The Ditty Bops were an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

band from

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

that began with

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

, and later self-produced recordings. Noted for their tight vocal

harmonies In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

by Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett. They incorporated a variety of musical styles such as

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

, bluegrass,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

western swing Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the Western United States, West and Southern United States, South among the region's Western music (North America), Western string bands. It is dan ...

ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott ...

and

musical theater Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

with guitar, ukulele, mandolin and dulcimer. Their live shows were often very interactive, and had different themes and theatrical elements complete with props, costumes, skits, and amusing slide shows.

History

Romantically involved since 1999, DeWald and Barrett met in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and formed The Ditty Bops years later after a hunt for a neighbor's lost cat. When they unwittingly crossed into the backyard of a stranger, they discovered that he was a musician and an avid guitar collector. He encouraged them to form a band and start playing. Their music has been on the ABC show ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...

'', including "There's a Girl," which is featured on the show's soundtrack CD. The band has also appeared on ''

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ilene Ch ...

''. The Ditty Bops have appeared twice on ''

Prairie Home Companion Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

'' with

Garrison Keillor Gary Edward "Garrison" Keillor (; born August 7, 1942) is an American author, singer, humorist, voice actor, and radio personality. He created the Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) show ''A Prairie Home Companion'' (called ''Garrison Keillor's Radio ...

: May 7, 2005 from

Mitchell, South Dakota Mitchell is a city in and the county seat of Davison County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,660 at the 2020 census making it the sixth most populous city in South Dakota. Mitchell is the principal city of the Mitchell Micr ...

and June 18, 2005, from

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in the southeastern part of Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located o ...

. From May 23 through September 2, 2006, the Ditty Bops embarked on a cross-country tour by bicycle to promote the release of their second album, ''

Moon Over the Freeway ''Moon Over The Freeway'' is the second studio album from the folk/swing band The Ditty Bops released in 2006. Package artwork is by Rick Whitmore and photography is by Don Spiro. Track listing # "Moon Over The Freeway" – 3:15 # "Angel With ...

'', while advocating a call-to-action about pollution and energy conservation. They traveled from Los Angeles to New York City, logging 4,502.75 miles.Billboard Going GREEN
/ref> In October 2008, Abby and Amanda announced their marriage in California via an e-mail message to their fans and MySpace Blog.The Ditty Bops MySpace Blog

Discography

* ''

The Ditty Bops The Ditty Bops were an American band from Los Angeles, California that began with Warner Brothers, and later self-produced recordings. Noted for their tight vocal harmonies by Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett. They incorporated a variety of musi ...

'' (CD) –

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

– 2004 * ''

Moon Over The Freeway ''Moon Over The Freeway'' is the second studio album from the folk/swing band The Ditty Bops released in 2006. Package artwork is by Rick Whitmore and photography is by Don Spiro. Track listing # "Moon Over The Freeway" – 3:15 # "Angel With ...

'' (CD) – Warner Bros. Records – 2006 * ''Pack Rat'' (EP) – Ditty Bops Music – 2007 * '' Summer Rains'' (CD) – Ditty Bops Music – 2008 * ''Songs for Steve'' (EP) – Ditty Bops Music – 2009 * ''The Color Album'' (EP) – Ditty Bops Music – 2010 * ''Love Letters'' (CD) – Ditty Bops Music – 2011 * ''Jelly for President - Yes We Jam'' (CD) – Ditty Bops Music – 2011

References

External links

Official Facebook Page
-For most current news and info from the band itself
The Ditty Bops
at The Rock Hard Times, comprehensive discography, music videos, mp3s
The Ditty Bops collection
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

's live music archive
Interview with music from The Ditty Bops

The Ditty Bops on Last.fm

Interviews

ThoughtWorthy Media Interview with The Ditty Bops (38:04)The Advocate: "Gotta have my Bops""Folkscene", 2005-11-13

KPFK KPFK (90.7 FM) is a listener-sponsored radio station based in North Hollywood, California, United States, which serves Southern California, and also streams 24 hours a day via the Internet. It was the second of five stations in the non-commerci ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ditty Bops American folk musical groups American bluegrass music groups All-female bands Musical groups from Los Angeles LGBT-themed musical groups Musical groups established in 2004 Folk music duos American musical duos Female musical duos 2004 establishments in California