye," it's an album whose dark themes are soothed by bright harmonies, taut guitar riffs, and soaring melodies.

    Listed in Arts Cal