The Ditty Bops were an American 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 and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

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

, bluegrass, blues,

western swing Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance ...

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 J ...

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, movemen ...

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 most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

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 s ...

'', including "There's a Girl," which is featured on the show's soundtrack CD. The band has also appeared on '' The L Word''. 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: May 7, 2005 from Mitchell, South Dakota and June 18, 2005, from Highland Park, Illinois. 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'' (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 {{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