Dolly Rockers - 'Gold Digger'
Ok, let's not muck about today. Let's dive straight into the review. Here it goes... The Dolly Rockers new single 'Gold Digger', their first 'physical' release (last release was download only), is a very decent debut. The 'wonky' pop sound gets you bopping from the off and the quirkyness of their style matches the eccentricity of the song. It has all the ingredients to a perfect modern pop track until that is... they start speaking.
Now, you'll notice here, I've used the word 'speaking'. Not singing, not rapping, no no no... 'speaking'. This may open some debate on the definition of speaking/rapping. So let me clear up the differences here and now. Jay-Z and Fiddy Cent rap, Mike Skinner speaks. And the reason Mike Skinner gets away with it, or used to get away with it, is because he actually had something to say. Being cautious and derogatory about Gold Diggers is all good if you've the fame and talent of Kanye West, but fame hungry girls talking about other fame hungry girls is a touch hypocritical.
(Wonder what they're listening to under those headphones? Vivaldi perhaps?)
What annoys me about the 'speaking' more than anything else is that a lot of it doesn't rhyme! I've never been more desperate for words to sound the same. So, in italics I've added the words I feel maybe could have been used in the bridge, the peak of the strange non-rhyming.
Girl goes clubbing every night
Get a fright when light comes on (on comes the light)*
I do get what they're trying to do. If Banarama and the Spice Girls ran into each other at top speed the explosion caused would probably leave Dolly Rockers behind, but to reach that level of pop-iconery (invented word), it would be to their advantage to sing their songs.
Oops. My aim to stick to the song review has gone a bit awol, so I'll bring it back. It's not that I dislike the song, it hooks you in, keeps you entertained and dancing throughout, but it lacks a killer melody to match the killer dance/pop production. Once you've finished listening to it, it's hard to remember what it sounds like.
What review was I doing again?
* All I did was swap the words around. Was it really that difficult?
Download: Out now
CD Released: August 31st
(Grant Black)
Comment number 1.
At 25th Aug 2009, spirit wrote:Let's get this straight from the start , this is a fun pop song that borrows from 3 classic hits.
Stool Pigeon - KID CREOLE AND THE COCONUTS
Games Without Frontiers - PETER GABRIEL
Wordy Rappinghood - THE TOM TOM CLUB
I enjoyed it , the girls look great , and this should be a top 40 hit .
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Comment number 2.
At 25th Aug 2009, spirit wrote:I am guessing Fraser is still living it up in France !
Bonsoir !
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Comment number 3.
At 26th Aug 2009, geezerlovemuscle wrote:same old story with the bbc if your not cool and in the safe groove you dont get a sniff, gone are the days of john peel who did not care about ratings, just gut feelings! these girls are fun not my cup of tea if im honest but they make me smile, a refreshing change from all the depressing stuff being played, lighten up radio 1 take a chance now and again you never know we might get back to when music mattered!!!
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Comment number 4.
At 26th Aug 2009, spirit wrote:ITS ALL about the MUSIC ! I agree !
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Comment number 5.
At 26th Aug 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:Haha I love this song. It puts a smile on my face. It might not rhyme but the lyrics are witty enough to get away with it. I think it works, and theyd probably have to compromise the lyrics to get them to rhyme, just for the sake of it.
'If looks could kill, they probably will'. Very funny.
Plus, I think Im in love.
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Comment number 6.
At 26th Aug 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Sending forth a message that you don't have to look perfect like most girlbands is all well and good...but these girls clearly have no talent! They didn't get through to the X-Factor so they decided to make themselves "real girls" and started slagging off The Saturdays and Girls Can't Catch, two girlbands that can actually sing and have talent!
These women in Dolly Rockers are frauds but good businesswomen getting everyone to think that they are the new Spice Girls. At least Sporty Spice could sing...
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Comment number 7.
At 26th Aug 2009, spirit wrote:Liam the line you like :
"If looks could kill , they probably will ! "
This is from the Peter Gabriel hit , Games without frontiers , a classic NUMBER 4 hit from 1980 !
I must agree , it's a great line .
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Comment number 8.
At 27th Aug 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Hate it! These girls clearly have no singing talent and there only way of getting media exposure is if they market themselves as "real girls", 2009's answer to the Spice Girls (at least Sporty could sing) and slagging off other girlbands who clearly have a lot more talent then these girls ever will!
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Comment number 9.
At 27th Aug 2009, Daniel wrote:I hate it too. I've never even heard of it before Chartblog.
I watched the video and the only thing that struck me was that the bass line was louder than the vocals making it a bit difficult to understand.
Horrendous.
Also, did the video cost anymore than the price of film to create?
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Comment number 10.
At 28th Aug 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 11.
At 28th Aug 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:Ok not sure what house rule I broke... so heres a watered down version ...
This lot seem to be dividing opinion. They themselves have admitted to being like marmite.
On one hand they are sassy, fun loving, fantastic looking girls who have been together, un-manufactured, for a few years now. Looks wise they look amazing, without looking like they belong on a street corner(think a La Roux with less material, not Lady Gaga). They are opinionated and arent afraid of saying what they think, for example their comments about The Saturdays (Lily Allen gets away with it, why not them?). They have written their own stuff (sort of from what I can gather) and are trying to put their X Factor rejection behind them. Their music isnt trying to take itself seriously. And most importantly, this is a great track.
On the OTHER hand they are a bunch of attention seeking chavs with little or no musical talent. They are using their short lived press coverage to cause troube with other bands for attention, despite having little musical talent themselves. Their music sounds like cheap rip off of old classics, because thats what it is. They look like muppets, who do they think they are with their wanna be cool Oxford street videos and stupid clothes? They market themselves as real girls, but are clearly already media tainted.
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Personally Im leaning more towards the first opinion. But time shall tell. Untill Ive really made my mind up, Im simply going to love this track.
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Comment number 12.
At 30th Aug 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:I hope I'm proven wrong cos I hate to see anyone fail, most of all those looking to enter the hard world of stardom...but i gotta feeling...these girls will be forgotten about in about 2 years!
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Comment number 13.
At 31st Aug 2009, Jo_Mo_Jo wrote:@ RandomEnigma
Have you heard the Saturdays sing live? They can't sing live. I'm not saying that they are bad, but they are wayy too perfected and manufactured. At least The Dolly Rockers actually can make fun of themselves and not strut around acting like they are the best thing!!! I like the Dolly Rockers; they have style and this uniqueness that we have as Britain, who cares if their music you can't understand some of the time but at least they don't mime to lyrics and stuff. They are upfront individuals who don't lack confidence and just because they didn't win the X factor it doesn't mean they can't get anywhere in life.
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Comment number 14.
At 31st Aug 2009, RandomEnigma wrote:Jo_Mo_Jo,
I just feel the Dolly Rockers are trying their best to grab fame and that they don't particularly care about music. They know that contoversy sells and they're using that to gain popularity.
And I don't think that just because you don't win X-Factor, doesn't mean you won't get anywhere in life. I don't believe that at all!
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Comment number 15.
At 2nd Sep 2009, singingiLoveLaughinX wrote:I honestly don't understand how anyone can like the dolly rockers,or the Saturdays or Girls Aloud,or any other girl band for that matter.
Yea, this song is OK,don't go crazy for it. It's not a song I would want to spend 79p on for a download, let alone have to listen to it ever again in my sad little life.
I do hope their song doesn't go into the charts. There are a lot better songs out there,and I watch the UK Top 40 a lot, and I don't want to listen to their new song really. I may seem selfish, but I don't think it's music.
As the clever author of this post pointed out, they are not actually singing, and why would they need to mime speech?
I can't believe what musc has come to, it's hard to find a song in the charts with a word bigger than counterfeit in it. Songs don't mean that much anymore, they're all about sexy girls and making out and things.
Please do yourself a favour and listen to some proper music.
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Comment number 16.
At 2nd Sep 2009, Fraser McAlpine - wrote:C'mon singingiLoveLaughinX, you can't leave us hanging like that...
Examples of proper music, please!
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Comment number 17.
At 2nd Sep 2009, tasharitchie wrote:I think there going to be as big as the saturdays and sugababes, check out this otha girl group addictive i think them n dolly rockers are gonna b the biggest POP girl groups in the next few years in UK.
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Comment number 18.
At 3rd Sep 2009, Jo_Mo_Jo wrote:@ singingiLoveLaughinX
Just because you yourself doesn't like this kind of music does it mean that it shouldn't 'go into the charts'?
There's plenty of songs that I don't like that are high in the charts right now and it makes me wonder what on Earth people buy this music for?
And you saying that 'songs don't mean that much anymore', how do you know? Take Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, even Dolly Rockers, their songs have meanings behind them. Just because songs have short words in them, does it mean that they don't have a meaning behind them. 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' from Mary Poppins doesn't really have a meaning to it, does it? Now thats a big word in a song. Seriously.
Rap is classed as music, why can't the Dolly Rockers songs be classed as music
And if you want us to go and listen to 'some proper music', why are you commenting on this then?
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Comment number 19.
At 6th Sep 2009, danprez wrote:I just love this whole argument/line of reasoning that seems to imply that unless you are famous anyway, you have no right to comment on other people seeking fame. Lets get what The Dolly Rockers are commenting about straight. They are complaining about the ultra trashy, fame for fames sake, Jodie Marsh wag esque lifestyle and culture. I agree whole heartedly with them. The cult of vacuous celebrity needs to be culled. In fact (imho) the whole cult of celebrity needs to be curtailed anyway. But thats besides the point. 3 girls with attitude, and talent at lyrics (I challenge anyone to listen to their assorted works available around the web and not at least smile at the witty social commentary and reflections) are complaining about celebrity and praise being heaped on those with no talent or discernable function in life. I find no problem with this.
As for their "spats" with other bands, how many people have actually read what they have said? As for the Saturdays, I could not agree more - they could be any group of girls, it makes no difference - that is not saying anything about their (unquestionable) talent, just saying that their individual personalities (which no doubt exist) do not translate into the band. I do not see why this is a bad or nasty comment, it is a statement of fact. The Saturdays are pure manufacured pop. Which is fine for what it does.
Now the statement that the Dolly Rockers are not singing I do have a problem with. The same argument was levelled against The Sex Pistols and The Clash (thuogh the Dollies have some way to become justifiabley compared to these two greats), and could be levelled against the Artic Monkeys. Just because the singing is not in a transatlantic accent, but rather regional dialect, and they don't spend 20 seconds belting out a note, does not mean it is not singing. But this brings us to the definition of singing. Which is difficult. As there really isn't one. Compare, say, Charlotte Church with Lemmy out of Motorhead. Both of these are singing stlyes, though are quite different. The Dolly Rockers use another singing style. The closest thing to a definition of singing I have come across is that it is a form of sustained speach.
I feel for the Dolly Rockers. I really do. They have a unique style. They have talent (at leat in my humble opinion). They have a few messages and interesting commentaries on society. Yet people are picking fault in them for very shakey reasons. OK they went on X factor, got booted off, and then what did they do? Stayed together for 3 years, found their music stlye, worked at it, grew as people (they are still very young, and no doubt much different from when they were 16/17), developed opinions, found out what they want to be. And the question of them seeking fame? Well, they aren't doing that as an end to itself. They want to be a chartable band, to make music, and for that music to be listened to. Fame may come as a trapping of this, but I do not think it is their primary modus operandi. They want to entertain. I think that is very refreshing.
I could go on but this is already too long, didn't read....
Just one alast thing - I'd love it if Radio One actually seriously gave a new and different act a break... would the Beatles make it if they came about in todays music climate? Or the Pistols? Or Joy Division?
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Comment number 20.
At 6th Sep 2009, danprez wrote:Oh, one more thing - as for rhyming - night, fright and light. 3 rhymes in 2 lines? Not bad.
PS/learn to English re: poetry/lyrics - rhyming usually occurs to mark the end of a line (tail rhyming) but this does not have to be the case.
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Comment number 21.
At 6th Sep 2009, MozFoz wrote:Dolly Rockers could be the new Bananarama (considering the originals aren't up to anything worth a muster). I think this songs sounds quite distinct next to Girls Aloud and The Saturdays, who are beginning to blur into one. Except the Saturdays look a lot younger when I think about it.
Having said that I actually like the new Saturdays song, it's like they've finally got past their awkward GMTV-appearance/dodgy-dance-moves/matching outfits phase. They've developed more. I still think they could shed the dead weight of Mollie and Frankie though. Can't sing for toffee really. Rochelle, Una and Vanessa would make a lovely three-piece to rival the Sugababes, who I still think are the cream of the crop.
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Comment number 22.
At 6th Sep 2009, BloggingLiam wrote:The Saturdays make Girls Aloud look like a bunch of girl band rejects at the moment. Their last album was fresh, catchy and well executed for a bunch of new comers. This cannot be said for the last Girls Aloud churn out (The Promise aside?).
However what The Dolly Rockers said about The Saturdays is true. Its a menufactured job where they dont have much individuality.
Im in agreement danprez.
Im going with option 1 in my previous post.
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Comment number 23.
At 24th Aug 2010, White Craig wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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