Small Black started with a name and worked backwards: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, Oregon night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, New York and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician and former member of the hardcore band Silent Majority who shared friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in the attic of the beach house and surfboard shop Kolenik's uncle owned to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending late 2008 and early 2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them.
Though Kolenik had played in several bands before Small Black, the mix of shoegaze and synth pop he and Heyner hit upon felt special, and the group's lineup was complete once bassist/guitarist Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik's previous band, Slowlands, joined to bolster production and fill out their live act. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on their own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs" as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt soon after. Following their performances at that yearβs CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the bandβs debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, they also released a split single with the like-minded Washed Out, with whom they also toured. New Chain, the band's first full-length, boasted a slightly more polished sound that reflected their consistent touring as well as their interest in hip-hop and arrived in October 2010. In late 2011, the band offered the Moon Killer mixtape as a free download from their website. The collection of new material was built on samples ranging from Pere Ubu to Nicki Minaj and featured multiple drop-ins from Das Racist MC Heems as well as remixes from Star Slinger and Phonetag.
After spending much of 2012 on the road, Small Black returned with May 2013's Limits of Desire, a more sophisticated-sounding set influenced by Talk Talk and the Blue Nile. They covered the latter band's classic "Downtown Lights" on the following year's Real People EP, which had a more dancefloor-oriented style and featured vocals from Frankie Rose. Small Black's passion for sophisti-pop grew on October 2015's Best Blues. Recorded by the band in their Brooklyn home studio and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at the Rare Book Room Studio, the album included contributions from trumpeter Darby Cicci of the Antlers and vocalist Kaede Ford. Soon after Best Blues' release, Kolenik's Uncle Matt passed away, and the memory of him inspired many of the songs on Small Black's fourth album. Arriving on 100% Electronica in April 2021, the reflective Cheap Dreams found the band returning from their hiatus with an extra dose of goth to their synth pop reveries. In 2023, Small Black looked back with a pair of archival releases. They commemorated the tenth anniversary of Limits of Desire with a deluxe edition of the album, and also issued a deluxe version of their debut EP that included previously unreleased songs from their early beach house sessions.
Biography by Heather Phares for ALLMUSIC
Despicable Dogs
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know where they're selling longs
Wider than the worst ones
Wider than the one I know
Smoke machine begins to blow
By the water on the floor
Indifferent to the written wall
If they rattle then they rattle on
Do it without me, do it when I'm gone
Right as I want you
Right as you run
You duck
I know you watch em
I know that you want no more
Maybe in the factory
Maybe in the actual world
By the leaves out in the snow
My beliefs have yet to go
Indifferent to the written wall
Lost in the wood on another hunt
If they rattle then they rattle on
Do it without me, do it when I'm gone
Right I want you
Right as you run
You duck
Do it without me, do it when it's wrong
Right as I want you
Right as you run
You duck
The lyrics to Small Black's song Despicable Dogs suggest a sense of knowing and observing the actions of others. The opening lines suggest that the singer is aware of where certain things are being constructed and sold, possibly referring to drugs. The line "Wider than the worst ones, wider than the one I know" adds to the suggestion that the song is about drug use, as the singer is aware that some drugs can be more potent or dangerous than others. The smoke machine mentioned later in the song also adds to this theme, suggesting a party atmosphere with drug use present.
The second half of the first verse speaks of being lost in the woods on another hunt, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for trying to find something or fulfill a desire. The repetition of "if they rattle then they rattle on" is ambiguous and can be interpreted in several ways. It could refer to the effects of drug use, a rattling sound that signals something happening, or a conversational warning to proceed with caution.
The second verse continues with the theme of observation and knowledge. The singer knows that the listener is watching and wants something more, possibly suggesting a longing or desire for something that they cannot have. The line "by the leaves out in the snow, my beliefs have yet to go" is somewhat enigmatic, but could suggest a sense of unwillingness to let go of certain moral beliefs or values, despite the surroundings or circumstances.
Overall, the lyrics to Despicable Dogs are somewhat cryptic, but suggest a theme of knowing, observing, and wanting. The drug use element is a possibility, as is a more general sense of longing and desire.
Line by Line Meaning
I know where they build em
I have knowledge of the places where they manufacture these objects
I know where they're selling longs
I know the specific locations where these objects are being sold
Wider than the worst ones
These objects are larger than the inferior ones
Wider than the one I know
Even compared to the objects I am aware of, these ones are still larger in size
Smoke machine begins to blow
The party has begun and the smoke machine has been turned on
By the water on the floor
There is water on the floor, possibly due to spilled drinks
Indifferent to the written wall
Even though there is graffiti on the walls, no one seems to care
Lost in the wood on another hunt
People are wandering aimlessly and searching for something different
If they rattle then they rattle on
If there is conflict or problems, they will continue to persist
Do it without me, do it when I'm gone
They can continue doing their activities without my presence
Right as I want you
When I desire you
Right as you run
As you are trying to get away
You duck
You try to avoid me
I know you watch em
I am aware that you are observing these objects
I know that you want no more
You have no desire for anything more than observing them
Maybe in the factory
Perhaps these objects were created in a factory setting
Maybe in the actual world
Or maybe they came from the real world outside of this party
By the leaves out in the snow
Out in the cold outdoors, surrounded by leaves and snow
My beliefs have yet to go
I am still firmly rooted in my beliefs, despite the chaos around me
Do it without me, do it when it's wrong
They can continue doing their activities, even if it is morally wrong
Lyrics Β© SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Joshua Hayden Kolenik, Ryan Frank Heyner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lella7
I know where they build em
I know where they're selling longs
Wider than the worst ones
Wider than the one I know
Smoke machine begins to blow
By the water on the floor
Indifferent to the written wall
Lost in the wood on another hunt
If they rattle then they rattle on
Do it without me, do it when I'm gone
Right as I want you
Right as you run
You duck
I know you watch em
I know that you want no more
Maybe in the factory
Maybe in the actual world
By the leaves out in the snow
My beliefs have yet to go
Indifferent to the written wall
Lost in the wood on another hunt
If they rattle then they rattle on
Do it without me, do it when I'm gone
Right I want you
Right as you run
You duck
Do it without me, do it when it's wrong
Right as I want you
Right as you run
You duck
@kylebuchler8399
Still love this song, still love this guy in 2023. The song of my teenage years kids βπ»
@StarFighter17russ
This music video touches my soul every time i watch this. Love Small Black!
@consti8136
Hidden gem
@chrisWTG
2009 memories! thank you JagJaguwar
@joshuajoe5997
I wish I could take this song to eternity
@jartinmustin
This is one of the best YouTube comments I've ever seen.
@rezarabbani5335
It's an endless summer
@JakeArdu
I'm glad to be one of the 61k around the world who are blessed enough to know this song.
@SMHS28
Irresistible and nostalgic video. Is he happy or is he trying to recapture his former glory? I choose to believe that he loves the lifestyle he leads. Why grow up when you've got what you want?
@Nemes1S_
I think it was just trying to capture someone's cool uncle. Someone who was unequivocally determined in manifesting their ideal lifestyle and being themselves. That's what makes someone cool. Be cool long enough and you develop sage like qualities and if you have a nephew he'll look up to you like some sort of demi-god. That's my interpretation.