KILLER COVERS || Dum Dum Girls: "Trees and Flowers"

Strawberry Switchblade had one album in 1985, bookended by a small handful of non-LP singles that stretched their oeuvre out from 1983-86. Dum Dum Girls have covered their final single, "Trees and Flowers", on their new End of Daze EP. The EP is largely a collection of material that was recorded for last year's Only in Dreams album but left off for not fitting in with the upbeat, girl group pop sound that the LP represented. The shoegaze/dream pop sound of the EP is definitely a right turn from the sound DDG have become known for, but considering how many bands are revisiting the dream/noise pop template in 2012 I wouldn't be surprised to see this become a permanent direction for the band.

Dum Dum Girls: "Bedroom Eyes"

Ever since "Such Great Heights" and The Shins went mainstream in terms annoying to the average hipster consumer, people have been lining up left and right to take potshots at every new Next Big Thing that Sub Pop deems to sign.  Dum Dum Girls are no exception, getting accolades from Pitchfork and Spin but with many of the second tier indie review sites remaining nonplussed.  Judge for yourself: are they just another generic girl group pretender following in the played out steps of The Raveonettes and The Pipettes, or something more substantial?  They're not too shabby on the eyes, that's fo' sho'.