61 Old Depot

Album Review

Historically, Philadelphia has been equated with R&B, jazz, and hip-hop more than rock. In addition to giving the jazz world everyone from John Coltrane to Lee Morgan to Jimmy Smith, Philly was one of the top Northern soul hotbeds of the '70s — and in the '90s and 2000s, the music world associated Philly with Jill Scott, The Roots, Eve, and Beanie Sigel. But Philly, for whatever reason, hasn't received as much attention when it comes to rock. Regardless, the Philly rock scene had some talented people in the '90s and early 2000s, and they ranged from retro-hard rockers Silvertide to folk-rocker Adam Brodsky to garage rocker Lou Dog. Those who aren't familiar with Lou Dog's background might hear 61 Old Depot and assume that he is trying to cash in on the popularity of neo-garage bands like The White Stripes, The Strokes, and Jet, but truth be told, Lou Dog was doing his thing in the City of Sisterly Lust before any of those rockers hit big. This 2004 release isn't a radical departure from Lou Dog's 2003 EP High Speed Secrets; the same influences that served him well on that CD (Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, The Replacements, among others) continue to serve him well on 61 Old Depot. While the Philly resident (originally from Detroit) is far from innovative, he's no bandwagon-jumper — and his sincerity comes through on melodic but gritty items like "Krazy Katie," "Vertical Sea," and "Ripped and Stripped." One of the Dog's assets is his sense of rock history; his songs mention everyone from Neil Young and Bob Dylan to Jane's Addiction, and "The Birth of Cool" is dedicated to the late rock critic Lester Bangs. 61 Old Depot demonstrates that Lou Dog is deserving of wider recognition.