Bands like The Drums, Crystal Stilts, and Surfer Blood have been revisiting the reverb-drenched sound of early ’60s pop (surf rock, girl groups), but why should the boys have all the fun? Some girls have also gotten in on the retro lo-fi action and deserve your dime in the jukebox. Based on biology alone they’re better equipped to pull from the past and echo their elder sisters in song (even if an occasional male member is the mix).
Best Coast – “Boyfriend”
As you might guess from the album cover, Best Coast has its roots in the West Coast. Raised in Los Angeles, frontwoman Bethany Cosentino has drawn favorable comparisons to Liz Phair, but says she really wishes she could sound more like Lesley Gore. (Ain’t no party like a Best Coast party?)
Folks have been flipping over Cosentino’s beachy-keen tunes for some time now (co-written with multi-instrumentalist Bobb Bruno). Following a series of well-received singles and EPs, Best Coast’s debut album, Crazy For You, was released just this past July. Around the same time, Ali Kohler, formerly of noise-pop vets Vivian Girls (also worth checking out), joined Cosentino and Bruno as the group’s drummer.
Earlier this week, Best Coast released a video for “Boyfriend,” which finds them providing the musical entertainment for a Quinceñera celebration. The song’s crushworthy haze is the perfect soundtrack to the boy-girl love that begins to blossom in the clip:
Frankie Rose and the Outs – “Candy”
Frankie Rose sat behind the drum kit for both Vivian Girls (which she started, naming the band after her mom) and Dum Dum Girls (another all-female outfit worth your dime) as well as the otherwise-male Crystal Stilts before she decided it was time to front her own group, the Outs.
Frankie Rose and the Outs released their self-titled debut last month, on which the all-female quartet declares their devotion to Brill Building melodies and Wall-of-Sound production. Some songs sport the toughness of The Shangri-Las, others the sweetness of the Paris Sisters. And remaining true to their female forebearers, most of the Outs’ tunes are over in under three minutes.
“Candy” would seem a sweet song (“You’re my one true love I’m waiting for”), but the music video quickly takes a Carrie-esque turn. I’d suggest nixing next year’s invite to goth prom, kids:
Free download of Frankie Rose and the Outs – “Candy” (plus another track, “Little Brown Haired Girls”) via Slumberland Records. Purchase the group’s debut LP via iTunes, Amazon MP3.
