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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = That Dog| image = Thatdog.jpg| caption = (left to right) Rachel Haden , Tony Maxwell , Anna Waronker and Petra Haden | image_size = 250| background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Los Angeles , California , United States|U.S. | instrument =| genre = Alternative rock , post-grunge , power pop , indie rock | occupation =| years_active = 1991& ndash;1997 2011| label = DGC | associated_acts =| website =| current_members = Rachel Haden Tony Maxwell Anna Waronker Petra Haden | past_members =| notable_instruments = That Dog (styled as that dog. ) is a Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles -based rock music|rock musical band|band that formed in 1991 and dissolved in 1997, reuniting in 2011. The band consists of Anna Waronker on lead Singing|vocals and guitar , Rachel Haden on bass guitar and vocals, her sister Petra Haden on violin and vocals, and Tony Maxwell on Drum kit|drums . Their punk music|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 Waronker , the sister of sometime Beck and R.E.M. drummer Joey Waronker , and is married to Steven Shane McDonald|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 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" and "Totally Confused", 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, 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 (band)|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 magazine|Billboard Modern Rock charts in 1997.Allmusic|class=artist|id=p131147/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes Billboard, Allmusic
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 The Who Sell Out|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 (band)|Say Anything , Ozma (band)|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 (scriptwriter)|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 Haden|Tanya (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 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 .
Band members
Anna Waronker – lead vocals, guitar
Petra Haden – violin, vocals
Rachel Haden – bass guitar, vocals
Tony Maxwell – drums
Discography
Studio albums
Year
Album details
1993
That Dog
Released: November 8, 1993 ( United Kingdom|UK ) and March 1, 1994 ( United States|US )
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 " ( Maria Muldaur )
A Small Circle of Friends (Germs)|A Small Circle of Friends: A Germs Tribute (1996) Wind-up Records|Grass Records – "We Must Bleed" ( The Germs|Germs )
Hear You Me& #33; A Tribute to Mykel and Carli (1998) Vast Records – "Silently" (acoustic version)
