4 out of 5 Doctors

Washington, DC-based, new wave/power pop outfit 4 Out of 5 Doctors formed in the late '70s around the talents of guitarist/keyboardist Jeff Severson, guitarist George Pittaway, bassist/vocalist Cal Everett, and drummer Tom Ballew. Though they only recorded two albums, an eponymous 1980 debut and 1982’s Second Opinion, the band’s penchant for pairing immaculately produced, hook-filled guitar/keyboard pop (<a href="spotify:artist:4AYkFtEBnNnGuoo8HaHErd">Madness</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6DCIj8jNaNpBz8e5oKFPtp">the Cars</a>) with inventive arrangements (<a href="spotify:artist:6Jrj26oAY96EEC2lqC6fua">Squeeze</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2qT62DYO8Ajb276vUJmvhz">XTC</a>) won them a small but devoted following. Disappointed by an industry that relentlessly tried to promote them as a hard rock outfit, the group officially disbanded in 1984, but their fan base never lost hope. In 2008, both of their albums made it to CD on the two-disc collection Reconstructed, and the group reunited for a handful of shows, culminating in a farewell performance in July 2010. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi