Dum Dum Girls: Only In Dreams (2011)

Dum Dum Girls are one of a number of woman-helmed bands who blend the classic sound of 60s girl groups (abetted by Spector's wall of sound) with noisier Raveonettes-like post-punk buzz. The L.A.-based band (fronted by Kristin "Dee Dee" Gundred) released three albums (plus a few singles), all solid. The 2010 debut was pretty raw, lo-fi garage rock with lots of surf rock twang and killer riffs; 2014's Too True had a lot more studio polish, still rocking but with touches of lusher dream pop. Only In Dreams splits the difference, with plenty of surf-y girl group pop hooks drenched in reverb and guitar fizz, but cleaner sounding than the debut.

Lots of chipper yet haunting tunes for your party cave. Opener "Always Looking" is rollicking noir, while "Bedroom Eyes" is pure Blondie-tinged retro-pop. My favorite is probably the delightfully catchy "In My Head," totally nailing the girl group sound with a contemporary Best Coast vibe; but aside from the slower tangent of the dark "Coming Down," it's thoroughly fun and engaging throughout.

Here's an audio rip of "In My Head":

...and the video for "Bedroom Eyes":
...and "Always Looking":


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