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Member since: April 25, 2012

A Little About Me

Obash, Koory and Looloosh met as teenage skateboarders, bonding over a mutual interest in punk rock — which was a rare thing in Iran. By 2007, they risked arrest to form their indie-rock band, The Yellow Dogs. In keeping with the DIY philosophy of the musicians they loved, The Yellow Dogs organized underground shows shrouded in secrecy. Amazingly, their parents, who never actually saw them play live, always supported their sons because they were so committed to making a career out of what was once a hobby.

The Yellow Dogs made enough of a name for themselves that they were asked to participate in No One Knows About Persian Cats, a docudrama about the underground rock scene in Tehran. They happily agreed, assuming it’d never go anywhere. But after the movie picked up an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 — and won attention from CNN — the band decided to leave their homeland for their own safety.

The U.S. government helped, granting them asylum. After playing South by Southwest in 2010, they settled in Brooklyn because, they said, when you’re from Iran, New York City is like rock 'n' roll heaven populated by musicians that form communities and play freely.

Their peers have responded in kind. So far, The Yellow Dogs have opened for groups such as The Black Lips, CSS and Thee Oh-Sees. Most recently, we named them the latest eMusic Selects band. eMusic exclusively released their second EP, Upper Class Complexity, which has sat on eMusic’s top 10 chart for weeks now.

If you’d like to learn more about The Yellow Dogs please visit their Facebook page. Thank you for your open mind and ears.

—The eMusic Staff