Dr. Dog isn't a good name for a band. I'm sorry. A 1970s AM radio dj playing '50s music? Fine, Dr. Dog is great. A cartoon character? Perfect name.

But I digress. What I'm really here to tell you is that this ill-named band plays at The Rave Tuesday, Nov. 28 with the Black Keys and you should check it out.

That's because the band's new six-song disc, "Takers and Leavers," is out and it's a great homespun pop rock and roll record. It's part Grandaddy eclectic, part Shins smarty-pants pop and part late-period Beatles, from a melodic and sonic standpoint.

Recorded at home, "Takers and Leavers" has a warm, pillowy analog sound and a garage band vibe, but some pretty darn accomplished songwriting and instrumentation.

The EP is apparently a taster of the Philly band's next full length set, "We All Belong," due out in January. The disc follows the critically acclaimed "East Beat," which garnered a three-star rave in Rolling Stone in '05.

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