Label: Dais

Released 12/12/2025

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. 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. Kleinman quickly recorded DEMO 1 without much more than himself. Live, Begging Dog's dynamic material translates to a seven-piece band. “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.

Track Listing:

1. Begging Dog
   
2. Cave In On Me
   
3. Money Tree
   
4. The Eel
   
5. Laughing Boy
   
6. Clamshell Tune
   
7. Continuing Education
   
8. Tell Me That You Love Me
   
9. Common Place
   
10. Here For A Good Time