Too True

Last updated
Too True
Dum Dum Girls - Too True cover.jpg
Studio album by
Dum Dum Girls
ReleasedJanuary 22, 2014
Recorded2012–2013
Genre Indie pop
Length30:16
Label Sub Pop
Producer Richard Gottehrer and Sune Rose Wagner
Dum Dum Girls chronology
End of Daze
(2012)		Too True
(2014)
Singles from Too True
  1. "Lost Boys & Girls Club"
    Released: December 17, 2013
  2. "Rimbaud Eyes"
    Released: January 28, 2014

Too True is the third and final studio album by Dum Dum Girls, [1] released by Sub Pop on January 22, 2014 in Japan; January 27, 2014 in Europe; and January 28, 2014 worldwide. The album marked the fourth Dum Dum Girls release in a row produced by Richard Gottehrer and the Raveonettes' Sune Rose Wagner, and the fifth overall for Gottehrer. The album reached No. 138 on the UK Albums Chart. [2]

Contents

Music

Too True was compared to British alternative rock bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, the Stone Roses, Suede, and the Jesus and Mary Chain. [3] The production on the album featured heavy use of reverb and multiple layers of guitars. [4]

Background

Frontwoman Dee Dee began to write Too True while touring for End of Daze , and in November 2012, she began to record the album with Gottehrer at Pet Sounds at East West Studios in Hollywood. However, Dee Dee soon realized her voice was damaged from touring, which halted recording. During this break, she rewrote lead single "Lost Boys & Girls Club" and slowly recorded the vocals herself back in New York City. [5]

The song "Are You Okay?" was originally written and intended for Ronnie Spector but Gottehrer convinced Dee Dee to keep it for herself. [6]

Promotion

The album and track listing were unveiled on October 31, 2013, alongside the release of the video for the first single, "Lost Boys & Girls Club," which premiered with H&M. [7] On November 15, a teaser video for "Too True to Be Good" was released in conjunction with V . [8] The "Lost Boys & Girls Club" single was released on December 17, 2013. [9]

The second single from the album, "Rimbaud Eyes", premiered January 11, 2014 via Sub Pop's official SoundCloud page. [10] NPR premiered the full album on January 20 through an exclusive "first listen" stream on their website. [11]

The band performed "Rimbaud Eyes" on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 30, 2014. This appearance marked the band's second televised performance. [12] The entire "Too True to Be Good" video was released February 19, 2014 to promote the band's North American tour. [13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [15]
Pitchfork 7.4/10 [16]
PopMatters 7/10 [17]
Spin 7/10 [18]
Sputnikmusic3.5/5 [19]

Upon its release, Too True received generally positive reviews from critics. [20] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72 based on 37 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". [20] In his review published on The A.V. Club , Ryan Kyle praised the album, saying that "Too True finds Dee Dee enlisting a drum machine to give songs like 'Little Minx' and 'Evil Blooms' a much more rigid backbone than the band’s songs have had in the past". [3] Paste hailed the record, stating that "Dee Dee’s voice is what stands out. It’s achingly emotive in its minimal range". [4] Mojo qualified Too True as "a perfect pop balance of cliche and rawness, with mythic ambition and songs that make you a three-minute hero". [21] Uncut wrote that it was "a bold album". [22] No Ripcord criticized the album's production, stating that the band "needs to play to its strengths, rather than a production style" and asking, "What's the point of writing great riffs if you can't properly listen to them?". [23]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Dee Dee

No.TitleLength
1."Cult of Love"2:14
2."Evil Blooms"2:35
3."Rimbaud Eyes"3:30
4."Are You Okay?"2:50
5."Too True to Be Good"3:04
6."In the Wake of You"2:40
7."Lost Boys & Girls Club"3:24
8."Little Minx"2:29
9."Under These Hands"3:29
10."Trouble Is My Name"4:01
Total length:30:16
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleLength
11."Girls Intuition"2:49
Sub Pop bonus 7" vinyl [24]
No.TitleLength
1."Rimbaud Eyes"3:30
2."Girls Intuition"2:49

Personnel

Adapted from Too True liner notes: [25]

Recorded at East West Studios, Los Angeles and The Coven, New York City.

Release history

CountryDateFormatLabel
Japan [26] January 22, 2014 CD, digital download, LP record Sub Pop
United Kingdom [27] January 27, 2014
Canada [28] January 28, 2014
United States [1]

A limited number of copies of the LP version of the album were released on light blue and white spattered vinyl as a "Loser Edition." [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Lewis</span> American musician

Jennifer Diane Lewis is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley.

<i>The Woods</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Sleater-Kinney

The Woods is the seventh studio album by American rock band Sleater-Kinney. It was released in 2005 on Sub Pop. The album was produced by Dave Fridmann and recorded in late 2004. The album received widespread critical acclaim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolf Parade</span> Canadian indie rock band

Wolf Parade is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2003 in Montreal. The band released three full-length albums before taking a five-year hiatus in 2011. They announced their return in 2016, releasing a self-titled EP in May of that year, and a fourth studio album, Cry Cry Cry, in October 2017. Their fifth studio album, Thin Mind, was released on January 24, 2020.

Richard Gottehrer is an American songwriter, record producer and record label executive. In 1997, he co-founded The Orchard with longtime business partner Scott Cohen, an independent music distribution company. His career began as a Brill Building songwriter in the 1960s. His first number one record as a songwriter and producer was "My Boyfriend's Back" by the Angels, followed by other hits like "Hang On Sloopy" by the McCoys and "I Want Candy" by the Strangeloves, of which the latter Gottehrer was a member. In 1966, he formed Sire Records with Seymour Stein, which played a crucial role in the rise of new wave, and went on to launch the careers of Blondie, Madonna, Ramones and Talking Heads. His career continued as producer for the Go-Go's' 1981 debut album, Dr. Feelgood, Richard Hell, the Bongos and Moonpools & Caterpillars' first release with a major label, 1995's Lucky Dumpling. In 2013, the Orchard was described as "the biggest digital music distributor on the planet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sune Rose Wagner</span> Danish singer-songwriter and guitarist

Sune Rose Wagner is a Danish songwriter, guitarist, and singer, best known for playing in the rock group The Raveonettes. In addition to his own bands, Wagner has produced, recorded, and mixed albums by acts such as Dum Dum Girls, Crocodiles, and Louise Burns.

Grand Ole Party was a three-piece band formed in Santa Cruz, California consisting of singer-drummer Kristin Gundred, guitarist John Paul Labno and bassist Michael Krechnyak. They began recording their debut album shortly after moving to San Diego, California in mid-2006, relocating from the San Francisco area. The three met while attending college at University of California, Santa Cruz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dum Dum Girls</span> American rock band

Dum Dum Girls was an American rock band, formed in 2008. It began as the bedroom recording project of singer and songwriter Dee Dee. She is currently based in Los Angeles. The name is a double homage to the Vaselines' album Dum Dum and the Iggy Pop song "Dum Dum Boys".

<i>I Will Be</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Dum Dum Girls

I Will Be is the first album by Dum Dum Girls, released on March 30, 2010. The first pressing by HoZac Records was released as a 12" vinyl LP with a black-and-white version of the current album art. After the band later signed to Sub Pop, the album was rereleased in 2010 on both CD and 12" vinyl with the full colored cover.

<i>Destroyer of the Void</i> 2010 studio album by Blitzen Trapper

Destroyer of the Void is the fifth studio album by Blitzen Trapper released on June 8, 2010 on Sub Pop Records. Following their commercial breakthrough, Furr, Destroyer was a hit in its own right. Destroyer of the Void put Blitzen Trapper in the top 100 of Billboard's Top 200 chart for the first time - peaking at #88 - while the album had even more success on the Top Independent Album charts, hitting #11 there.

Male Bonding were an English indie/noise rock band. Sub Pop released their debut album, Nothing Hurts, on 11 May 2010 and the follow-up Endless Now on 29 August 2011. The group disbanded in 2015 and posthumously self-released their final record, Headache in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamaryn</span> Musical artist

Tamaryn Sitha Brown is a New Zealand songwriter and singer based in Los Angeles. Since 2008, Tamaryn has released four studio albums, an EP and several singles. Her multifaceted style melds various genres such as dream pop, shoegaze, post-punk, gothic rock, synth-pop and electronic.

<i>Sex with an X</i> 2010 studio album by The Vaselines

Sex with an X is the second studio album by the Scottish alternative rock band The Vaselines, which was released on 14 September 2010 on Sub Pop. It was their first new album since the release of Dum-Dum over 20 years earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delicate Steve</span> Musical artist

Delicate Steve is the stage name of musician Steve Marion, an American multi-instrumentalist who leads the band of the same name. Delicate Steve's sound has been described as hand-crafted with elements of progressive rock, folksy twang, African rhythms, surf rock and 1970s pop. Marion has collaborated with a wide range of artists in a variety of styles and genres, performing live and recording in-studio with artists such as The Black Keys, Paul Simon, Amen Dunes, Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala, and others.

<i>Only in Dreams</i> (Dum Dum Girls album) 2011 studio album by Dum Dum Girls

Only in Dreams is the second album by Dum Dum Girls, released on September 27, 2011 by Sub Pop.

<i>He Gets Me High</i> 2011 EP by Dum Dum Girls

He Gets Me High is the third extended play (EP) by Dum Dum Girls, released on March 1, 2011, through Sub Pop.

<i>End of Daze</i> 2012 EP by Dum Dum Girls

End of Daze is the fourth EP by Dum Dum Girls, released September 25, 2012 by Sub Pop. This was the third Dum Dum Girls recording produced by Richard Gottehrer and the Raveonettes' Sune Rose Wagner, and the fourth overall for Gottehrer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blouse (band)</span> American alternative rock band

Blouse is an American alternative rock band based in Portland, Oregon formed in 2010 by Charlie Hilton and Patrick Adams (bass).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keys N Krates</span> Canadian electronic music band

Keys N Krates is a Canadian electronic music band formed in 2008 out of Toronto, Ontario. The group consists of drummer Adam Tune, keyboardist David Matisse and turntablist Jr. Flo. The band started as a live hip-hop act reliant on rough a cappella loops on top of heavy bass-driven beats. The band has had their music synced via EA Sports, FIFA, SkySports/SoccerAM, Toronto Raptors, Apple and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvan Esso</span> American electronic pop duo

Sylvan Esso is an American electronic pop duo from Durham, North Carolina which was formed in 2013. The band consists of singer Amelia Meath and producer Nick Sanborn. They made their debut with the single "Hey Mami" and released their eponymous debut album on Partisan Records on May 12, 2014. It reached No. 39 on the Billboard 200. They released their second album, What Now, with Loma Vista Recordings on April 28, 2017, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Kristin Gundred, known professionally as Kristin Kontrol, is an American musician, singer and songwriter. She is best known as founder and lead singer of indie rock band Dum Dum Girls, with whom she released five studio albums between 2010 and 2014. Previously, she was a member of Grand Ole Party from 2005 to 2009.

References

  1. 1 2 Jen Pelly. "Dum Dum Girls Announce New Album Too True, Share New Song/Video "Lost Boys and Girls Club", News, Pitchfork". Pitchfork . Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  2. ↑ "CHART LOG UK: NEW ENTRIES UPDATE - 8.02.2014". Zobbel.de. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Ryan, Kyle (28 January 2014). "Too True review". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  4. 1 2 Lore, Mark (January 28, 2014). "Too True". Paste . Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ "TOO TRUE: CHASING POP INTO THE DARK: DUM DUM GIRLS". Dum Dum Girls. 2013-10-31. Archived from the original on 2014-01-13. Retrieved 2014-01-30.
  6. ↑ Muller, Marrisa (29 January 2014). "Dum Dum Girs Break Away From Underground on "Too True: Music News: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "H&M Life Introduces: Dum Dum Girls - Lost Boys And Girls Club" . Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  8. ↑ Kyle McGovern. "See Dum Dum Girls' Gloom Chic 'Too True' album teaser, SPIN, SPIN MIX, Videos". Spin Magazine . Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  9. ↑ "Amazon.com: Lost Boys & Girls Club - Single: Dum Dum Girls: MP3 Music". Amazon. Retrieved 2013-01-30.
  10. ↑ Carrie Batton. "Listen: Dum Dum Girls "Rimbaud Eyes", News, Pitchfork". Pitchfork . Retrieved 2014-01-11.
  11. ↑ Stephan Thompson. "First Listen: Dum Dum Girls, 'Too True' NPR". NPR.org. NPR . Retrieved 2014-01-22.
  12. ↑ Tom Beihan (31 January 2014). "Watch Dum Dum Girls Play Letterman - Stereogum". Stereogum . Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  13. ↑ "Premiere Video: Dum Dum Girls - Too True To Be Good". V Magazine . Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  14. ↑ Tim Sendra. "Dum Dum Girls - 'Too True', AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 2014-03-01.
  15. ↑ Kevin EG Perry (24 January 2014). "Dum Dum Girls - 'Too True', NME". NME . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  16. ↑ Jayson Greene. "Album review: Dum Dum Girls: Too True". Pitchfork . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  17. ↑ Matt Casarino. "Dum Dum Girls: Too True, PopMatters" . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  18. ↑ Jason Gubbels. "Dum Dum Girls Convene Their Own Dead French Poets Society on 'Too True'" . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  19. ↑ Rudy K. "Album review: Dum Dum Girls: Too True - sputnikmusic" . Retrieved 2014-02-20.
  20. 1 2 "Too True". Metacritic. CBS Interactive . Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Too True review". Mojo : 95. February 2014.
  22. ↑ "Too True review". Uncut : 73. February 2014.
  23. ↑ Marvilli, Joe (February 10, 2014). "Dum Dum Girls - Too True - Music Review" . Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Dum Dum Girls to tour on their upcoming "Too True"" . Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  25. ↑ Too True (booklet). Dum Dum Girls. Seattle, Washington: Sub Pop. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ↑ "Too True: Dum Dum Girls: HMV Online" . Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  27. ↑ "Too True: Dum Dum Girls: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon UK. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  28. ↑ "Too True: Dum Dum Girls: Amazon.ca: Music" . Retrieved 2014-01-09.
  29. ↑ "Sub Pop records: Loser Edition FAQ". Sub Pop. Archived from the original on 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.