tony maxwell was born on june 3, 1968 in paris, france. he plays drums, piano, acoustic guitar and percussion and lives in manhattan.
rachel haden was born on october 11, 1971 in manhattan. she sings and plays bass, acoustic guitar and percussion and lives in los angeles.
anna waronker was born on july 10, 1972 in los angeles. she sings and plays guitar and lives in los angeles.
petra haden was born on october 11, 1971 in manhattan. she sings and plays violin and lives in los angeles.
The lineup of the Los Angeles-based indie-pop quartet that dog. represented the flowering of a second generation of musical luminaries: singer/guitarist Anna Waronker was the daughter of famed producer and Warner Bros. head Lenny Waronker, while bassist Rachel Haden and her violinist sister Petra were two of the triplet daughters born to jazz titan Charlie Haden.
Friends since high school, the trio first began playing music together in Waronker's bedroom in the early '90s. Joined by drummer Tony Maxwell in 1992, that dog. issued their debut double seven-inch on the tiny Magnatone Records, quickly becoming a staple of the L.A. club circuit; a flurry of label interest followed, and the group signed with DGC in 1993. that dog.'s self-titled debut LP appeared in 1994; an energetic and quirky punk-pop effort highlighted by sunny harmonies and the intriguing use of violin and cello, the record became a college radio hit, and the light-hearted video for the lead single "Old Timer" even garnered some MTV airplay.
The follow-up, Totally Crushed Out!, was issued a year later; a concept album wittily exploring the teen angst of unrequited love (packaged to recall a Sweet Valley High romance novel), the record marked a significant maturity in Waronker's songwriting, evidenced by tracks like "Ms. Wrong" and "He's Kissing Christian." A planned Waronker solo project was scheduled to follow, but instead her more pop-oriented material became the basis for the third that dog. record; co-produced by Brad Wood, the stellar Retreat From the Sun appeared in 1997. The band's breakup was announced that September.
~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Seemingly born into the Los Angeles music scene, 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 Steve McDonald of Redd Kross fame. Petra and Rachel Haden are the 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 Beck, Weezer and The Rentals. Band members contributed to Beck's "Totally Confused" and Weezer's "I Just Threw Out The Love Of My Dreams."
On April 8th 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.
The band broke up and announced their disbandment in September of 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 capella tour de force. In 2005, she joined The Decemberists as a full-time member. 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, 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. Petra Haden also saw some success with her 2005 re-recording of The Who Sell Out, in which she recreated each song on a cassette 8-track using only her voice. ~
~ wikipedia.com
