The Darts, “The Darts” Available: Jan. 17 via a partnership with Dirty Water Records (UK) and Atomic A Go Go Records (Phoenix) presumably on digital formats, compact disc, and standard black vinyl.
Dirty Water Records has a knack for sending out great releases as the year comes to a close. In late 2015/early 2016, they sent out a release from Cleveland voodoo organ punks Archie and the Bunkers, and this winter it’s The Darts
The Darts play straight forward rock ’n’ roll. Sure, it veers into ’60s garage, punk, and a bevy of other musical monikers, but it is still simply, rock ’n’ roll. The fact that they are four girls kicking out the jams is relatively irrelevant, though singer/keyboardist Nicole Laurenne does make mention that she “always wanted to be in an all-girl band, with bad ass girls that are awesome.”
The band formed in 2016 after “watching each other’s bands on the sidelines for years.” Laurenne and bassist/singer Christina Nunez have played in a handful of Arizona bands over those years, including but not limited to, The Love Me Nots, Motobunny, and The Madcaps. The two then recruited drummer/singer Rikki Styx (Thee Outta Sites, The Dollyrots, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and guitarist/singer Michelle Balderramma (Brainspoon) and The Darts were rounded out. Nothing here is treading on new ground but that, too, is irrelevant. The music is catchy as all-get-out, fun, and a perfect combination of pop and Farfisa fueled lo-fi garage and scuzzy aggression.
The Darts will be hitting the road in early 2017 with duo the Steel Cranes before heading to Europe in May.
Recommended for fans of The Kills, The Dead Weather, The Murder City Devils, Pretty Girls Make Graves, or The Gore Gore Girls.
Jon E. Lynch[email protected]
