When famed rock critic Lester Bangs heard the Shaggs, he made a prediction that the cro-magnon men of the world would eventually grope and mangle rock music into an unrecognizable heap that only the girls could put back together. I don’t think that we’re there quite yet, but lately we have seen a de-masculinization of male vocal styles, and an increasing amount of girl groups with new solutions to old problems. It is the latter of these two universes that Dum Dum Girls belong to. In late 2008, ringleader Dee Dee began the project as both a cathartic vessel and shrine to her heroes The Stooges and the Vaselines. Producing treble-heavy hybrids of old school punk and bubblegum pop she describes as “blissed-out buzz saw,” the tunes found footing amongst the new wave of buzz bands playing lo-fi rock with smeared melodies shifting on top. However, to lump the girls in with this movement entirely would hardly do them justice. While the dirty production value is certainly at least part of their aesthetic make up, the upcoming debut full-length I Will Be proves that its far from the only thing going for them.
There’s a million words we turn over when trying to describe it; ‘the gift’, ’soul’, ’steez’, whatever abstract quality a certain artist has that can make a familiar song exciting again, the Dum Dum Girls have got it. The hacked guitar play, simple drum beats, and candid tone stir up something refreshingly un-cryptic in a scene that feeds on vagueness. Their direct delivery on tracks like ‘Jail La La’, harking sentiments like, “This woman’s clearly out of her mind/she’s covered in shit/and high as a kite,” contributes to the thrill of watching Dee Dee and Co. try on different hats. Throughout the 11 tracks producer Richard Gottehrer (The Voidoids, Blondie, The Go-Go’s) helps them summon everyone from The Ronettes to Black Tambourine. What came out was an efficient album of three minute songs running on primitive garage riffs, starry-eyed harmonies, leather skin, and teenage empathy. It’s not the next big thing, it’s not revivalism, it’s just an excellent depiction of someone singing songs in front of the mirror. Highly Recommended.
I Will Be is available on Sub Pop March 30th.
MP3:::
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
Dum Dum Girls – Jail La La
