Photo By Kat Nijmeddin
Begging Dog is the indie punk project of Los Angeles-based artist and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Kleinman. An outlet for his work outside of the band Choir Boy, Begging Dog finds Kleinman embracing the mundane with a raw, homespun sound that nods to garage punk and plain language lyricism. 26 minutes packed with rolling bass and synth lines, charismatic riffs, and motorik drum beats, DEMO 1 is strikingly tight for being exactly as titled, the first Begging Dog demos, self-recorded, self-produced, and self-released — that is until Dais Records heard it and offered to give the original album a wider vinyl release.
What’s striking is Kleinman’s craftsmanship within natural parameters, ability to tell relatable stories in these songs without pretense, and to realize dynamic material (which translates to a seven-piece live band) without much more than himself. “No one loves a begging dog,” he sings on the title track, 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.
Kleinman came up playing in punk bands, and over the last two decades, he has found his place in the DIY community, having called various locations home, notably Columbus, Ohio, and Salt Lake City, where Choir Boy formed, followed by New Haven, Connecticut, before his move to LA. The songs on DEMO 1 feature a range of lived-in observations, scenes, and characters.
Among many are a pushy union rep and a mailman with a steady federal job (“Begging Dog”), a compulsive gambler (“Money Tree”), a beloved homeless man in his neighborhood (“Laughing Boy”), and the absence of ex-loves haunting several tracks, all collaged together out of context with blunt, sharp-witted free verse. He cites Bruce Springsteen as an inspiration in how his songs are penned with plain ink, opting for direct simplicity over flowery prose.
“Loneliness always keeps the best company,” he sings on the synth-laced “Laughing Boy”, walking through his neighborhood contemplating the meaning of life, decrying high rent, and noting the scent of jasmine trees in the same breath as the jarring police presence. Later on “Common Place”, surrounded by urgent drum machine kicks and distortion, he feels truly alive at a Seven Eleven downtown, then darts between a tragedy he witnessed at a park and more fond memories of living communally in Salt Lake City, before declaring his new mantra: “It’s over.” The contrasts here are what make these songs human.
“No 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. “When 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.
DEMO 1 was mixed / mastered by Matt Whitehurst. It’s currently streaming across all digital retailers and sees its release on vinyl via Dais Records on December 12.
