That dog.
Encyclopedia
That Dog is a Los Angeles
-based rock
band that formed in 1991 and dissolved in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band consists of Anna Waronker
on lead vocals
and guitar
, Rachel Haden
on bass guitar
and vocals, her sister Petra Haden
on violin
and vocals, and Tony Maxwell
on drums
. Their punk power-pop songs were full of hooks and many layered vocal harmonies.
, the sister of sometime Beck
and R.E.M.
drummer Joey Waronker
, and is married to Steve McDonald
of Redd Kross
fame. Petra and Rachel Haden are daughters of free jazz
bassist Charlie Haden
.
The group began when Anna and a friend, Jenni Konner, began writing short punk songs about boys in her bedroom. Waronker had known Petra and Rachel Haden since high school, so they fluidly found their way in to playing her songs with her. Mutual friend Tony Maxwell picked up the drum duties.
Their first album, which was self-titled, was originally released on a limited run as a double 7" on the independent label Magnatone Records in 1992. It was soon after re-released on cassette and compact disc by Geffen
. During this time, the band was good friends with, often played on records by, and toured with label mates Beck
and Weezer
. Members contributed to the Beck songs "Girl of My Dreams" and "Totally Confused", as well as Weezer's "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams", all released as B-sides
by the aforementioned artists.
1995 saw the release of Totally Crushed Out! to little fanfare, and the massive yet futile tour that supported the record left Waronker feeling burned out and dejected about the music business in general.
On April 8, 1997, That Dog released their final album, Retreat from the Sun, and added Kenny Woods (Steven McDonald Group, Beck, Anders & Woods) on guitar. That year the band would find themselves touring the US with various acts including, Blur
, The Wallflowers
, and the Counting Crows
. It has been confirmed that Anna Waronker originally intended to release the album as a solo record. She has claimed in interviews that her A&R pressured her in to letting That Dog record the album. Retreat from the Sun spawned the group's only charting radio hit, "Never Say Never", which reached #27 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock charts in 1997.
The group issued a formal statement announcing their disbandment in September 1997. Since that time, all the members of the band have kept active in the music business. Anna Waronker has contributed music to soundtracks and released her solo debut album, Anna, in 2002 on her own Five Foot Two Records label. Petra Haden has released two solo albums: 1999's Imaginaryland and 2005's Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out in which she reinvents The Who
's classic 1967 album
as an a cappella
tour de force. In 2005, she joined The Decemberists
as a full-time member, but no longer plays with the band. Petra Haden has also contributed vocals and violin to recordings by many artists including Green Day
, Bill Frisell
, Miss Murgatroid, and The Rentals. Rachel Haden has contributed vocals to albums by Jimmy Eat World
, Say Anything
, Ozma
and Nada Surf
, and is also a member of the reformed version of The Rentals (featuring ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp
). Tony Maxwell has worked as a composer, most notably on the films Chuck & Buck
and The Good Girl
(both written by Mike White).
Anna Waronker and her band frequently play clubs in the Los Angeles area. Petra and Rachel have sporadically gigged with third sister Tanya
(the three are triplets) as the Haden Sisters.
, the band used their page to announce a reunion show on August 26 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. A second show was added for the 28th due to demand; both shows sold out. Openers for the shows included Tenacious D
and a Prince
cover band led by Maya Rudolph
, who like Petra and Rachel Haden was a member of The Rentals
.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
-based rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that formed in 1991 and dissolved in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band consists of Anna Waronker
Anna Waronker
Anna Jeanette Waronker is a singer/songwriter, composer, and producer best known as the former frontwoman of That Dog. She is the daughter of producer Lenny Waronker and actress/musician Donna Loren, the sister of session drummer Joey Waronker, and is married to Steven Shane McDonald of Redd...
on lead vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Rachel Haden
Rachel Haden
Rachel Haden is the current bass guitarist for Todd Rundgren on his "Arena Rock" tour, and one of the triplet daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden....
on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and vocals, her sister Petra Haden
Petra Haden
Petra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
on violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and vocals, and Tony Maxwell
Tony Maxwell
Tony Maxwell is an American musician.From 1991 to 1997 he was the drummer for the band That Dog. After the breakup of the band, he worked as composer on the films Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl....
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Their punk power-pop songs were full of hooks and many layered vocal harmonies.
Biography
Lead vocalist Anna Waronker is the daughter of record industry mogul Lenny WaronkerLenny Waronker
Lenny Waronker is a record producer for Warner Bros. Records.-Career:He produced recording sessions for Nancy Sinatra, The Everly Brothers, Van Dyke Parks, The Beau Brummels, Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Arlo Guthrie, Maria Muldaur, Gordon Lightfoot, Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, ...
, the sister of sometime Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
drummer Joey Waronker
Joey Waronker
Joseph "Joey" Waronker is an American drummer and music producer. He is the son of record producer Lenny Waronker and singer/actress Donna Loren; his younger sister is musician Anna Waronker; and his grandfather is record executive and professional violinist Simon Waronker. He has three other...
, and is married to Steve McDonald
Steven Shane McDonald
Steven Shane McDonald is the bass player in the Los Angeles alternative rock/power pop band Redd Kross. He is also a member of the hardcore punk band OFF!, which formed in late 2009. Other projects included The SMG and Green and Yellow TV - both were Los Angeles-based groups from the 2000s...
of Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
fame. Petra and Rachel Haden are daughters of free jazz
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
bassist Charlie Haden
Charlie Haden
Charles Edward Haden is an American jazz musician. He is a double bassist, probably best known for his long association with saxophonist Ornette Coleman...
.
The group began when Anna and a friend, Jenni Konner, began writing short punk songs about boys in her bedroom. Waronker had known Petra and Rachel Haden since high school, so they fluidly found their way in to playing her songs with her. Mutual friend Tony Maxwell picked up the drum duties.
Their first album, which was self-titled, was originally released on a limited run as a double 7" on the independent label Magnatone Records in 1992. It was soon after re-released on cassette and compact disc by Geffen
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
. During this time, the band was good friends with, often played on records by, and toured with label mates Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
. Members contributed to the Beck songs "Girl of My Dreams" and "Totally Confused", as well as Weezer's "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams", all released as B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
by the aforementioned artists.
1995 saw the release of Totally Crushed Out! to little fanfare, and the massive yet futile tour that supported the record left Waronker feeling burned out and dejected about the music business in general.
On April 8, 1997, That Dog released their final album, Retreat from the Sun, and added Kenny Woods (Steven McDonald Group, Beck, Anders & Woods) on guitar. That year the band would find themselves touring the US with various acts including, Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
, The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers
The Wallflowers is a rock band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Jakob Dylan. Formed in 1989 and originally known as The Apples, the ensemble has gone through numerous personnel changes with Dylan the only constant....
, and the Counting Crows
Counting Crows
Counting Crows is an American rock band originating from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1991, the group gained popularity following the release of its debut album in 1993, August and Everything After, which featured the hit single "Mr. Jones"...
. It has been confirmed that Anna Waronker originally intended to release the album as a solo record. She has claimed in interviews that her A&R pressured her in to letting That Dog record the album. Retreat from the Sun spawned the group's only charting radio hit, "Never Say Never", which reached #27 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock charts in 1997.
The group issued a formal statement announcing their disbandment in September 1997. Since that time, all the members of the band have kept active in the music business. Anna Waronker has contributed music to soundtracks and released her solo debut album, Anna, in 2002 on her own Five Foot Two Records label. Petra Haden has released two solo albums: 1999's Imaginaryland and 2005's Petra Haden Sings The Who Sell Out in which she reinvents The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's classic 1967 album
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
as an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
tour de force. In 2005, she joined The Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
as a full-time member, but no longer plays with the band. Petra Haden has also contributed vocals and violin to recordings by many artists including Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
William Richard "Bill" Frisell is an American guitarist and composer.One of the leading guitarists in jazz since the late 1980s, Frisell's eclectic music touches on progressive folk, classical music, country music, noise and more...
, Miss Murgatroid, and The Rentals. Rachel Haden has contributed vocals to albums by Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
, Say Anything
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
, Ozma
Ozma (band)
Ozma is a rock band from Pasadena, California. The band's sound is a mix of new-wave–influenced power pop and Casiotone-driven melodies sustained by heavy guitar riffs. The complexity of Ozma's songs grew considerably during the band's initial nine-year history...
and Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, and is also a member of the reformed version of The Rentals (featuring ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp
Matthew Kelly Sharp is a founding member and former bassist for the band Weezer. In 1994, he started a band called The Rentals and released their debut album shortly after Weezer's first release, their second album in 1999, and an EP in 2007...
). Tony Maxwell has worked as a composer, most notably on the films Chuck & Buck
Chuck & Buck
Chuck & Buck is a 2000 comedy-drama film written by and starring Mike White, and directed by Miguel Arteta. The title is a reference to the nickname that poet Charles Bukowski was known as in literary circles—Chuck Buk.-Plot:...
and The Good Girl
The Good Girl
The Good Girl is a 2002 black comedy-drama film directed by Miguel Arteta from a script by Mike White, and stars Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly.-Plot:...
(both written by Mike White).
Anna Waronker and her band frequently play clubs in the Los Angeles area. Petra and Rachel have sporadically gigged with third sister Tanya
Tanya Haden
-Biography:Born in New York City, she was a member of several bands, including Let's Go Sailing, and is the creator of the Imaginary Bear puppet show. She has contributed to recordings of a number of Los Angeles musicians, including vocals and cello on Par Avion's EP, Pop Music United...
(the three are triplets) as the Haden Sisters.
Reunion
On June 21, 2011, after a few months of the band having an official presence on FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, the band used their page to announce a reunion show on August 26 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. A second show was added for the 28th due to demand; both shows sold out. Openers for the shows included Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
and a Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
cover band led by Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph
Maya Khabira Rudolph is an American actress, comedienne and singer known for her comedic roles as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007, and for appearing in films such as Away We Go, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups, A Prairie Home Companion and MacGruber...
, who like Petra and Rachel Haden was a member of The Rentals
The Rentals
The Rentals are an American rock band fronted by vocalist Matt Sharp, best known as the former bass player for rock group Weezer. The band is best known for their mid-1990s hit single, "Friends of P.". The group has released two albums, Return of the Rentals and Seven More Minutes on Maverick...
.
Band members
- Anna WaronkerAnna WaronkerAnna Jeanette Waronker is a singer/songwriter, composer, and producer best known as the former frontwoman of That Dog. She is the daughter of producer Lenny Waronker and actress/musician Donna Loren, the sister of session drummer Joey Waronker, and is married to Steven Shane McDonald of Redd...
– lead vocals, guitar - Petra HadenPetra HadenPetra Haden is an American violinist and singer. She is or has been a member of several bands, including That Dog, Tito & Tarantula, and The Decemberists; has contributed to recordings by The Twilight Singers, Beck, Mike Watt, Luscious Jackson, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age,...
– violin, vocals - Rachel HadenRachel HadenRachel Haden is the current bass guitarist for Todd Rundgren on his "Arena Rock" tour, and one of the triplet daughters of jazz bassist Charlie Haden....
– bass guitar, vocals - Tony MaxwellTony MaxwellTony Maxwell is an American musician.From 1991 to 1997 he was the drummer for the band That Dog. After the breakup of the band, he worked as composer on the films Chuck & Buck and The Good Girl....
– drums
Studio albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1993 | That Dog
|
| 1995 | Totally Crushed Out! Totally Crushed Out! Totally Crushed Out! is the second studio album from That Dog , released in 1995 on DGC Records. The recording is a loosely-based concept album about love and crushes, featuring an album cover that resembles artwork from the Sweet Valley High young adult book series. This theme is further... |
| 1997 | Retreat from the Sun Retreat From The Sun Retreat from the Sun is the third and final studio album from That Dog. It was released in 1997 on Geffen Records.-Track listing:All songs written by Anna Waronker except where noted.#"I'm Gonna See You" – 4:15#"Never Say Never" – 3:16... Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:... (Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... ) |
Extended plays and singles
- That Dog double 7" (1993) Magnatone
- Buy Me Flowers 7" (1993) Guernica
- Old Timer (1994) DGC
- Waldo the Dog Faced BoyDevin SarnoDevin Sarno began CRIB in early 1990 as a solo bass sound project focusing on improvised subsonics. Over the course of a decade his music evolved from high volume feedback experimentation to a sonic examination of the meditative properties of low-end drone music...
/That Dog split 10" (1994) WIN Records - Grunge Couple 7" (1994) self released
- He's Kissing Christian (1995) DGC
- Never Say Never (1997) DGC
Compilation appearances
- DGC Rarities: Volume 1DGC Rarities Volume 1DGC Rarities: Volume 1 is the name of a rarities album compiled by DGC Records and released in 1994. The songs featured on this album are all B-sides, demos, covers and other rarities...
(1994) DGC – "Grunge Couple" - Volume Nine (1994) Volume Magazine – "One Summer Night" (alternate version)
- Jabberjaw: Good to the Last Drop (1994) Mammoth RecordsMammoth RecordsFounded by Jay Faires in 1989 in Carrboro, North Carolina, Mammoth Records was one of the premiere independent record labels of the 1990s. Its roster featured such diverse talent as Antenna, Blake Babies, Chainsaw Kittens, Dash Rip Rock, Dillon Fence, Far Too Jones, Frente!, Fun-Da-Mental, Fu...
– "Explain" - The Poop Alley Tapes (1995) WIN Records – "Ridiculous"
- Spirit of '73: Rock for ChoiceSpirit of '73: Rock For ChoiceSpirit of '73: Rock For Choice is a 1995 compilation album issued by 550 Music/Epic Records. The album was put together by the activist group Feminist Majority and the liner notes state that the proceeds of the album went to supporting the Becky Bell/Rosie Jimenez Campaign "to lift consent laws and...
(1995) EpicEpic RecordsEpic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
/550 Music550 Music550 Music was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building, located at 550 Madison Avenue in New York...
– "Midnight at the OasisMidnight at the OasisA version of this song was recorded by the group Brand New Heavies, attributed to "Brand New Heavies featuring N'Dea Davenport". This version reached #13 in the UK in 1994 and was their biggest hit up until the departure of Davenport, when Sometimes made #11....
" (Maria MuldaurMaria MuldaurMaria Muldaur is a folk-blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s...
) - A Small Circle of Friends: A Germs TributeA Small Circle of Friends (Germs)A Small Circle of Friends: Germs was a tribute album for the band The Germs released in 1996. The album features multiple Germs covers by several artists, including NOFX, L7, The Melvins, Gumball, and Hole, playing under the moniker "The Holez" with Pat Smear.- Track listing :# NOFX – "Forming"...
(1996) Grass RecordsWind-Up RecordsWind-up Entertainment, Inc. is a record label based in New York City. It was formed in 1997 by Alan Meltzer, former owner of CD One Stop, following his 1996 purchase of Grass Records. Wind-up is currently the largest independently-owned record label in the world...
– "We Must Bleed" (GermsThe GermsThe Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...
) - Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and CarliHear You Me! A Tribute To Mykel And CarliHear You Me! A Tribute To Mykel And Carli is a compilation album released in 1998 on Vast Records.When Mykel and Carli Allan died, a tribute and benefit concert was organized to help the Allan family with the funeral costs. The show featured friends of the Allan sisters that dog., Black Market...
(1998) Vast Records – "Silently" (acoustic version)