Dum Dum Girls was an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band, formed in 2008. It began as the bedroom recording project of singer and songwriter

Dee Dee Deedee, DeeDee or Dee Dee may refer to: Given name * DeeDee Halleck (born 1940), American media activist * DeeDee Jonrowe (born 1953), American kennel owner and dog musher, three-time runner up in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race * Deedee Mag ...

(née Kristin Gundred). She is currently based in Los Angeles. The name is a double homage to

the Vaselines The Vaselines are a Scottish alternative rock band. Formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1986, the band was originally a duo between its songwriters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on b ...

' album ''Dum Dum'' and the

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

song "Dum Dum Boys".Zach, Kell
"I Will Be" review
''Pitchfork.com''. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 2011-07-22

History

The first release under the Dum Dum Girls moniker was a five-song CDR on her own label, Zoo Music, in late 2008. It was followed by an EP on Captured Tracks and a 7" on

HoZac Records HoZac Records is a record label formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States in late 2006 by Todd Killings and Brett Cross after the demise of ''Horizontal Action Magazine'' (1997–2005). Concentrating on releasing records from musicians of the ...

She quickly gained attention with these releases and signed to

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

in July 2009. Dum Dum Girls' debut album, '' I Will Be'', was released in March 2010 and was well received by critics. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'' described the songs as "genuine earworms, both unfailingly hip and often wonderfully associative". Dee Dee produced the record with

Richard Gottehrer Richard Gottehrer (born 1940) is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive. In 1997, he co-founded the Orchard with longtime business partner Scott Cohen, an independent music distribution company. His career began as ...

, who had previously worked with

Richard Hell Richard Lester Meyers (born October 2, 1949), better known by his stage name Richard Hell, is an American singer, songwriter, bass guitarist and writer. Hell was in several important early punk rock bands, including Neon Boys, Television and ...

, Blondie,

the Go-Gos The Go-Go's are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboards, Belind ...

and

the Raveonettes The Raveonettes are a Danish indie rock duo, consisting of Sune Rose Wagner on guitar, instruments and vocals, and Sharin Foo on bass, guitar and vocals. Their music is characterized by close two-part vocal harmonies inspired by The Everly Br ...

. Gottehrer also co-wrote the early 1960s hit songs " My Boyfriend's Back" and "

I Want Candy "I Want Candy" is a song written and originally recorded by the Strangeloves in 1965 that reached No. 11 in the US Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. It is a famous example of a song that uses the Bo Diddley beat. Original version ...

". The record included guest guitarists Nick Zinner of

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...

on "Yours Alone"; Dee Dee's ex-husband, Brandon Welchez of

Crocodiles Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant memb ...

, on "Blank Girl"; and Andrew Miller on multiple tracks. The cover of the album featured a college snapshot of Dee Dee's mother, who died from cancer in 2010. After its release, Dee Dee assembled a touring band, and their first shows were in support of

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a ''woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.c ...

. In 2011, the EP '' He Gets Me High'' was released, which included a cover of "

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Featured on the band's third studio album ''The Queen Is Dead'', it was not released as a single in t ...

" by

the Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

. This record marked the addition of Sune Rose Wagner of the Raveonettes to the production team. Second album '' Only in Dreams'' was released in September 2011, featuring the singles "Coming Down" and "Bedroom Eyes". This album is the only Dum Dum Girls recording to feature the full band. On December 1, 2011, Dum Dum Girls performed "Bedroom Eyes" on ''

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon. About pag ...

''. In September 2012, the EP '' End of Daze'' was released, preceded by the single "Lord Knows" on July 31, 2012, which ''Pitchfork'' awarded "Best New Track". The EP received "Best New Music" from ''Pitchfork'' as well. On October 31, 2013, Dum Dum Girls announced their third full-length album ''

Too True ''Too True'' is the third and final studio album by Dum Dum Girls, released by Sub Pop on January 22, 2014 in Japan; January 27, 2014 in Europe; and January 28, 2014 worldwide. The album marked the fourth Dum Dum Girls release in a row produced b ...

,'' set for release on January 28, 2014 and featuring the single "Lost Boys & Girls Club", whose video premiered with H&M on October 31, 2013. For this album, Dee Dee cited

Suede Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...

, Blondie,

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

the Pretenders Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

and

the Stone Roses The Stone Roses were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. One of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...

as her influences. On December 5, 2014,

Converse Converse may refer to: Mathematics and logic * Converse (logic), the result of reversing the two parts of a definite or implicational statement ** Converse implication, the converse of a material implication ** Converse nonimplication, a logical c ...

released a Dum Dum Girls split single, "On Christmas", as the third part of three digital installments of the company's holiday-themed compilation EP, ''Noise to the World 2''.

Other projects

The Mayfair Set, a duo with Mike Sniper of

Blank Dogs Blank Dogs is an American post-punk project from Brooklyn. It is a monicker for multi-instrumentalist Mike Sniper, who had previously played with DC Snipers.Tamaryn released a cover of

the Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. After signing to independent label Creation Records, they rele ...

song "Teenage Lust" in 2011 under the name Les Demoniaques. Also that year, Dee Dee, Sniper and J.B. Townsend of

Crystal Stilts Crystal Stilts is an American post-punk band from Brooklyn, New York City, United States, though their founding members, Brad Hargett and JB Townsend, were originally from Florida. History Crystal Stilts was formed in 2003 by Brad Hargett and JB ...

recorded a one-sided 7" single, "Faraway Friend," under the name Zodiacs, which was given away via Captured Tracks mail order. Dee Dee and her husband released a 2013 single, "Something That Feels Bad Is Something That Feels Good", as Haunted Hearts, followed by the ''Initiation'' full-length in 2014. In 2012, Dum Dum Girls drummer Sandra Vu created the band

Sisu SiSU (SiSU information structuring universe or Structured information, serialized units), is a Unix command line-oriented framework for document structuring, publishing and search. Usage Using markup applied to a document, or a collection of do ...

, which she described as combining "echo-ridden, cold, distorted synth sounds—with pop melodies". In 2013, Dee Dee composed the

opening theme A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with vis ...

for the animated series ''

Beware the Batman ''Beware the Batman'' is an American computer-animated television series based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. The series premiered in the United States on Cartoon Network on July 13, 2013, as part of their DC Nation block, replacing ''Batman: ...

''. She was also featured on "Play for Today", a duet from

Belle and Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" come ...

's 2015 album, ''

Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance ''Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance'' is the ninth studio album by Scottish indie pop band Belle and Sebastian, released on 19 January 2015. It was the first album by the group to be distributed by Matador Records worldwide. The album was recorded ...

''. In May 2015, Dee Dee and collaborator UUV/Andrew Miller released a single, "Is There Any Other One?", as HUNI. She also featured on

Lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...

's single "Dancer on the Shore" in August 2015. In November 2015, Sub Pop released a collaboration 7" single, "Red Sun" b/w "Echo", with the 4AD band Merchandise. On January 28, 2016, Dee Dee announced the closure of the Dum Dum Girls and the creation of a new solo project, Kristin Kontrol. Her debut album, ''X-Communicate'', was released by Sub Pop on May 27, 2016.

Band members

Final line-up

– vocals, guitar (2008–2016) *Jules Medeiros – guitar, vocals (2010–2016) *Malia James – bass, vocals (2011–2016) * Sandra Vu – drums, vocals (2010–2016) *Andrew Miller – guitar

Former members

*Bambi – bass, vocals (2010–2011) *

Frankie Rose Frankie Rose (born 1979) is an American musician and songwriter. She was an original member of Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls and Beverly. Career Formerly of bands Vivian Girls and Beverly, Frankie was the drummer for the acts Crys ...

– drums, vocals (2010) *Jeremy Rojas – bass *Andrew Montoya – drums *Brandon Welchez – guitar *Chuck Rowell – keyboard

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

*'' I Will Be'' (2010,

) *'' Only in Dreams'' (2011, Sub Pop) *''

'' (2014, Sub Pop)

EPs

*''

Dum Dum Girls Dum Dum Girls was an American rock band, formed in 2008. It began as the bedroom recording project of singer and songwriter Dee Dee (née Kristin Gundred). She is currently based in Los Angeles. The name is a double homage to the Vaselines' al ...

'' (2008, Zoo Music) *''

'' (2009, Captured Tracks) *'' He Gets Me High'' (2011, Sub Pop) *'' End of Daze'' (2012, Sub Pop)

Singles

*"Longhair" (2008, HoZac Records) *"Jail La La" (2010, Sub Pop) *"Pay for Me/Before It's Gone" split with

Male Bonding In ethology and social science, male bonding or male friendship is the formation of close personal relationships, and patterns of friendship or cooperation between males. In the context of human relationships, male bonding is used to describe fr ...

(2010, Sub Pop) *"Stiff Little Fingers" (2010, Hell Yes! Records) *"Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout" (2010,

Slumberland Records Slumberland Records is an American independent record label, formed in 1989 in Washington, D.C. and based in Oakland, California. The label has released recordings by Velocity Girl, Honeybunch, Lilys, Stereolab, Evans The Death, St. Christophe ...

) *"Coming Down (Edit)" (2011, Sub Pop) *"Merry Xmas, Baby (Please Don't Die)" with

(2011, Hell Yes! Records) *''Rookie Tunes'' split

flexi disc The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...

with Supercute! (2012,

Drawn & Quarterly Drawn & Quarterly is a publishing company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, specializing in comics. It publishes primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections. The books it publishes are noted for their artistic content, ...

) *"Lord Knows"" (2012, Sub Pop) *"Lost Boys & Girls Club" (2013, Sub Pop) *"Rimbaud Eyes" (2014, Sub Pop) *"On Christmas" (2014, self-released) *"Coming Down" (2015, Sub Pop) *"Red Sun" with Merchandise (2016, Sub Pop)

Compilation albums

*'' Blissed Out'' cassette (2010, Art Fag Recordings)

Compilation appearances

*"Longhair" on '' Rough Trade Shops Indiepop 09'' (2009,

Cooperative Music IASCooperative, formerly Cooperative Music, often referred to as Co-Op, is a group of indie labels based in the UK but that have offices around the world, owned by IAS Through their partner labels IASCooperative work with artists such as iama ...

) *"Longhair" and "Mercury Mary" on ''HoZac Hookup Klub Round One'' (2010, HoZac Records) *"Brite Futures" on ''Yeti 7'' (2010, Yeti Publishing LLC) *"Brite Futures" on 7" EP ''Hollow Hollow Eyes/Moon Tan/Brite Futures/The Weekend Starts Here'' (2010, Art Fag Recordings) *"New Beginning" on ''Chickens in Love'' (2010, 826LA/Origami) *"Jail La La" on ''The Hyper Fidelity'' (2010, Cargo Records) *"Coming Down (Radio Edit)" on ''Hand Picked: Sub Pop 2011 from Ours to Yours'' (2011, Sub Pop) *"Lost Boys and Girls Club" on ''Hey! Ho! Let's Go! (15 Tracks of the Best New Music) '' (2013,

Uncut Uncut may refer to: * ''Uncut'' (film), a 1997 Canadian docudrama film by John Greyson about censorship * ''Uncut'' (magazine), a monthly British magazine with a focus on music, which began publishing in May 1997 * '' BET: Uncut'', a Black Enter ...

) *"On Christmas" on digital EP ''Noise to the World 2'' (2014,

) *"I Was Never Punk" on ''Stupid Punk Boy'' (2015, Girlsville) *"Coming Down" on ''Music from the Original Series

Orange Is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...

Seasons 2 & 3'' (2015,

Universal Music Enterprises Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...

) *" Letter to Hermione" (

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

cover) on ''A Salute to the Thin White Duke – The Songs of David Bowie'' (2015,

Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1992 by Brian Perera. The record label has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, Dea ...

)

Videos

* "Catholicked" * "Jail La La" * "Blank Girl" * "Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout" * "He Gets Me High" * "Bedroom Eyes" * "Coming Down" * "Lord Knows" * "Lost Boys & Girls Club" * "Too True to Be Good" * "Are You Okay?" * "Rimbaud Eyes" * "Under These Hands"

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups established in 2008 All-female bands Indie pop groups from Los Angeles Indie rock musical groups from California Noise pop musical groups Lo-fi music groups Musical quartets Shoegazing musical groups Dream pop musical groups Musical groups disestablished in 2016