Watch: DR. DOG 'Fool's Life' music video

There are plenty of throwback acts in the business who owe their sound to the pop/rock explosion of the '60s, but so few get it right. Philadelphia's Dr. Dog is one band who breathes that rarified air. Since its inception, the group has racked up constant comparisons to the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Band and David Bowie, but has rarely been taken to task for the obvious similarities. As for why, chalk it up to plain old good songwriting, spot-on full-band harmonies, and the largely ineffable feeling of authenticity that these five emanate. Early on, Dr. Dog embraced a dingier, lo-fi approach, but they've since given in to their natural dispositions. To wit, the band's brand new seventh album, Shame, Shame, is their most polished yet, a collection of alternatively dark and bright tunes played with an urgency to match the consistently excellent live shows. Rhode Island's Deer Tick should be a good match considering the band's grungy folk-blues leanings and the tears-in-his-beers delivery of singer John McCauly. - Chris Martins, LA Weekly