That dog.

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that dog. was a Los Angeles-based band which formed in 1991 and disbanded in 1997. Featuring Anna Waronker on lead vocals and guitar, Rachel Haden on bass guitar, her sister Petra Haden on violin, and Tony Maxwell on drums, their punk power-pop songs were full of hooks and vocal harmonies. 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. Anna had known Petra and Rachel 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."

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 8th 1997, that dog. released their final album, Retreat From The Sun. The band had a spot opening for Blur on their US tour that same year. 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 group issued a formal statement announcing 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 has also contributed vocals and violin to recordings by many artists including Green Day, Bill Frisell, Miss Murgatroid, and The Rentals. Rachel has done the same, contributing vocals to albums by Jimmy Eat World, Ozma and Nada Surf.

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.