Hits The Stores on 9.18.12 - But We Have It Now!
My very own piece of greatness
We here at MarsBands have gotten our hands on The Dollyrots‘ new, self-titled album nearly a month before it goes out to the public. There are a few pretty awesome things about this new album, without even considering the music.
For starters, how about the fact that the entire album was paid for by fans and supporters of the band via Kickstarter? All the money it took to record, mix, produce, distribute, etc. this album was donated to The Dollyrots. That makes people like me hopeful. Hopeful that the mainstream music zombies haven’t eaten everyones brains. Hopeful that people still want to hear good music and are willing to support it. Kelly puts it best:
It’s a 100% DIY album funded by our amazing fans and one we feel is by far our strongest effort to date. (via The Dollyrots Website)
Check out Hyperactive off the new album!
Next, how awesome is it that The Dollyrots are making this new awesome album available to their fans in the vinyl format? Vinyl is, without a doubt, THEE best way to listen to music. While it doesn’t have the perks and benefits of digital in the pausing, replay, yadda yadda, vinyl has that warmth and encompassing feeling that you just absolutely can’t get from a CD.
Next, the album artwork is stupendous. It has a wonderful 50s type feel to it. And as for the actual record itself, how awesome is it that it’s clear? Apparently I hadn’t kept up to date as much as I thought I had, because the last I heard I thought the album was going to end up purple or something like that.
Clear is awesome because while the record is spinning it looks like it’s going normal speed, then slows down, speeds up, rinse and repeat. You can see the grooves on the other side… it’s just awesome.
Oh ya… it also has music on it!
The Music - Side A
To sum up The Dollyrots’ self-titled album: It is pure power-Pop-Rock excellence with a splash of Punk. Most of the entire album’s songs are rapid, fast-paced attacks on your senses, song after exhilarating song. You’re not sure what just happened, but you like it, and you want to hear it again.
Side A starts off with a bit of a teaser song, Starting Over, and then quickly jumps into I Wanna Go. I Wanna Go would make a great anthem song as it has it’s heavy parts, staccato, “Nah nah nah nah nah”‘s, pretty sure there’s cowbell, and crowd backing. I Wanna Go Gives way to Hyperactive, a classic Dollyrots Pop/Punk/Rock masterpiece that will surely make its way to the top of your “Favorite Dollyrots Songs” List. Twist Me to the Left will likely also find it’s way into your all-time favorites with Kelly’s quick and snappy vocals and Luis’ gritty guitar. And while the whole album is fantastic, to me, they saved the best for last.
The Music - Side B
Side B kicks off with one of my favorite songs from the album, F U Famous. It’s another brilliant example of The Dollyrots’ fast-paced, harmonius Power Pop magnificence. And where one brilliant song ends another begins, as F U Famous transitions to Pretty On the Outside. Another of my favorites, Pretty On the Outside has its wonderful bits of harmony, and starts off with an enticing “ahhh-oooooooo”.
And if this December 2012, apocalyptic, doomsday stuff actually happens, I’m going to be sitting outside watching it all go down while listening to After 2012. It’s half slow and sweet, half fast and gritty. 100% awesome. And although it is faint, the song reminds me ever so slightly of The Smashing Pumpkins. Not really sure why, but that’s not a bad thing at all.
My favorite song on the entire album, though, is easily Starting Over Again. To me, that song symbolizes all that is great about The Dollyrots. Vicious guitar and drums accompanied by Kelly’s innocent voice blaring out lyrics as fast as she can. And then Luis does his little guitar “thing” in the middle of the song which sounds like something you’d hear Kurt Cobain do in a song. It’s a fabulous way to end the presentation of new material.
I highly suggest that if you weren’t one of the fortunate ones to get this album prior to its release date, that you get it on September 18th. Tell them Mars from MarsBands sent you. It won’t get you a discount or anything, I’ve just always wanted to tell people to do that.
