That Dog Scores With Catchier Tunes

In its infancy, the Los Angeles band That Dog was all about stamping out pop conventions, a goal that limited its audience to an iconoclastic few. From the opening chords of its show at the Roxy on Wednesday, however, the band embraced the “fa-la-la” vocals and muscular yet catchy pop of its new album, “Retreat From the Sun,” delivering it to a new, far bigger crowd.

“There was a time when we could play shows and hope that five people came,” remarked drummer Tony Maxwell, clearly surprised that the club was sold out and the audience could sing the words of the group’s new songs.

Singer and guitarist Anna Waronker held forth with equal doses of charisma and grace as she offered up slices of her life, examining a rock-club crush in “Minneapolis” and abstractly capturing frustration in “Never Say Never.” Providing a foil to Waronker’s cool, violinist and singer Petra Haden (daughter of jazz master Charlie Haden,) broke violin strings, shook bells and danced with abandon.

A far cry from the punkish deconstruction of its early days, That Dog’s music now brings together bright and sunny “California sound” harmonies a la the Beach Boys with flourishes reminiscent of the Go-Go’s. At this show, the recipe felt so solid that you had to wonder why Waronker hasn’t been elected pop’s new goddess.

The second-billed act also recalled the Go-Go’s--no surprise, since it was two of that band’s members, Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin. Sitting down with two acoustic guitars, the team, which is playing a few shows on a casual basis, delivered a ragged set of forgettable new songs and old ones best remembered in their electric glory--and without mistakes.