Dawg Yawp

In 2006, Tyler Randall and Rob Keenan became friends while both attending Turpin High School.{{cite web|last1=Baker|first1=Brian|title=Who Let the Dawgs In?|url=http://www.citybeat.com/home/article/13000901/who-let-the-dawgs-in|website=CityBeat Cincinnati|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}} After graduating, Keenan spent three years at Indiana University while Randall finished high school. During their time apart, Randall and Keenan would collaborate on music over the weekends. After Randall graduated from high school, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Keenan soon joined Randall as a student at Berklee, although both eventually dropped out to focus on their musical careers.{{cite web|last1=Rose|first1=Cedric|title=Dawg Yawp's Magical Mystery Tour Hits its Stride|url=http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/artsmindsblog/dawg-yawps-hits-stride/|website=Cincinnati Magazine|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=9 February 2017}} While attending Berklee, Randall was the first student to have sitar as their principal instrument.{{cite web|title=Local Discovery of the Month: Dawg Yawp|url=http://www.wnku.org/2016/03/28/local-discovery-of-the-month-dawg-yawp/|website=WNKU|accessdate=22 September 2017|archive-date=7 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007141116/http://www.wnku.org/2016/03/28/local-discovery-of-the-month-dawg-yawp/|url-status=usurped}}

During his time at Berklee, Randall experimented with the sitar in genres such as free improvisation, Middle Eastern fusion, jazz, and American roots. He began busking in the subways and on the streets.{{cite web|last1=Fast|first1=Austin|title=Dawg Yawp plays WCPO Lounge Acts before headlining Thanksgiving Eve show at Woodward Theater|url=http://www.wcpo.com/entertainment/local-a-e/dawg-yawp-plays-wcpo-lounge-acts-before-headlining-thanksgiving-eve-show-at-woodward-theater?page=2|website=WCPO|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=23 February 2017}} Randall also became active in the electronic underground music scene and hosted events. Randall cofounded an underground electronic music collective known as ElecSonic, for which Keenan helped produce events.{{cite web|last1=Dufresne|first1=Emily|title=Berklee Students and Alumni Represented in Boston's Together Festival|url=http://www.berklee-blogs.com/2011/04/berklee-students-and-alumni-represented-in-bostons-together-festival/|website=Berklee Blogs|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=28 April 2011}} Keenan departed ElecSonic to focus on songwriting. Randall eventually departed ElecSonic to focus on his own music, and has collaborated with Phonoride, Sonnymoon,{{cite web|last1=Miranda|first1=Patty|title=Sonnymoon: The Best of What's Next|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2012/07/sonnymoon-the-best-of-whats-next.html|website=Paste Magazine|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}} Time Wharp, Teebs, The Gaslamp Killer,{{cite web|last1=Schiche|first1=Ericka|title=Welcome to Your Nightmare: The Gaslamp Killer's Dystopian Soundscapes|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/music/welcome-to-your-nightmare-the-gaslamp-killers-dystopian-soundscapes-7414039|website=Houston Press|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=16 June 2015}} Gonjasufi and Kaytranada.

After leaving Berklee, Randall and Keenan relocated to Chicago, Illinois, then Nederland, Colorado, to focus on writing music. The two eventually found their way back to Newport, Kentucky, located directly across the river from their native Cincinnati, Ohio. During this time the members would conceive Dawg Yawp.{{cite web|last1=Wickstrom|first1=Matt|title=First Moonshiner's Presents begins Friday night with Dawg Yawp|url=http://www.kykernel.com/features/first-moonshiner-s-presents-begins-friday-night-with-dawg-yawp/article_5d9cb69c-3fa9-11e6-827c-236c5702abb2.html|website=The Kentucky Kernel|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}}

In Cincinnati, Randall and Keenan worked together at a local waffle restaurant, Taste of Belgium. While employed, the two played their first show as Dawg Yawp, covering The Beatles and performing acoustically on the floor of the restaurant. After hearing the duo perform, Rob Fetters offered to produce their debut album. Fetters became a mentor to the band during their recording process. The first six of these recordings were released as the Two Hearted EP on May 6, 2015.

After receiving local praise for the Two Hearted EP, described as “one of the most original and intricately considered bands in Cincinnati’s musical history,” Dawg Yawp began to tour the Midwest and gain support.{{cite web|last1=Tracey-Miller|first1=Nat|title=Dawg Yawp Ride National Momentum Into Bunbury|url=https://cincymusic.com/blog/2016/06/dawg-yawp-ride-national-momentum-into-bunbury|website=CincyMusic|date=2 June 2016 |accessdate=22 September 2017}} The band went back into the studio with Fetters to record new material over the course of several sessions. Two of these tracks were released as standalone singles, including “East Virginia Blues” on April 12, 2016 via NPR’s All Songs Considered.{{cite web|title=New Mix: The National Covers The Grateful Dead, Free Cake For Every Creature, More|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2016/04/12/473919190/new-mix-the-national-covers-the-grateful-dead-free-cake-for-every-creature-more|website=NPR.org|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}} A second single, “Can’t Think” premiered via Consequence of Sound on April 28, 2016, describing the band as “completely original” and dubbing them “sitar rock”.{{cite web|last1=Brennan|first1=Collin|title=Cincinnati duo Dawg Yawp share sitar-heavy breakup song "Can't Think" — listen|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2016/04/cincinnati-duo-dawg-yawp-share-sitar-heavy-breakup-song-cant-think-listen/|website=Consequence of Sound|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=28 April 2016}}

Both tracks, along with four tracks from the Two Hearted EP (“I Wanna Be A Dawg,” “Not So Sure,” “Need You to Know,” and “Dawg”) were combined with several unreleased tracks for the self-titled LP Dawg Yawp,{{cite web|last1=Green|first1=Patrick|title=Dawg Yawp, Sitar Acid Rockers|url=http://www.craveonline.com/music/1142937-new-music-dawg-yawp-sitar-acid-rockers|website=CraveOnline|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=17 October 2016}} which was released on October 14, 2016, via Old Flame Records, with a premiere from PopMatters.{{cite web|last1=Zupko|first1=Sarah|title=Dawg Yawp - 'Dawg Yawp' (album stream) (premiere)|url=http://www.popmatters.com/post/dawg-yawp-dawg-yawp-album-stream-premiere/|website=PopMatters|accessdate=22 September 2017}} A music video for “Can’t Think” was directed by Dave Morrison and released on Team Coco on February 8, 2017 as a part of their “Fresh Noise” series.{{cite web|title=Dawg Yawp "Can't Think" - Exclusive Video Premiere|url=http://teamcoco.com/video/fresh-noise-dawg-yawp|website=TeamCoco|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en|archive-date=5 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180305084450/http://teamcoco.com/video/fresh-noise-dawg-yawp|url-status=dead}}

NPR featured Dawg Yawp’s track “I’ll Quit Tomorrow” on “The Austin 100” playlist ahead of SXSW 2017.{{cite web|last1=Thompson|first1=Stephen|title=The Austin 100: A SXSW 2017 Mix|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/03/01/517751061/the-austin-100|website=NPR.org|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}}{{cite web|last1=Green|first1=Patrick|title=The 20 Must See Bands for SXSW 2017|url=http://www.craveonline.com/music/1214331-20-must-see-bands-sxsw-2017#/slide/13|website=CraveOnline|accessdate=22 September 2017|date=15 February 2017}} After catching a set at the festival, Bob Boilen invited Dawg Yawp to record a Tiny Desk Concert. The session was recorded on June 28, 2017, and was released on September 29, 2017.

Dawg Yawp have performed at Midpoint Music Festival (2015), Bunbury Music Festival (2016), Whispering Beard Folk Festival (2016), Moonshiner’s Ball (2015 & 16), River Roots Festival (2016), South By Southwest (2017) and the Des Moines Arts Festival (2017).

Dawg Yawp recorded a World Cafe Live session in December 2016, which was released on January 9, 2017.{{cite web|author1=David Dye|title=Dawg Yawp On World Cafe|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2017/01/09/508990230/dawg-yawp-on-world-cafe|website=NPR.org|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}} NPR has featured the band in their Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can’t Stop Playing.{{cite web|title=Heavy Rotation: 10 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2016/07/20/486613651/heavy-rotation-10-songs-public-radio-cant-stop-playing|website=NPR.org|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}}

In September 2018, Dawg Yawp released two singles released together called “Tearin’ Up” and “Why I’m Here” entitled ‘Dawg Yawp Doubles, Vol. 1’.{{cite web |title=Dawg Yawp, Cincinnati Entertainment Awards' Reigning Artist of the Year Winners, Drop Two New Tracks of Psych Pop Bliss |url=https://www.citybeat.com/music/spill-it/blog/21024514/dawg-yawp-cincinnati-entertainment-awards-reigning-artist-of-the-year-winners-drop-two-new-tracks-of-psych-pop-bliss |publisher=Cincinnati CityBeat}}

• Two Hearted EP (5/6/15, Independent)
• “East Virginia Blues” (Single) (4/12/16, Old Flame Records)
• “Can’t Think” (Single) (4/28/16, Old Flame Records)
• Dawg Yawp LP (10/14/16, Old Flame Records){{cite web|last1=Breen|first1=Mike|title=Dawg Yawp releases debut full-length|url=http://www.citybeat.com/music/spill-it/article/20836738/dawg-yawp-releases-debut-fulllength|website=Cincinnati CityBeat|accessdate=22 September 2017|language=en}}
• Dawg Yawp: Doubles, Vol. 1 (Doubles){{cite web |title=Dawg Yawp: Doubles, Vol. 1 |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/doubles-vol-1-dawg-yawp-old-flame-records-review-by-jim-trageser.php |publisher=All About Jazz}}
• “Tearin’ Up” (Single) (2018, Old Flame Records)
• “Why I’m Here” (Single) (2018, Old Flame Records)

{{reflist}}

• {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0003558324|label=Dawg Yawp}}

Category:American electronic music groups

Category:American folk rock groups