The Dead Girls

by Ian Hrabe

The Dead Girls (nee Dead Girls Ruin Everything) rose from the ashes of local power-pop troupes Podstar and Ultimate Fakebook to form the metro's catchiest supergroup. After five years together, there's finally a full-length. On Out of Earshot, the Dead Girls defy the trendy lo-fi aesthetic of the moment and instead serve up a slick-sounding debut. That's a compliment. A sea of distortion would have obscured every sweet riff, sick solo and perfectly placed vocal harmony. Though the band often aims for a sound that's larger than life, a couple of downbeat numbers bow to Big Star and the Replacements. (The band has paid tribute to the latter in cover-band form.) The Dead Girls also show off an arena-rock jones (which they satisfied by opening for Kiss last year); the dual-guitar riffing that peppers Out of Earshot is undeniably inspired by Thin Lizzy. (The band wears its influences on its sleeve; sure enough, it has performed as a Thin Lizzy tribute band on more than one occasion as well.) If Out of Earshot sometimes pays too much tribute to the Dead Girls' heroes rather than advancing a sound of its own, it's still a pretty satisfying record. - Pitch.com

The Dead Girls
Out of Earshot
Rocket Heart Records

Out of Earshot is the full-length LP from The Dead Girls, released on the heels of The Hair Trigger and Te Quiero EPs. The 12-track album offers a complete version of what the EPs sampled, showing a band that blends classic-rock vigor with dulcet power pop.

Once again, The Dead Girls prove to be more than the sum of their parts. The quartet isn’t limited to just classic rock, nor is it limited to pop. With musical proficiency and maturity, these four Lawrence music veterans take the best elements out of two differing genres and inject their own style into the record.

Where power pop can grow repetitive with overly catchy refrains and where classic rock can grow weary with on-cue guitar solos, The Dead Girls bridge the gap. “Later,” the album’s first track, eases the listener in with a comfortable, light acoustic guitar. But it soon spirals into a climactic frenzy and eventually into “Te Quiero,” the album’s catchiest, peppiest song.

Upbeat tracks such as “Te Quiero” shine on the album. That song, along with “Hair Trigger” and “You Ignited,” best capture the band’s energetic yet focused dynamic. While radio-friendly and helplessly infectious, each element — whether it’s a chugging guitar or prominent bass line — makes the songs work. On “You Ignited,” each instrument and vocal rings out clearly and makes its presence known while complementing the other.

Throughout the album, syncopated rhythms set a counterpoint against a melodic backdrop, eventually catching up and culminating in confident, substantial tunes.

Much of the album’s music demonstrates the talent of a band that integrates its roots beautifully. “Why the Sun Kills the Moon” sets the harmonic, crisp power-pop mood of influences like Big Star, and mixes it with the swirling, dueling heavy guitar influence of Thin Lizzy. The result is a well-constructed, imaginative song that is undoubtedly characteristic of The Dead Girls.

With a passionate immediacy, a tight grasp on influences, and a strongly developed sense of self, The Dead Girls continue to bolster their status in the local music scene with Out of Earshot.
— michelle o’brien { special to ink }



Read more: http://www.inkkc.com/blogs/local-album-review-dead-girls/apr/4/10#ixzz0msE97W00
- inkkc.com

by Nick Spacek

The first two or three times I saw the Dead Girls, they were rough around the edges. The vocals and instrumentation didn't quite mesh, and the songs weren't nearly as good as either of the members' prior bands.

I then didn't see them for a year or so, and happened to come across the band at the Jackpot one night. It was like another band up there on stage. The Dead Girls are now a tightly-knit four-piece that performs their brand of power-pop with the self-assured presence of a band that's been around far longer.

The Dead Girls' assurance may come from the four members being very aware of their influences. They don't go so far as to cop riffs or lyrics from any of the bands from which they draw. In every song, however, there's something in the tone or delivery to which you can point and say, "That's a Thin Lizzy bit" ("Last Words") or "Those are some Fleetwood Mac chord progressions" ("She Can Turn It Off").

It's not surprising: I've never seen a group of musicians who like playing other people's music as much as the Dead Girls. The four members have variously played in tributes to Thin Lizzy, Guns 'n' Roses, and the soundtrack to Adventureland.

Still, the band takes all these influences, adds in a large dollop of Big Star, and turns them into something all their own. While you can hear the R.E.M. jangle on "What's Another Day," there's a heavy bass line running through the song, giving it a honky-tonk undertone that's totally unexpected.

"You Ignited" and "Te Quiero" are the strongest tracks on the album, by virtue of being the most upbeat. They're the tunes that usually get the people in front of the stage rocking and singing along most strongly, and I foresee both songs getting a lot of windows-down, stereo-cranked car stereo plays this summer.

Rocket Heart Records has put out a gem of a record here, and it's even an actual record. Out of Earshot is a warm, friendly, inviting recording, and it's the sort of music that just sounds better with a little bit of crackle running behind it.

- Pitch.com