Dum Dum Girls

RECENT POSTS

February 10, 2012 | 1:26 PM | By

Weekend Picks: Making Time with Dum Dum Girls + Veronica Falls at Voyeur, Andrew Lipke at Milkboy Philly

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10th
The members of Dum Dum Girls have always dressed to impress. Since hitting the scene with its debut album, I Will Be, in 2010, the ’60s-inspired quartet is almost always found clad in matching black nylons, red lipstick, and heavy eye makeup, hiding behind a veil of thick, glossy bangs. Though the ladies have always looked quite mature, their second album, last year’s Only In Dreams, carries a sound that has finally caught up with the group’s aesthetic. Though still creating a nice balance between beachy grooves and low-fi subtleties, the group’s latest batch of songs sounds less like adolescent heart doodles and more like someone who’s mastered the complexities of The Bell Jar. Born in the wake of lead singer Dee Dee’s mother’s lost battle to cancer, Only In Dreams strays from the typical boy-crazy narratives and instead acts as a cathartic confession of insomnia, restlessness, and change. Dum Dum Girls performs with Veronica Falls at 9 p.m. at Voyeur; tickets to the 21+ show are $15. —Marielle Mondon

Also Playing: This Will Destroy You + Mountains, Amen Dunes, Power Animal at First Unitarian Church (8 p.m., all ages, $12); Ryan Cabrera + Jennings at Tin Angel (10:30 p.m., all ages, $15); Vintage Kicks + Clone Justice, Bulletproof Tigers at Milkboy Philly (9:30 p.m., 21+, $8–$10)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11th

Andrew Lipke performs with Exit Clov and Marc Silver at 9:30 p.m. at Milkboy Philly; tickets to the 21+ show are $10–$12.

Also Playing: Umphrey’s McGee + Work Drugs at Electric Factory (8:30 p.m., all ages, $25); The Summer Set + The Cab, He Is We, Days Difference, Paradise Fears at Union Transfer (6:30 p.m., all ages, $15); Man The Fire + Scoop The Freak, The Naked Sun at North Star Bar (9 p.m., 21+, $7–$9)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12th
Woollen Kits + Pet Milk at The Level Room (9 p.m., 21+, $7); Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Presents The Rolling Stones “Sticky Fingers” at Union Transfer (8 p.m., all ages, $20)

FILED UNDER: Concert Previews, Events, Andrew Lipke, Dum Dum Girls, Making Time, Milkboy Philly, Voyeur
October 24, 2011 | 3:36 PM | By

Recap: Dum Dum Girls at Union Transfer

Recognizing Dum Dum Girls’ lead singer in a context outside of stage performance is likely no easy task. As the frontwoman of the low-fi garage-rock quartet, Dee Dee (known as “Kristen Gundred” in the non-Dum Dum Girls world) blurs in with the rest of the band in a flash of American Apparel hot shorts, caked-on makeup, and shiny black hair. In order to distinguish themselves from other female-fronted, retro-tinged bands (such as The Vivian Girls and Best Coast), the members of Dum Dum Girls don irreverent stage names and semi-goth, semi-glam pin-up costumes. If you can make it past the color-coordinated instruments and excessive hip thrusting, however, you can see just how vulnerable Dee Dee makes herself while performing—perhaps putting more of her real life on display than even the most earnest of folk singers.

The band’s performance at Union Transfer was one stop of many in a long string of shows promoting Dum Dum Girls’ second full-length album, Only In Dreams, the significantly moodier follow-up to last year’s I Will Be. Since the release of the album, Dee Dee has attributed the shift in lyrical content—less focus on puppy love and more lengthy ballads detailing bouts of sleeplessness and anxiety—to the recent loss of her mother to cancer and to the separation anxiety from her husband (Brandon Welchez, lead singer of last night’s second opening band, Crocodiles) while touring last year. Though many lyrics from the new album are vague enough for listeners to apply to the age-old tales of heartache and boy problems, many pieces of the group’s performance still allowed space for interpretation beyond those topics.

Dee Dee took the stage before the rest of her bandmates to sing Crocodiles’ “I Wanna Kill,” with her husband during the band’s opening set; the couple ended the song with cutesy stage PDA, clearly eliminating the separation anxiety from last year’s tour. She left the stage without a word, and when she returned with her band, she went from one song immediately to another, stopping only to thank the crowd every now and again. A few songs into the set, the group performed “Bedroom Eyes,” the first single from Only In Dreams. The song comes off as a seductive take on longing and helplessness with the repeated chorus, “I need your bedroom eyes,” though it was difficult to discern such helplessness from anyone other than Dee Dee. Bambi, the red-headed bassist, looked fashionably bored throughout the entire show, while guitarist Jules cracked approximately one smile somewhere during the set’s first half. That sense of determined ennui stayed consistent throughout the show, which ended with a well-received cover of The Smith’s “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.”

For its one-song encore, the band performed “Coming Down,” a new track that, coming in at about seven minutes, is by far the longest recorded by the group yet. Though Bambi was still frowning in the corner, Dee Dee did something different with her voice, offering the crowd a long-noted cry with the lyrics, “You abuse the ones who love you.” That brief point within the show acted as a hint of what Dum Dum Girls has to offer beyond its black-on-black-on-black get up and bangs; just as quickly as it came, though, the band was finished playing. —Marielle Mondon

FILED UNDER: Concert Reviews, Events, Dum Dum Girls, Union Transfer
October 21, 2011 | 11:15 AM | By

Weekend Picks: BITBY showcase at Little Bar, Andrew Bird at The Grand Opera House, Dum Dum Girls at Union Transfer

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
Tonight at Little Bar, the folks from Bands In The Backyard will premiere the series’ third episode, featuring Arc In Round. (Previous episodes have featured Faux Slang and Streetwalkers.) The screening will include live performances by Ages, Renderers, Sore Eros, and Not Fur Longs. Ages and Not Fur Longs—along with Psychic Teens (who opened for Zola Jesus last night at First Unitarian Church—have each been highlighted in BITBY’s bkstg sessions, which features one-camera shoots of bands performing stripped-down versions of their songs at local venues prior to playing on stage. Ages performs with Renderers, Sore Eros, and Not Fur Longs (with DJ sets by members of Faux Slang and Arc In Round) at 8 p.m. at Little Bar; tickets to the show are $6.

Also playing: CSS + MEN, EMA at Union Transfer (8 p.m., all ages, $15);

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
Writing the score for a darkly humorous indie film is no easy task; the composer must detail every strained emotion and hint of action through a series of scales and cadences. For Andrew Bird, however, this style of writing seems as simple as blinking. Norman (out in select theaters Oct. 21st) is a coming-of-age film about a boy, a love interest, and routine family issues—and Bird’s soundtrack depicts just that. The classically trained violinist abandoned his experimental and sometimes ostentatious arranging for a more minimalistic instrumental approach. Bird’s orchestral roots are exposed in pieces like “3:36” and “Medicine Chest,” which incorporate somber violin solos over longing instrumental backdrops. He paints a musical tale that is as comprehensive and aesthetic as its visual representation. Andrew Bird performs with Martin Dosh at 8 p.m. at The Grand Opera House; tickets for the all ages event are $29.50. —Caitlyn Grabenstein

Also Playing: Odd Future at Union Transfer (8 p.m., SOLD OUT); The Wombats + The Postelles, The Static Jacks at Johnny Brenda’s (9 p.m., 21+, $15); Buried Beds + Dignan, Geology at Kung Fu Necktie (7:30 p.m., 21+, $8); XPN Welcomes The Jayhawks at Keswick Theatre (8 p.m., $34.50–$45); Small Houses + Hezekiah Jones, Chris Bathgate at Studio 34 (7:30 p.m., all ages, $10); Suzie Brown + Carsie Blanton at Tin Angel (7:30 p.m., 21+, $12); The Smashing Pumpkins + Fancy Space People, Light FM at Tower Theatre (7 p.m., $52–$79.75)

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
The members of Dum Dum Girls have always dressed to impress. Since hitting the scene with its debut album, I Will Be, last year, the ’60s-inspired quartet is almost always found clad in matching black nylons, red lipstick, and heavy eye makeup, hiding behind a veil of thick, glossy bangs. Though the ladies have always looked quite mature, their second album, Only In Dreams, carries a sound that has finally caught up with the group’s aesthetic. Though still creating a nice balance between beachy grooves and low-fi subtleties, the group’s latest batch of songs sounds less like adolescent heart doodles and more like someone who’s mastered the complexities of The Bell Jar. Born in the wake of lead singer Dee Dee’s mother’s lost battle to cancer, Only In Dreams strays from the typical boy-crazy narratives and instead acts as a cathartic confession of insomnia, restlessness, and change. Dum Dum Girls performs with Crocodiles and Royal Baths at 8:00 p.m. at Union Transfer; tickets to the all-ages show are $15. —Marielle Mondon

Also Playing: Rumer + Bill Ricchini (of Summer Fiction) at World Cafe Live (8 p.m., $18); Fierce Bad Rabbit + Oh! Pears, Dad Rocks, Attia Taylor at The M Room (8 p.m., 21+, $7); Portugal. The Man + Alberta Cross at Theatre Of Living Arts (7 p.m., $25)

FILED UNDER: Concert Previews, Events, Ages, Andrew Bird, Bands In The Backyard, BITBY, Dum Dum Girls, Little Bar, The Grand Old Opera House, Union Transfer
August 30, 2011 | 1:27 PM | By

Listen to Dum Dum Girls’ new song “Bedroom Eyes” (band performs at Union Transfer on Oct. 23rd)

Earlier today, the members of California-based Dum Dum Girls released a second track from their upcoming album, Only In Dreams (due September 27th on Sub Pop). “Bedroom Eyes” is a sunny, irresistible indie-pop tune laced with retro overtones and pretty guitars. You can give it a listen below; tickets to the Dum Dum Girls’ October 23rd show at Union Transfer are available here.

FILED UNDER: Artists, Events, Dum Dum Girls, Union Transfer
July 19, 2011 | 2:48 PM | By

Listen to Dum Dum Girls’ “Coming Down” (off the upcoming album, Only In Dreams)

Dum Dum Girls, who will be playing new Philly venue Union Transfer October 23rd, have just released “Coming Down.” The song—which is the first track off the band’s upcoming album, Only In Dreams—is a fuzzy six-minute opus, with lead singer Dee Dee repeating “I think I’m coming down” in a droning Neko Case vocal that drives the song.

You can listen to the track below (via Pitchfork):

FILED UNDER: Artists, Events, Dum Dum Girls, Union Transfer
June 30, 2011 | 3:14 PM | By

Just announced: Dum Dum Girls to release new album, perform at Union Transfer on October 23rd

Dum Dum Girls

Photo by Shawn Brackbill

 

Dum Dum Girls have just announced a Philly tour date for October. The band will play Union Transfer on October 23rd, along with Crocodiles and the Royal Baths. Dum Dum Girls’ second full-length album, Only In Dreams, will be released September 27th on Sub Pop; the new record was produced by Richard Gottehrer and The Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner.

In the meantime, you can watch the video for “He Gets Me High” (from their recent EP of the same name) below:

FILED UNDER: Artists, Events, News, Dum Dum Girls, Union Transfer