Demo 1 [LP]

Begging Dog - Demo 1 [LP]

Begging Dog is the indie punk project of Los Angeles-based artist Jeff Kleinman. An outlet for his work outside of the band Choir Boy, Begging Dog finds Kleinman embracing a raw, homespun sound with nods to garage punk and plain language lyricism._x000B__x000B_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._x000B__x000B_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, œno 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._x000B__x000B_The synth-laced œLaughing Boy  contemplates the meaning of life, decrying high rent while noting the scent of jasmine trees in the same breath as the jarring police presence. On œCommon Place , surrounded by urgent drum machine kicks and distortion, he sings about feeling truly alive at a 7-Eleven downtown, then darts between a tragedy he witnessed at a park and fond memories of living communally in Salt Lake City, before declaring his new mantra: œIt s over.  The contrasts here are what make these songs human._x000B_Kleinman quickly recorded DEMO 1 without much more than himself. Live, Begging Dog's dynamic material translates to a seven-piece band._x000B__x000B_ œNo matter how good or not good you have it, you're kind of like looking for something more,  says Kleinman, stopping short of trying to find some larger meaning in his work. œWhen I'm writing about these things, I don't try to make them more important than what they are.  DEMO 1 benefits from this straightforward, everyman humility, crossing candor with grit and hooks.