Editing That Dog

{{Short description|American rock band}}
{{distinguish|The Dog (disambiguation){{!}}The Dog}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name                = that dog.
| image               = Thatdog.jpg
| caption             = that dog. in 1997; left to right: [[Rachel Haden]], [[Tony Maxwell]], [[Anna Waronker]] and [[Petra Haden]] 
| image_size          = 250
|alt = The band member's faces
| background          = group_or_band
| alias               =
| origin              = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], U.S.
| instrument          =
| genre               = {{hlist|[[Indie rock]]|[[slacker rock]]|[[power pop]]}}
| occupation          =
| years_active        = {{hlist|1992–1997|2011–present}}
| label               = {{hlist|[[DGC Records|DGC]]|[[Universal Music Enterprises|UMe]]}}
| associated_acts     =
| website             =
| current_members     = [[Rachel Haden]]<br>[[Tony Maxwell]]<br>[[Anna Waronker]]
| past_members        = [[Petra Haden]]
}}

'''That Dog''' (stylized as '''that dog.''') is a [[Los Angeles]]-based [[rock music|rock]] band that formed in 1992 and disbanded in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band originally consisted 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.<ref name="Larkin90">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|page=391}}</ref>

The band's original work drew critical comparisons with the output of [[Redd Kross]], [[Wednesday Week (band)|Wednesday Week]], [[Dolly Mixture (band)|Dolly Mixture]] and [[Buzzcocks]].<ref name="Larkin90"/>

==History==

===Formation===
Lead vocalist Anna Waronker is the daughter of record industry mogul [[Lenny Waronker]] and singer [[Donna Loren]], and the sister of drummer [[Joey Waronker]] of [[Beck]], [[R.E.M.]] and [[Atoms for Peace (band)|Atoms for Peace]].<ref name="Larkin90"/> She is married to [[Steven Shane McDonald|Steve McDonald]] of [[Redd Kross]]. Petra and Rachel Haden are daughters of [[jazz]] bassist [[Charlie Haden]].<ref name="Larkin90"/>

The group began when Anna and a friend, [[Jenni Konner]], began writing short punk songs in her bedroom about boys. Waronker had known Petra and Rachel Haden since high school. [[Maya Rudolph]] was the band's original drummer, before moving to attend college,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/dog-unfold-reunion-album-old-160010079.html|website=[[Yahoo]]|title=that dog. unfold their reunion album, Old LP, Track by Track: Stream|first=Robin|last=Bacior|date=3 October 2019|accessdate=29 October 2024}}</ref> after which mutual friend Tony Maxwell took over.<ref name="PitchforkPelly">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/that-dog-totally-crushed-out-retreat-from-the-sun/|title=Totally Crushed Out / Retreat from the Sun - that dog.|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|first=Jenn|last=Pelly|date=30 July 2020|accessdate=25 October 2024}}</ref><ref name="AllmusicBio">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/that-dog-mn0000031769#biography|website=[[Allmusic]]|title=that dog. Biography|first=Heather|last=Phares}}</ref>

===Releases and Touring===
Their [[That Dog (album)|self-titled first album]] was originally released on a limited run as a double 7" on the independent label Magnatone Records in 1992.<ref name="Larkin90"/> It was soon after re-released on cassette and compact disc by [[Geffen Records|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", "Totally Confused" and the single "Steve Threw Up", as well as Weezer's "I Just Threw Out the Love of My Dreams", all released as [[A-side and B-side|B-sides]] by the aforementioned artists.

1995 saw the release of ''[[Totally Crushed Out!]]'' to little fanfare.<ref name="Larkin90"/> The band's members also contributed to several tracks on [[Mike Watt]]'s ''[[Ball-Hog or Tugboat?]]'' record.<ref name="bullock">{{Cite web|last=Bullock |first=John Paul|title=Mike Watt’s Ball-Hog or Tugboat Turns 25: How a Bass Hero’s Eclectic LP Defined the ’90s |url=https://www.spin.com/2020/03/mike-watts-ball-hog-or-tugboat-turns-25-how-a-bass-heros-eclectic-lp-defined-the-90s/|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|date=March 4, 2020|access-date=25 October 2024}}</ref>

On April 8, 1997, that dog. released their third album, ''[[Retreat from the Sun]]'',<ref name="Larkin90"/> and added [[Kenny Woods]] (Steven McDonald Group, Beck, Anders & Woods) on guitar. ''Retreat from the Sun'' spawned the group's only charting radio hit, "Never Say Never", which reached No.&nbsp;27 on the U.S. [[Billboard magazine|Billboard]] Modern Rock charts in 1997.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p131147/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} Billboard], [[AllMusic]]</ref>

That year the band toured the US with various acts including, [[Blur (band)|Blur]],<ref name="DropD">{{cite magazine|url=https://dropd.com/issue/67/ThatDog/|title=How Much is That...? Anna Waronker and Tony Maxwell of That Dog|magazine=Drop-D|date=16 August 1997|first=Darren|last=Gawle|accessdate=25 October 2024}}</ref> [[The Wallflowers]], and [[Counting Crows]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fA8EAAAAMBAJ&q=Bettie+Serveert+%22The+Wallflowers%22+1997&pg=PA16|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=The Beat|first=Belinda|last=Newman|page=16|date=May 24, 1997|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.}}</ref>

===Dissolution and other projects===
The group issued a formal statement announcing their disbandment in September 1997.<ref name="Larkin90"/> 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; she released her second solo album, ''California Fade'', in 2011.<ref name="AllmusicBio"/> 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 [[The Who Sell Out|1967 album]] as [[a cappella]]. In 2005, she joined [[The Decemberists]] as a full-time member, but no longer plays with the band.<ref name="AllmusicBio"/> Petra Haden has also contributed vocals and violin to recordings by many artists including [[Green Day]], [[Bill Frisell]],<ref name="AllmusicBio"/> [[Miss Murgatroid]], and The Rentals. Rachel Haden has contributed vocals to albums by [[Jimmy Eat World]], [[Say Anything (band)|Say Anything]], [[Ozma (band)|Ozma]] and [[Nada Surf]], and was also a member of the reformed version of [[The Rentals]] (featuring ex-Weezer bassist [[Matt Sharp]]) for a brief period.<ref name="AllmusicBio"/> Tony Maxwell has worked as a composer, most notably on the films ''[[Chuck & Buck]]'' and ''[[The Good Girl]]'' (both written by [[Mike White (scriptwriter)|Mike White]]).<ref name="AllmusicBio"/>

Anna Waronker and her band frequently play clubs in the Los Angeles area. Petra and Rachel have sporadically gigged with third sister [[Tanya Haden|Tanya]] (the three are triplets) as the Haden Triplets.<ref name="AllmusicBio"/>

===Reunion===
On June 21, 2011, after a few months of the band having an official presence on [[Facebook]], 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 (musician)|Prince]] cover band led by [[Maya Rudolph]], who like Petra and Rachel Haden was a member of [[The Rentals]]. The band announced additional reunion shows for 2012: Two shows at Largo at the Coronet in Los Angeles on April 13 (the second show was added after the first sold out), and performances in Brooklyn, New York, on May 24–25, 2012, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The announcement for the Los Angeles shows stated that the band would be performing with an expanded string section, and would feature some songs never performed before.

On May 25, 2012, ''The Village Voice'' published an interview with Anna Waronker where she hinted that there may be new music from the band in the future.<ref>{{cite web|last=Weiss|first=Dan|title=Q&A: That Dog.'s Anna Waronker On Her Band's Reunion Shows, Josie And The Pussycats And Sweet Valley High|url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/05/that_dog_interview.php?page=3|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707011645/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2012/05/that_dog_interview.php?page=3|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 July 2012|publisher=The Village Voice|accessdate=25 May 2012}}</ref> In 2017, Waronker, Rachel Haden and Maxwell indicated that they were in the process of recording a fourth album.<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-that-dog-retreat-from-the-sun-20170405-story.html|title=Never say never? 20 years later, L.A.'s That Dog revisits 'Retreat from the Sun'|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=April 5, 2017|accessdate=May 18, 2018|last=Wood|first=Mikael}}</ref> Petra Haden declined to participate in the recording process, opting not to continue with the band.<ref name="latimes"/>

On August 21, 2019, the band announced that their fourth studio album, ''[[Old LP]]'' would be released on October 4, 2019.<ref name="olp">{{cite web |last1=Ruiz |first1=Matthew Ismael |title=that dog. Announce First New Album in 22 Years, Share New Song: Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/that-dog-announce-first-new-album-in-22-years-share-new-song-listen/ |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |accessdate=August 21, 2019 |date=August 21, 2019}}</ref> A music video for "Just the Way" was released on October 2, 2019.<ref name="jtw">{{Cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/that-dogs-threes-company-perverting-new-video-stars-jac-1838679577 |title=That Dog's ''Three's Company''-Perverting New Video Stars Jack Black and Maya Rudolph |last=Colburn |first=Randall |date=October 2, 2019 |access-date=October 2, 2019 |publisher=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref>

==Band members==
*[[Anna Waronker]] – lead vocals, guitar
*[[Rachel Haden]] – bass guitar, vocals
*[[Tony Maxwell]] – drums

'''Former members'''
*[[Petra Haden]] – violin, vocals

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable"
! scope="col"| Year
! scope="col"| Details
|-
| 1994
| '''''[[That Dog (album)|that dog.]]'''''
*Released: March 1, 1994
*Label: [[DGC Records|DGC]]
*Formats: [[Compact disc|CD]], [[Cassette tape|cassette]], [[LP album|LP]]
|-
| 1995
| '''''[[Totally Crushed Out!]]'''''
*Released: July 18, 1995
*Label: DGC
*Formats: CD, CS, LP
|-
| 1997
| '''''[[Retreat from the Sun]]'''''
*Released: April 8, 1997
*Label: DGC
*Formats: CD, CS, LP
|-
| 2019
| '''''[[Old LP]]'''''
*Released: October 4, 2019<ref name="olp" />
*Label: [[Universal Music Enterprises|UMe]]
*Formats: LP, digital download
|}

===Extended plays and singles===
*''[[That Dog (album)|That Dog]]'' double 7" (1993) Magnatone
*''Buy Me Flowers'' 7" (1993) Guernica
*[["Old Timer"]] (1994) DGC
*''[[Devin Sarno|Waldo the Dog Faced Boy]]/That Dog'' split 10" (1994) WIN Records
*''Grunge Couple'' 7" (1994) self-released
*"He's Kissing Christian" (1995) DGC
*"Never Say Never" (1997) DGC
*"If You Just Didn't Do It" (2019) UMe

===Compilation appearances===
*''[[DGC Rarities Volume 1|DGC Rarities: Volume 1]]'' (1994) DGC – "Grunge Couple"
*''Volume Nine'' (1994) Volume Magazine – "One Summer Night" <small>(alternate version)</small>
*''Jabberjaw: Good to the Last Drop'' (1994) [[Mammoth Records]] – "Explain"
*''The Poop Alley Tapes'' (1995) WIN Records – "Ridiculous"
*''[[Spirit of '73: Rock for Choice]]'' (1995) [[Epic Records|Epic]]/[[550 Music]] – "[[Midnight at the Oasis]]" <small>([[Maria Muldaur]])</small>
*''[[A Small Circle of Friends (Germs)|A Small Circle of Friends: A Germs Tribute]]'' (1996) [[Wind-up Records|Grass Records]] – "We Must Bleed" <small>([[Germs (band)|Germs]])</small>
*''Hear You Me! A Tribute to Mykel and Carli'' (1998) Vast Records – "Silently" <small>(acoustic version)</small>

===Music videos===
*"Old Timer" (1994, directed by [[Spike Jonze]])
*"He's Kissing Christian" (1995, directed by Frank Sacramento)
*"Never Say Never" (1997, directed by Mark Kohr)
*"Just the Way" (2019, directed by Casey Storm)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website}}
*[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p131147|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic profile]
*[https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thatdog Rolling Stone: That Dog page]

{{That Dog}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:That Dog}}
[[Category:Indie rock musical groups from California]]
[[Category:Musical groups from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:4AD artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1992]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1997]]
[[Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2011]]
[[Category:1992 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Female-fronted musical groups]]
[[Category:Mixed-gender bands]]