The Hype Machine is an actual site(hypem.com) that posts all the latest and greatest in hype-able music, but for this post(which I hope to update regularly) we will think of the 'hype machine' as that friend that won't shut up about a new band, or the countless magazines, and blogs that fixate on only 1 album for a whole month.
Now generally you'll find that over-hyping something diminishes the effect that thing has once you experience it. Sometimes though, it turns out that all the hype was right...
Today's Hype Machine is brought to you by The Dum Dum Girls. That name alone should have your skin crawling, and the fact that they are lumped in with the 'new' lo-fi sound that is sweeping the indie world was enough for me to keep my distance for a while, but even I have to peek at what everyone else is pointing at. It's like a car crash, I guess.
I downloaded the song 'Bhang, Bhang, I'm A Burnout' from their new album, and come to find out...it's great! Now it's not something to change rock n' roll, in fact it's a blatant rip off of almost all girl groups of the early 50's, but it's a damn catchy song. The 'lo-fi-ness' isn't so fuzzed out that you can't make anything out(like most of the new genre), and the melody is simple and sweet. Just what a pop song needs.
The band is fairly new, but is now made of some very familiar players. Kristen Gundred still leads the show, but now has the help(the major label help) of ex-Vivian Girls Frankie Rose, and producer Richard Gotteher(co-writer of the classic girl group anthem "My Boyfriends Back"). These 3 counter each other well, at least on this song.
I'm not rushing out to buy the whole album, because I have a feeling I can get the basic gist from this one song, but I will keep an eye and ear out for the rest of the Dum Dum Girls catalog.
Vinyl Hiss Rating: 7/10
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