Stark the Vinyl Shark: Time To Pay Attention to the Dum Dum Girls (Vol. II)

I saw the Dum Dum Girls open for She & Him last summer at the Twilight Concert Series. It was a hot August night, and it turned out to be a rarity in the show world, a night when the opener outshines the main act. At the time, I was still getting to know the band's excellent Sub Pop debut, I Will Be, and was unprepared for their physical appearance on stage: mini-skirts, ripped leggings, corsets, raven black hair, and high heels. For one fleeting moment, I thought this might all be a tactic to distract the audience from a sub-par musical performance.

I was wrong.

Dee Dee (voice), Jules (axe), Bambi (bass), and Sandy (skins) played an excellent set that night, and slowly but surely won over the crowd (including myself) with their special blend of lo-fi garage rock gems like “Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout" and “Jail La La." Midway through the set they even pulled out a cover of The Rolling Stone’s 1965 B-Side “Play with Fire," which they turned into a smoldering, bedroom pop ballad of fuzzy guitars and whispering vocals. I left the show wondering what might be next for them. If 2011 is any indication, we can look forward to great music from the Dum Dum Girls for many years to come.

In March, the Dum Dum Girls released the He Gets Me High EP (Sub Pop), showcasing three original tracks and one exceptional cover of “There is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths. Is it as good as the original? No. Would Morrissey and Johnny Marr approve? I think so. If nothing else, it will inspire you to dig out your Smiths vinyl or CD collection to revisit the unique musical stylings of your old friends from Manchester.

In September, the Dum Dum Girls released their second full-length from Sub Pop called Only in Dreams. It’s an improvement over their debut in almost every way, thanks to a sleek production and improved instrumentation. It’s a more mature sound, not to say they don’t have any fun (see “Just a Creep”), and shows that even though they play to their influences, they have managed to break away from the lo-fi sound that brought them so much success last year. Stand out tracks include “Coming Down,” which sounds like the perfect marriage of Mazzy Star and The Pretenders, “Bedroom Eyes,” which showcases Dee Dee’s excellent vocals, and “In My Head,” which is pure bedroom pop bliss, with a dash of The Beach Boy’s classic West Coast pop sensibilities.

Dee Dee’s smoky, seductive vocals are brought way up in the mix this time, with excellent results. Listen to “Caught in One” with your eyes closed and you’ll swear it's Neko Case, yet on “Just a Creep,” it’s Chrissie Hynde. I’ll take it either way, especially when backed by a rhythm section that knows what they are doing, and a guitar player in Jules who refuses to blend into the background.

I was able to snag a limited edition first pressing of Only in Dreams called the “Sub Pop Loser Edition” which is pressed on pink vinyl and came with a bonus 7’’ 45rpm single. The mix is great, the low end is warm, and Dee Dee’s vocals really sound great on pink wax. It feels great to turn this album up, to enjoy the dynamic range, and to appreciate the great Rock & Roll these women have to offer.