Dr. Pants: Press

Dr. Pants is not a novelty act. Yes, a ballad dedicated to the genius of John Cusack and a funky mantra titled “Kenny Loggins” form the backbone of band’s “The Cusack-Loggins” EP, but the album is bookended with the bellowing rocker “It All Depends” and a guitar-slinging instrumental named “Sweet Natasha,” neither of which possess even a whiff of novelty.

So what is Dr. Pants?

According to front man David Broyles, the Oklahoma City act falls much closer to Camper Van Beethoven than “Weird Al” Yankovic. Just because songs are fun doesn’t mean the band should be casually dismissed.

“Are They Might Be Giants a novelty band?” Broyles said. “They have songs that are humorous and entertaining, but the songcraft is solid. You can’t deny they are great songwriters. I want to make music that is fun, and I don’t think that makes it novelty music. There are humorous elements to all kinds of music, even The Beatles — they had songs that were funny, odd and off-kilter.”

Writing music that often veers into absurdity gives the band more creative license, Broyles said, allowing the group a chance to explore ideas that would be otherwise ridiculous or even unnerving.

“It would be creepy if (Broyles) just made a song about John Cusack that was really serious,” drummer Dustin Ragland said.

By being patently absurd, Broyles is able to sneak in some sincerity.

“I think John Cusack is fantastic,” he said. “He was an actor who played characters that, while I was in my early teens, I could relate to on a really personal level.”

Broyles admits that he has put some thought into the possibility that a single humorous song might actually take off, further labeling the band as a purely humor-based group. He’s not particularly worried about it, as long as it allows the band to continue making music.

“I don’t want to put any limits on what I write,” he said. “If it helps the band to continue to exist and do things, then I am really OK with that. I’d rather that happen then I try to hide those songs from the world and this all falls apart so there is no longer any Dr. Pants.”

The band has been a shifting concept since Broyles founded the group in 1999. In the past two years, it began solidifying into a collaborative unit. Ragland said he was initially hesitant because of Broyles’ bizarre songwriting subject matter.

“But then we worked on songs like ‘Sweet Natasha,’ where he was making power-pop ballads and thinking out really complex arrangements,” Ragland said. “That’s what changed it around for me. He knew what he was doing, and we weren’t just making songs for Dr. Demento.”

However, Broyles is quick to defend Dr. Demento, who introduced him to the music of Frank Zappa and Cake — bands that weren’t just novelty acts, but whose musical delivery fit in with the show even when the subject matter was more substantial.

“Humor is the only emotion that has the stigma of being called a ‘novelty,’” Broyles said. “But humor and laughter are just as much as valid emotions as being sad, angry, heartbroken, whatever.” —Charles Martin

#2 on SonicJive's top 20 CDs of the year!!

The world of facetious wit has always numbered musicians among its residents, and one band has gentrified the neighborhood with its latest release. Combining superb pop craftsmanship with a hyperactive sense of caprice, Dr. Pants new release The Cusack-Loggins EP is a trajectory of surreal ideas and a catchy cataract of fun. If you have seen anything by John Cusack or heard anything by Kenny Loggins you will catch the subtle innuendo to culture and identity that is immersed with dulcet intelligence and a clever phrase or two.

Produced by band members David Broyles and Dustin Ragland, the six-song EP is a fiery mix of all the elements that make Dr. Pants a blast to see live; power poppy, Weezer-esque guitar rock, funky, jammy suite-like compositions that would make Phish jealous, and the quirky sense of humor that recalls the best work of Ween and They Might Be Giants.

Careful not to burden the listener with stuffy instrumentation or ponderous lyrics, this release is, simply stated, a stone groove. The best example may be the song "Bootyfest", a funky bass-infused jam that interpolates eclectic whimsy without taking itself seriously. Following the rocking fan-favorite "It All Depends", which kicks off the album with a wisp of subtle seriousness, "Bootyfest" launches beyond its suggestive title to carve a realistic life mask from the conceptual clay of : "You gotta spend some to get some." It is indeed an inspiring ode to the fine art of simply finding a platonic yet sexual relationship, or for lack of better nomenclature - chasing tail.

The memorable "Cusack Prelude > If I Were John Cusack" duo couches its elation in lyrics like "If I were John Cusack I would make High Fidelity 2 and I'd make it totally awesome - it would be the greatest movie ever made", and it's chorus "Lane Meyer and Lloyd Dobler, Martin Blank and Rob Gordon" which is a kaleidoscope of some of Cusack's most loved movie characters and feels amazingly like a song Jack Black would improvise on the set of "High Fidelity". Maybe these guys collaborated with Black through www.SonicJive.com!

Note To The Band: I'd close every show with "If I Were John Cusack" and let the crowd continue the refrain in a crescendo of a Capella love as the band leaves the stage to a sea of Bic lighters and encore extravagance.

Note To The Band, II: (From the "I never saw THAT coming" constituency) Surprisingly stunning guitar about 40-seconds into "Kenny Loggins", surprising only because it is completely unexpected and so damn good.

"Cusack-Loggins" is a convivial and wry lesson in perceptions and particularity. Its unpretentious and well-crafted, artsy grooves work because they avoid the bombastic approach that worked against some of the latter works by They Might Be Giants or some of the forced efforts of The Barenaked Ladies or The Conchords, songs that actually try too hard to be a little too artsy.

Which begs the question: is it in fact unfair to criticize a formerly great artist for his latter day sins, is it better to burn out or fade away?

Likely, the performances of these songs in a live setting is far better. But even with the limitations of studio reproduction, the songs are quite good. As I said, "Bootyfest" is such an amazing song that were it released by a successfully mainstream artist (like Beck for example), it would probably be an instant hit. Grab the CD for eight bucks and if you still need convincing, you can download "Bootyfest" on SonicJive for free this Friday.

Dr. Pants is a fine name for a rock band, although I would be wary of any physician with that name. David Broyles is the legs, so to speak, of this medical menswear. He writes and sings the songs, sometimes with striking honesty.

Broyles writes songs about anything and everything. “Hey Abe Lincoln” seeks out a famous dead president for advice. The disc closes with “Donuts,” which begins by stating: “I love donuts - that’s all I can say, I eat donuts at night and donuts in the day.” Yep, it ranges from dead presidents to a love of donuts - and everything in between.

This CD is mostly guitar rock, although “The Gift,” seemingly about God’s gift of love, smartly adds organ. The song also has some wonderfully funky guitar work.

It may make you a little squirmy to listen to a guy spill his guts on disc. But Broyles does this so artfully, he makes his confessions feel like a comfortable old pair of jeans.

Clever and tight, this Oklahoma City [quartet]'s melodic, hooky material will appeal to fans of Weezer. While frontman David Broyles could be a bit more engaging on vocals, "Sarsaparilla Girl" is a winner through and through. "Hey Abe Lincoln" is a wistful, reflective number. "Baby Don't Cry" is a classic acoustic ballad, nicely rendered, and would snuggle up well to a date movie soundtrack. All in all, Dr. Pants has something to offer that's both familiar and fresh.
(7.6 out of 10)

"Gardening In A Tornado" is that dark-bar, cold-beer type of album: one which sounds absolutely perfect driving home late on Friday night. Pure, red dirt-stained rock is the modus operandi for David Broyles, an Oklahoma City-based singer-songwriter whose backup work for wife K.C. Clifford only has sharpened his instrumental acumen.

Following up the 38-track, genre-spanning 2000 debut "Feezle Day", "Tornado" is 13 tracks of lightly countrified rock that's easy on the ears and soothing to the soul, occcasionally obtuse lyrics notwithstanding. To best appreciate what Broyles and company have wrought, seek out a live gig.
For more information, visit www.doctorpants.com.

The average person probably thinks that Jethro Tull is one guy, most likely the one that plays the flute on "Aqualung". This is a common misconception in regards to bands that have taken on the name of a person.

As they took the stage last Friday night at Galileo, one thing was for certain for Oklahoma City band Dr. Pants: if they ever make it big, they may face the same dilemma.

Dr. Pants is primarily the brainchild of local singer/songwriter David Broyles. Formed in Oklahoma City right around the turn of the century, Dr. Pants runs the gamut of rock n' roll with their influences. Big Star, Phish, The Beatles, Weezer, and They Might Be Giants all had a presence in the set list Dr. Pants unveiled at their CD release party for GARDENING IN A TORNADO last Friday.

The band, which included Broyles, Kenneth Murray on guitar and Aaron Vasquez on bass, entertained the crowd with tracks from their new record as well as songs from their 2000 album FEEZLE DAY.

Highlights from the first set included "The Hexagon Song", "Doppelganger Rock" (both of which Broyles' wife, singer/songwriter K.C. Clifford, joined in on for background vocals), "Baby Don't Cry" and "Gardening In A Tornado". The song "Donuts" had Broyles attempting a white-boy rap that demonstrated the kind of humor the band has in its repertoire. Dr. Pants' ability to not take itself too seriously allowed the band to be engaging with the hometown crowd.

"It feels great to be playing in front of Oklahoma City fans again," Broyles said. "We are hoping to tour elsewhere, though, now that the new record is out."

According to the band's website, the real Dr. Pants was an ancient scientist who studied the effects of rock on the human brain. Whether this information is real or not is irrelevant. David Broyles' band name may cause first time listeners to wonder what medical practice he has, but his band's ability to blend comedy with melody should clear up just what they practice: catchy rock n' roll, just like it's namesake.

The heart of the band Dr. Pants is David Broyles. After playing backup for his singer-songwriter wife David then moved onto playing acoustic shows at local coffeehouses.

In 1999 along with three other musicians he formed the band Dr. Pants. The band went on hiatus in 2001 when all of the other members left the band.

In 2004 though David resurrected the band this time with an all new lineup.

This release is their first with the new lineup. On it you'll find modern rock lead by rich guitar parts and crisp vocals.

The CD also features a solid acoustic ballad for the release's title track, "Gardening In A Tornado."

The CD takes a 180 degree turn for the last track titled simply, "Donuts."

The song has a techno club beat along with rap style lyrics that talk about the tasty treats.

This release is filled with little extras that bump it up to the next level of quality.

Things like the hand claps found on several of the songs and the great background vocals, especially the female ones found on the songs.

The songs deal with life, love and spiritual issues and are very well written.

This is a great effort from the band and works on many different levels and should cement their future on the music scene.