Dollsquad

Retro Dolls From Hipsville - (self-released)

Full of kool kats, daddy-o's, and NOW sounds, Dollsquad wear their hipster cred completely over the top and hey, there ain't nothing wrong with that!

Musically falling somewhere between Nuggets-styled garage rock and CBGB's mid-70's rock and roll side (think Heartbreakers), Dollsquad are four ladies who got it goin' on.  Although only a 4-song EP (EPs seem to be a bigger concern in Dollsquad's native Australia than in North America these days - and that's my profound cultural insight for the day), Dollsquad make the most of every note here and deliver with a whole lotta attitude.

Okay, "retro with attitude" will likely make you think of The Hives or something.  Well, Dollsquad are quite a bit more sincere than that (complete with CD booklet detailing "all-time fave boys" and "all-time fave spy" for each of the four members) - meaning that throwing out "yeah man!" every other line isn't what they're about.  They bow down to Detroit in the supercharged "Roll With You", dare to say the "Boy From Germany" is the coolest guy in town, and their "In The Meantime" is way more fun that that song by Helmet of the same name.

Fun's a big part of Dollsquad, clearly, but their musical muscle impresses quite a bit.  Drummer Clare pounds the skins like a woman possessed and guitarist Julie sounds schooled in the Thunders-style of meshing punk rock with it's more traditional roots.  Add that to bassist Janet's big sound (uh, I think I have a crush on her) and vocalist Joey's tough-girl voice and you've got a whole lotta danger.

A good kind of danger.

7.8