Dressy Bessy: S/T (2003)

Been spending some time digging into my records from the various bands in the Elephant 6 collective, as I'm working up a list of the Top 10 songs from the acts in this loose, interconnected stable of alt.pop bands from the 90s and beyond for an upcoming Toppermost submission. One of my favorites is Dressy Bessy, the feel-good bubblegum fizzy power-pop band who never seem to get the attention they deserve. I've talked about my love for their debut, but I'm also a big fan of their self-titled third album (fourth including a collection of early singles), where they started to add a little more sonic muscle to the mix.

It's still chirpy, sunshiny pop music, distinguished by Tammy Ealom's girlish vocals and the simplistic yet wickedly catchy fuzzed-out riffs, but swapping some of the early work's stripped down lo-fi sparsity for a bit more oomph, with no diminishment in pure fun. Opener "Just Once More" makes it clear that the band remains firmly committed to happy joyful pop music, with no shortage of hooks. My favorite here is the dynamite "This May Hurt (A Little)," three simple chords all it takes for a devastating look at a childhood friendship.

Perfect for cranking through open car windows on a sunny day.

"Just Once More" audio rip:

And a live "This May Hurt":

Fun animated video for "Girl, You Shout!":