Announcing the debut release from LA’s indie punk outfit
@begging.dog - led by artist
@exjeff Jeff Kleinman and an outlet for his work outside of the band Choir Boy, Begging Dog finds Kleinman embracing a raw, homespun sound and plain language lyricism. Listen to the whole album out now on digital. Preorder the vinyl - out December 12th, and check out the video for “Begging Dog” produced by
@acblocher . Link in bio. For fans of Felt, The Wake, Cleaners From Venus, Lou Reed, and The Bats…
DEMO 1 is 26 minutes packed with rolling bass and synth lines, charismatic riffs, and motorik drum beats. Lyrically, the songs feature a range of lived-in observations, scenes, and characters: a pushy union rep; a mailman with a steady federal job; a compulsive gambler; a beloved neighborhood homeless man. Ex-loves become collaged together, haunting several tracks, out of context, with blunt, sharp-witted free verse. Kleinman cites Bruce Springsteen as an inspiration in how his songs are penned with plain ink, opting for direct simplicity over flowery prose.
He taps into a shared loneliness, both universal and perhaps especially unique to living in Los Angeles, with no-frills nuance and vulnerability. On the title track, Kleinman sings, “no one loves a begging dog,” in a line borrowed from a friend that embodies the project’s point of view: the world can make you feel like a begging dog in search of affection and security, but there is beauty in solitude and the buzzing monotony of it all.
Photo by
@nijmeddin