TVD's Obscure Alternatives

It's our Thursday flashback, culled from the rare and ultra-obscure (and often bizarre) crates of 80’s vinyl, curated by our pal Gil:


Dog Police – s/t LP | Here we have a rather wacky American new wave group called Dog Police that was formed in Memphis, TN by band leader Sam Shoup. The core group was made up of three members that dressed up as..well…dogs. This inventive trio was active in the mid to late 80’s. Their music was a skewed new wave pop that reminds one of the wise-guy word play from the Los Angeles brother duo Sparks.


They entered into the MTV basement tapes competition in 1985 and came out victorious with an inventive and quite entertaining video of what would be their anthem tinged album title song. There was another video made for the song 1-800, which pokes fun at television marketing ads and their toll free 800 numbers.

They obviously garnered some attention in alternative music circles and were subsequently able to produce a lone full length album that was a private pressing. Not surprisingly, wild man Weird Al Yankovic was enamored by the group’s silliness and featured them on his short lived MTV music video show. A lost new wave pop obscurity.



Dog Police - I'm Butch (Mp3)
Dog Police - In The Studio (Mp3)
Dog Police - Music (Mp3)

For more obscure and unknown titles, check out Vinyl Obscurity.