This time last year on a Saturday morning in Sydney, Australia Laurie Anderson led a small but powerful four piece music ensemble in an outdoor concert by the Sydney Opera House for dogs and their owners. But the unique concert was less for humans and primarily music for the dogs (approximately a thousand in all in all sizes and breeds) in attendance since it was a “high-frequency concert” with sounds and frequencies that were geared for dogs' hearing ranges.

As you can see from the three video clips below some dogs liked the sounds a lot while others appeared to find them discomforting. But all reacted somehow and mostly in a positive & peaceful fashion. And as Anderson notes with pleasant surprise in one of the clips below following the 20 minute concert "There were no dog fights!"  Anderson, who was accompanied to Sydney by husband Lou Reed who did not perform but is seen behind the sound board, also said that the June 5th, 2010 Music For Dogs performance was the best concert that she ever part-took in.

         
There's a reason why so many viral videos feature cats and dogs. People love their pets and can relate to videos featuring animals that remind them of their feline or canine buddies. And this is the reason, I believe, that's fueled the phenomenal popularity of the Swedish House Mafia's latest music video for their pop-dance track "Save The World" which, since it was uploaded just twelve days ago (May 19th), has racked up an astonishing nine plus million YouTube views. The engaging video for the average song stars a cast of hero dogs of varying breeds who race to defend the attacked humans (save the world) as seen in the clip above.

After watching this video I started thinking of all the other cool music videos starring dogs and have compiled a selection of them here including Atmosphere's "Just For Show" from the Rhymesayers act;s recently released album The Family Sign and OK Go's ever popular "White Knuckles" video which has tallied over 10 million views since it was uploaded on YouTube last September. Also,below are such dog themed classics as Snoop Doggy Dogg's Dr Dre produced "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" in which the Dogg famously morphs into a dog (impressive in 1993), Baha Men's one hit wonder from eleven years ago "Who Let The Dogs Out," and Sublime's "What I Got."

This is the third installment of the AMOEBLOG featuring Amoeba Dogs (dogs in some way closely connected to Amoeba Music -- usually the pets and best friends of Amoeba Music employees in the Hollywood, Berkeley, or San Francisco stores.) The three fine canines featured in this AMOEBADOG blog are Cugat and Stella (that is Stella pictured left), both of whom are the best friends of Oliver (Amoeba Music floor manager and electronic music buyer) and also Suki, who is the pet and best friend of Brandi Shearer, the Amoeba Music recording artist who recently released the album Close To Dark and who, you will recall from the last Amoeba Dog Blog Part II, knitted a doggie sweater for Amoeba Dog Melina.

I asked both Brandi and Oliver to talk a little about their respective pooches: the basics, such as what breed, age or weight the dogs might be and also how they originally got their canines (something that is often really interesting, I find). I also asked them both what their dogs really mean to them and if they have any significant impact on their lives.


CUGAT & STELLA

Oliver shared with the AMOEBLOG that Cugat (pictured right) should never be judged by his diminutive scale, warning, "Cugat at four years old may only weigh in at a mere 3.2 pounds, but [he] can scare you off just as much as any Pitbull.

       

ROCKY

Rocky (pictured above) is the best canine pal of Don Ford, who manages at the San Francisco Amoeba Music store. The happy dog's full name is Rocky Balboa, "but we just call him Rocky," says Don. The Boston Terrier will be turning four in December. "We got Rocky in January because my Pug puppy was killed at the vet when he went in for a booster shot and he went into shock," recalls Don sadly.  "The Pug's name was Brutus. It was all a sudden shock. So after a few months of grieving we decided it was time for a new puppy. So we picked Mr. Rocky Balboa. He has been amazing and so special. He is sweet, funny,  and he farts sometimes," laughed Don, adding that the energetic Mr Balboa "Is aways there with a lick or a jump up to your waist. He goes nuts to go for field trips in the car. And he loves to run at Fort Funston.  

                          MELINA

Pictured left is Melina (AKA Donut, AKA Doglet), who is the best friend of Kara who works in the marketing offices of the Amoeba Music Hollywood store. "I like to call her a Chihuahua/fruit bat mix, but there are many theories about her origin," says Kara, who crossed paths with Melina after she was brought into the Amoeba Hollywood store by her owner -- a store regular -- who had tragically lost his home and could not find a new one that would allow pets. But luckily, from frequenting Amoeba, this former owner knew just how much the staff there loved animals, especially dogs, so he left Melina with Amoebite Kim to find the little pooch a safe and loving new home. Kara babysat Melina just once and instantly knew that she would be the one would adopt the little cutie and provide her with that loving new home. "So she now lives in Santa Monica," says Kara. There the dog keeps a good guard over her front yard while laying in the sun every morning with her toys. Kara noted that Melina pulls her weight too. "She works a few days a week in the marketing office -- taking calls, booking in-stores and playing fetch in the hallway when she needs to stretch her legs. Her hobbies include: gazing longingly at people trying to eat in the break room, getting visits from her many friends around the store, barking at skateboards and burrowing under blankets." Melina also enjoys trips to the dog park, driving up the coast to look for birds to chase (which she never catches), looking cute, and any food you'd maybe like to part with. "I was amazingly lucky to have this special dog cross my path!!"

 HARLEY

Harley, a Black Labrador Retriever, is almost four years old. She is best pals with Lori, who works as a manager at the Berkeley Amoeba Music store.  The two start every day by going up to Lake Chabot for an invigorating morning walk/run. "My other dog Cody passed away and someone who worked at Amoeba put me in touch with someone whose dog had just had a litter. All seven of the litter were girls," recalled Lori. "Organic dairy farmers out in Cloverdale  -- so we went out there and saw her at 4 weeks and then at again at 7 weeks old when we picked her up." Lori notes that Harley has a good "dog friend" in a fellow AmoebaDog. "I share an office with Naomi and Harley and Liebchen (scroll down to see her profile) get along really well together," she smiled. 

KAHLESS

Kahless (rhymes with Payless) is an Australian Cattle Dog and is the best friend of Paul Vasquez, who works in the world music section of Amoeba Music Hollywood. Recently Paul recalled that fateful day three years ago when he and Kahless first crossed paths. "It was one afternoon in April 2004; I was looking for a dog at the animal shelter in Pomona. I looked at plenty of animals, but none of them really caught my eye. On the way out, I saw a picture on a bulletin board of a dog with beautiful eyes and super crazy spots. I looked to my left, and there he was in his little cell. I went to him and knelt down to see his reaction. No barking, no weirdness, just eye contact and a wagging tail. All of a sudden he put one of his paws through the bars onto my knee. That was it. I chose him and he chose me. We've been best friends ever since."