Dog days

Formed as a freaky home-studio project in Philadelphia, Dr. Dog might have remained a local legend — or perhaps just a place for the band’s intellectual but decidedly irreverent members to store all of their wildest fantasies, via digital bits and bytes — minus the intervention of old-fashioned luck.

Dr. Dog started getting very good very quickly after forming in the late 1990s, as members Scott McMicken, Toby Leaman and Zach Miller set about honing the studio craft represented by the indie releases “Psychedelic Swamp,” “Toothbrush,” “Easy Beat,” “We All Belong” and “Fate” through beaucoup touring. Somewhere along the line, some benevolent angel slipped a cassette compilation of Dr. Dog tunes to My Morning Jacket singer/songwriter/ guitarist Jim James, who quickly fell in love with what he heard and signed the band to open its 2005 tour.

Now, Dr. Dog is signed to the coolest of big time independent labels — Anti-, the home of Tom Waits and other folks who are almost as cool.

The band has a new drummer, too. Certainly, it won’t hurt these guys to be playing with the skinsman who, for my money, is the finest his particular generation has yet produced — one Eric Slick, known to Buffalo audiences for the blistering performances he’s offered as one third of the stellar Adrian Belew Power Trio.

Slick is still a member of the Belew Power Trio, but he’ll be with Dr. Dog when the band debuts material from its upcoming release “Shame, Shame” in Mohawk Place at 8 p. m. Monday. The Growlers will open the show.

Gig picks

Country ensemble Ransomville — a band featuring former members of Buffalo outfits Seven Day Faith and Lucid, among others — has been making some noise down on Music Row. The group recorded its new CD in Nashville, with producers Greg Crowe and Jim Lightman (Lonestar, Adam Gregory), and is actively seeking to capitalize on recent opening slots for the likes of James Otto, Tracey Byrd and David Allan Coe by generating a buzz at country radio.

The band’s guitarist Rob Burgio describes Ransomville’s sound as “Country meets rock and pop, contemporary stuff with more of a traditional country vocal sound.”

“All the songs have strong three-part vocal harmonies,” Burgio continues. “Artists like Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts and Lost Trailers are a big influence, along with ’80s rock. We’ve added some guitar solo harmonies to a few songs, too.”

The band — Burgio; Dan McClurg, lead vocals/acoustic guitar/piano; John Rosini, guitars/vocals; Joshua Long, bass/vocals; and Johnny Mizzo, drums/percussion — celebrates the release of the new disc inside the Bucking Buffalo (294 Franklin St.) at 9 p. m. Saturday. Amanda Nagurney will open. You’ll also get a chance to see Ransomville if you’re going to the sold-out WYRK Acoustic Showcase on Wednesday at the UB Center for the Arts.

Here’s my nod for coolest show of the week — the Entrance Band, with guests Lights, play Soundlab at 8 p. m. Monday. This band is simply awesome, but don’t take my word for it. Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore is a fan (“[The band’s] new music is the most alluring and, yes, entrancing vibe I’ve yet to experience in this new age,” quoth he).

Most important, for me at least, the Entrance Band boasts the presence in its lineup of former Perfect Circle bassist Paz Lenchantin. She, too, is simply awesome. Check out

www.theentranceband.com

, and then buy tickets through

www.bigorbitgallery.org

. Don’t forget about the James Blackshaw/Gary Higgins gig at Soundlab at 9 tonight.