Dirtbombs share new single "Crazy for You",

THE DIRTBOMBS SHARE "CRAZY FOR YOU"
NEW LP, OOEY GOOEY CHEWY KA-BLOOEY, DUE OUT 9/17
VIA IN THE RED RECORDS

Photo credit: Vanessa Kitzerow
 

LISTEN TO "CRAZY FOR YOU" PREMIERED BY SPIN HERE
 

For about a decade now Mick Collins, front man for the Detroit based Dirtbombs, has been threatening that the “next” record the band would release would be their “bubblegum” album. After a couple of albums of mostly originals, a compilation of singles and an album of Detroit techno covers it would be understandable for someone to think that the bubblegum record either fell to the wayside or was a farce to begin with. Well, at long last here is The Dirtbombs’ bubblegum record – Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-Blooey. 

It would be understandable to assume that a bubblegum record by the Dirtbombs would be an album of cover versions by bands like the 1910 Fruitgum Company, The Ohio Express and The Archies. After all, the band already has two albums of cover songs under their belt which salute specific genres. That is not the case in this instance. Mick Collins has written ten new original tracks in which he pays homage to the sound and style originally popularized in the late 60’s/early 70’s by producers/exploiters like Kasenetz-Katz and Don Kirschner amongst many others. The results are pretty much spot on to Mick’s intention. While the usual Dirtbombs’ double drums, fuzzy guitars and soulful swagger are definitely present, this album is sugary, sun-shiny pop rock that recalls the albums made by Josie & the Pussycats, the Banana Splits and Lancelot Link & the Evolution Revolution, to name but three. It’s all singalong choruses, childlike themes and a contrived innocence – it’s not the kind of record one would’ve predicted from a guy who once fronted The Gories. 

The original bubblegum music was basically a cash-in produced in an assemblyline process usually using studio musicians and hired song-writers who dashed the stuff out as quickly as possible and most likely forgot about it even quicker. While The Dirtbombs adhere to some of this original approach by using a list of guest musicians so long there wasn’t room to credit them on the album cover, this album is actually a carefully crafted work that was almost two years in the making. Also not the sort of thing one would expect from the guy who once fronted The Gories. Still, this is incredibly catchy stuff.

 

   

THE DIRTBOMBS
OOEY GOOEY CHEWY KA-BLOOEY!
(IN THE RED RECORDS)
SEPTEMBER 17th, 2013

1. Sugar On Top
2. Crazy For You
3. It's Gonna Be Alright
4. Hot Sour Salty Sweet
5. Jump and Shout
6. Girl on the Carousel
7. Hey! Cookie
8. Sunshine Girl
9. No More Rainy Days
10. We Come In The Sunshine

THE DIRTBOMBS
IN THE RED RECORDS