Dum Dum Girls - Always Looking

Say hello to the scuzzy bedroom rock of girl band Dum Dum Girls. But then again you probably already have done. 2011 has not been a bad year for Dee Dee, Jules, Sandy and Bambi, with the release of their ‘He Gets Me High’ EP (which made our top EPs of 2011 list and featured the best cover of a Smiths song you will ever hear) and second album ‘Only In Dreams’. Considering their debut album was only out last year, you can’t fault them for a lack of output.

‘Always Looking’ is the first track off ‘Only In Dreams’ and is just over 2 minutes long. Full of feedback and ace bass riffs, it’s romantic in the same vein as Best Coast and even bares similarities to Summer Camp. But you can’t help but find it a bit forgettable. Sure the chorus is catchy and would be fun to dance to at a festival but this isn’t the song to move mountains. Girl bands are definitely back and Dum Dum Girls have proved that they are at the forefront of the revolution, which only leads me to think that they can do better.

By Jessy Parker

Top 5 EPs of 2011

The end of 2011 is fast approaching, so what better time to look back on the best music to be released in the past year? This list looks at the EPs that got us here at Sound Influx excited and enticed us furthur into the worlds of these excellent artists.

                     5. Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High

This transitional EP between excellent fuzzy debut 'I Will Be' and the rather disappointing 'Only In Dreams' is a short but sharp treat for the ears. The scuzzy guitar riffs and bratty girl group attitude still rings out all over the 4 tracks on the EP. Title track 'He gets me high' is a standout, combining surf rock sensibilities with a laid back Best Coast stoned-out-of-their-eyeballs vibe. Elsewhere hints towards the more morbid lyrical themes explored on 'Only In Dreams' are explored on slow burner 'Take care of my baby' and a rousing cover version of the most quotable Smiths song 'There is a light that never goes out' no doubt capitalising on the runaway success of indie-cringefest film (500) Days of summer which popularised Morrissey's famous ode to being run over by a double decker bus.

                     4. Sissy & The Blisters - Let Her Go

Guildford based Sissy & The Blisters are by no means an original band. But with songs as good as the ones on this EP, they don't even need to be. Plucking elements from Garage-Punk bands like The Dead Kennedys and Indie poster boys The Vaccines & The Horrors equally, it's a delightful mix of growling instant fix pop songs. 'Got No Home' features Faris Badwan mirroring vocals lamenting over being 'So damn tired of being surrounded by you young people' over swathes of organ and backgrounds hollers of "Hey Hey!". While title track 'Let Her Go' sounds like a more desperate and exciting version of 'If You Wanna' by The Vaccines. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this EP is that it is their debut as a band. Exciting things lie ahead no doubt.

                          3. Toro Y Moi - Freaking Out

This EP is an excellent example of an artist proving all fans that doubted them completely wrong. Following a lukewarm reception for sophomore effort 'Underneath the pine' (which I personally think is genius) 'Freaking Out' well and truly set the record straight for Toro Y Moi fans. It took the funk from 'Underneath the pine' and combined it with the sheer dancability of 'Causers of this'. Opening track ' All Alone' sounds like the best disco in the world on acid, while 'Saturday Love' is affectingly open yet wonderfully easy to move to. 'Freaking Out' is a definitive reminder if need that Chaz Bundick is one of the most talented and innovative musicians in his field.

                          2. Alex Turner - Submarine

Despite being released all the way back in January, Alex Turner's Submarine EP has held up beautifully throughout the seasons. As well as being an EP packed full of wintery love musings, it's also the soundtrack to the independent film of the year, Submarine. Whilst Arctic Monkeys' Suck It And See was one of the hugest disappointments of the year, Alex Turner's solo career has shown that Turner is one of the most talented songwriters of our generation and the EP compliments the themes of Submarine as it shows that some teenagers think about love pragmatically and should probably have more fun instead of constantly worrying about the consequences.

   1. Fixers - Here Comes 2001 So Let's All Head For The Sun

I'm going to come right out and say, not only have Fixers made the EP of the year but they are quite possibly one of the most exciting bands to come out of the UK in the last decade. I may be slightly biased because I am pretty much in love with this band, but 'Here Comes 2001...' is mind-blowingly diverse and brilliant. 'Another Lost Apache' features deceiving barbershop harmonies at the start before erupting into a glorious blast of noise with vocals recalling singer Jack's all time hero Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. 'Crystals' is a turgo charged nugget of pop gold, sounding like what MGMT should have done on their 'Congratulations' album. Closer 'Passages/Love In Action' is a completely bonkers exploration of rhythm in which the band plee in unison "We are the sun, we are the moon" over and over untill you believe them.

Alongside excellent yet criminally overlooked singles 'Swimmhaus Johannesburg' and 'Iron Deer Dream' Fixers single handedly out classed every other new band in the UK and it is clear that Jack Goldstein has more ideas in one song than many frontmen do in their whole discographies. With another EP released in Decemeber, with 2 already highly addictive cuts released online, it's surely only a matter of time before these musical geniuses take over the world.

By Toby McCarron

Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes

Bedroom Eyes, the second single from Dum Dum Girls’ second album doesn’t catch my attention in any way. It sounds like it could be used over a makeover montage in The Sleepover Club…and not in a good way. Dee Dee’s wavering vocals add a little bit of charm to the easy listening, easy going pop song. However, people hoping for something new and exciting will be left with a bitter taste that’s reminiscent of hipster girl band, The Plastiscines, in their mouth.

Being a Dum Dum Girls virgin (apart from repeating Jail La La throughout summer last year), the trippy kaleidoscopic video showcasing the Girls’ ultra-cool striped tights, clashing lipsticks and leather jackets look appeals to me more than the actual song.

By Eden Young

Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams

Dum Dum Girl’s latest album ‘Only in Dreams’ due out September 23^rd represents not only a musical growth for the band, but also a hugely personal journey in terms of song writing for lead singer Dee-Dee, as she takes emotions from the death of her mother and puts it together to make a real honest lyrical album from the heart. Not only is the lyrical content of the album about loss of Dee-Dee’s mother but also about the struggles of separation from her husband on tour (Brandon Welchez – from Crocodiles), which together makes the album definitely worth a listen.

‘Only In Dreams’ is a jump for the band as they move away from their first album which was considered to be a bit lo-fi, featuring heavy prominent drum beats, has now been transformed to a softer approach in terms of using melodic guitars along with the girl’s distinctive vocal sound. However the change in the album or in fact the addition of these softer songs, like ‘Coming Down’, hasn’t taken away or totally lost their upbeat and lively image. It’s defiantly still there! Even with repetition of loss in the lyrics of the album, which a lot of bands use widely in song writing, there catchy bass melody is still present within the lyrics, giving the album a range of elements, especially in ‘Teardrops on My Pillow’ and ‘Hold Your Hand’. Both emotional songs but with that Dum Dum Girl's happy vibe. Not only is the band’s music a little infectious, the girl’s 60’s/indie style adds to the overall Dum Dum Girl’s package.

With the release next month of the album and a huge number of gigs ahead around America and Europe from August to November, will it all set the ball rolling in time by growing a larger following? I hope so! Upbeat, infective and bold, ‘Only In Dreams’ gives the feeling of going back in time and is more impressively perhaps Dum Dum Girls’ most cohesive work to date.

8/10

By Ailsa Morris

Dum Dum Girls - Coming Down

Dum Dum Girls are a girl group who formed in 2008 which consists of Dee-Dee, Jules, Bambi and Sandy. Last year saw the release of their debut full length I Will Be on Sub Pop, which was warm and fuzzy with lo-fi treats galore including danceable hits “Jail La La” and “Bhang Bhang I’m A Burnout.” Although they have often been compared to 60s girl groups, the distorted vocals and pounding drum beats they use mean that there is also a shoegaze element to it; reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine.

With new album Only In Dreams being released 27 September on Sub Pop, new single “Coming Down” surfaced on the internet as a free download from the band’s website. Any lo-fi tags associated with Dum Dum Girls will quickly be dispersed as this new song showcases piercing female vocals from Dee Dee alongside more polished guitars. A sobering effort compared to old material, “Coming Down” is like a mellow come-down from a hazy drug trip. Slow and lovelorn, this wouldn’t sound out of place as a track on a heartbreakingly romantic 80s film soundtrack.

By Aurora Mitchell