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 year’s CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the band’s 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
Dispicable Dogs
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know where they're selling logs
Wider than the worst ones
Wider than the ones I know
Smoke machine begins to blow
Lines of water on the floor
I know you watch em
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 as I hunt you
Right as you run
You dog
Do it without me, do it when it's wrong
Right as I hunt you
Right as you run
You dog
The lyrics of "01 Despicable Dogs" by Small Black are abstract and open to interpretation, as is common in dream-pop music. The song's hypnotic music and lyrics suggest a hazy, drug-induced state, with references to substance use and possibly addiction. The lines "I know where they're selling longs / Wider than the worst ones / Wider than the one I know" imply a knowledge of where to find extra-long cigarettes that are wider than the standard ones. This can be seen as a nod to drug culture, where longer and wider cigarettes may be used for smoking certain substances.
The line "Smoke machine begins to blow / By the water on the floor" suggests the presence of a fog machine, possibly in a club or party atmosphere. The singer is "Lost in the wood on another hunt", indicating a desire or pursuit for something elusive. The repeated line "If they rattle then they rattle on" can be interpreted in multiple ways, perhaps referring to the sound of rattling pills or drug paraphernalia, or metaphorically to the feeling of being trapped in an addiction cycle.
"I know you watch em / I know that you want no more" could suggest that the singer is aware of someone's substance use and desires for them to stop, or possibly projecting their own desire to quit onto another. The bridge section "Do it without me, do it when I'm gone / Right as I want you / Right as you run / You duck" could signify a sense of futility or powerlessness, as the singer acknowledges that someone may continue their addictive behavior despite their wishes otherwise.
Overall, "01 Despicable Dogs" maintains a mood of dreamy detachment and introspection, with abstract lyrics that suggest themes of addiction, desire, and powerlessness.
Line by Line Meaning
I know where they build em
I am aware of where the troublemakers come from
I know where they're selling longs
I know where they are distributing illegal substances
Wider than the worst ones
These substances are more potent than the ones we know are already dangerous
Wider than the one I know
This illegal substance is more powerful than what Small Black is familiar with
Smoke machine begins to blow
The atmosphere is shifting and becoming hazy and unclear
By the water on the floor
It is happening near the floor or ground, possibly indicating an atmosphere of danger or risk
Indifferent to the written wall
The troublemakers and those taking the illegal substances are paying no attention to any warnings or messages
Lost in the wood on another hunt
They are on another search or quest, and have lost track of where they are
If they rattle then they rattle on
If there is a problem, these people will continue to move forward and not be deterred
Do it without me, do it when I'm gone
I don't want to be a part of it, and please don't involve me in any future situations
Right as I want you
The person Small Black is addressing must do things exactly as he has instructed them to do
Right as you run
Do it quickly and don't waste time
You duck
Get out of there and stay safe
I know you watch em
Small Black knows that someone is keeping an eye on them
I know that you want no more
Small Black understands that someone is unhappy with what is happening
Maybe in the factory
This illegal substance could be made in a location that looks like a factory
Maybe in the actual world
This could be happening in the real world that we all live in
By the leaves out in the snow
This action is happening outside and is quite visible due to the white snow and falling leaves
My beliefs have yet to go
Small Black is unsure of what to believe about what is happening
Do it without me, do it when it's wrong
Small Black wants nothing to do with anything that is going against the law or morals, and doesn't want to be involved
Lyrics © 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 ✌🏻
@StarFighter17russ
This music video touches my soul every time i watch this. Love Small Black!
@ArkhamKn1ght06
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.
@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.
@JakeArdu
I'm glad to be one of the 61k around the world who are blessed enough to know this song.
@rezarabbani5335
It's an endless summer