Dum Dum Girls 12" EP - Yours Alone (2009)

The Dum Dum Girls, once a solo project of bandleader Dee Dee, have evolved into a fully functioning band with the aid of ex-Vivian Girls/Crystal Stilts drummer Frankie Rose and her friend’s Jules and Bambi. Following in the footsteps of the Vivian Girls, the four of them make girl pop with a slight Jesus and the Mary Chain edge. Having Richard Gottehrer, known for writing “My Boyfriend’s Back,” behind the decks smoothes out the lo-fi quality of their earlier work. The first single of their soon to be released record I Will Be is today’s song, “Jail La La.” The verses move quickly into a highly addictive chorus on top of a quick drum beat and dreamy guitars underneath. If you like the work of recent noise-pop artists like Best Coast or classic girl groups like the Ronettes then this is for you.

Moon Duo: Escape (2010)

From Boomkat: Last seen on Sacred Bones with their Killing Time EP, Wooden Shjips
side project Moon Duo returns with four lengthy motorik jams in the
spirit of a psych-rockin' Suicide. Considering (as hinted at in their
name) Moon Duo is but a two-piece they manage to create an impressively
sturdy wall-of-sound. 'Motorcycle, I Love You' is like their very own
'Ghost Rider', but taking on more of a '60s backroom psychedelia sound
as its starting point. The Duo stay locked in a deep goth-abilly groove
throughout and its not long before the guitar spirals off into plumes
of heavily distorted, modulated soloing. Next comes 'In The Trees'
which has more of a space-rock feel, slowing the tempo to a druggy
clatter while half-absent vocals fade into the background and hypnotic
guitar leads carve out modal shapes through the latter stages. The
third track, 'Stumbling 22nd St.' is like a gothic take on The Stooges
'I Wanna Be Your Dog' - this is how you might have hoped the first
album by The Horrors had sounded - before the finale, 'Escape', goes
all out for scrappy krautrock shapes, caking timeless drum machine
motifs in delayed guitar scree and Alan Vega styled creepy, boogie
woogie songwriting.