Right And Right Again (Radio Edit) / Right And Right Again (Jesse Rose Remix) / Trash The Rental (Crystal Castles Remix)

AGRECORDS

Another one of those Goldfrapp type slinky electro pop outfits, Sohodolls are the latest band to blend sultry female vocals with sleazy beats and suggestive electronica.

Not the worst example of the genre, but hardly the most stand out or original either, Sohodolls appear to have settled on some dull middle ground between the dancefloor and the radio friendly.  New single RIGHT AND RIGHT AGAIN is a passable, if derivative slice of electro sleaze; frontwoman Maya Von Doll letting loose with her best Alison Goldfrapp meets Peaches impressions whilst the rest of the band indulge all manner of pulsating beats and glamtastic guitar attacks.

“Utterly magnificent slab of haughty electro-sleaze which makes Peaches sound as predatory and erotically charged as KT Tunstall. Let them get frosty on your ass – it is winter after all.” NME [on last single ‘No Regrets’]

“Post-feminism sex rock n roll and it’s downright tasty…let’s do the nasty on the dancefloor” The Fly

SOHODOLLS release their long-awaited debut album, ‘Ribbed Music For The Numb Generation,’ on September 10th.

Produced by Robert Harder (Whitey, Polar Bear, Babyshambles, The Sunshine Underground) and Steve Lyon (Depeche Mode, The Cure), ‘Ribbed Music…’ is a twelve-track trawl through an electro-tinged rock 'n' roll underworld. ''Ironically,'' says Toni, ''an album about strippers, violence, paranoia and police car chases was actually recorded in a barn in Cornwall, surrounded by horses, sheep and summer berries in bloom.”

The band’s eclectic influences have conspired to create a multi-textured debut: “We love rock 'n' roll, electro, glam, '77-british punk, jazz and hip hop,” says Maya. “All these extremes make our music ribbed. We don't fit easily into pigeon-holes – not in music and not in life. We feel our generation has been cheated. Modern life has conspired to make us dumb, numb and un-questioning. We want people to tap into their primal senses again: lust, anger, love, fear, compassion, happiness and humour. Lyrically and musically the songs on this album express all of these feelings and instincts.”

And the band’s favourite tracks? “’My Vampire’ is one,” says Toni, “with its hypnotic dubby bass, twangy guitars and haunting vocals. ‘Trash The Rental’ is Asbo Glam Punk for both narcissistic glam rockers and chavs. It's a racy joy ride through London with the police on our tails. There are some nasty guitars, ballistic synths and antagonising vocals. Finally we all especially love ‘I'm Not Cool’ – an electro/rockabilly/old jazz track. It's basically Marilyn Monroe having the Stray Cats and Soft Cell over for dinner.”

Other highlights include anthemic new single, ‘Right And Right Again’ (out September 3rd), last year’s acclaimed ‘No Regrets’ (“a flamboyant homosexual marriage between Dr Dre and Marc Almond,” said Maya at the time) – and longstanding club favourite ‘Prince Harry’. Not to mention the rather seminal debut ‘Stripper’.

Some History

Sohodolls’ first two singles caused enough of a stir to reach #7 and #’12 in the UK indie charts. These were followed by last year’s classic ‘Stripper’, which won acclaim everywhere from The Fly to Clash and NME. They just played the O2 Wireless festivals in Hyde Park and Leeds supporting The Klaxons and Daft Punk – at both their shows the XFM tent was rammed to the hilt. Then they played the Secret Garden Festival, suitably staged in the ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ arena. Aside from a couple of exclusive London gigs, there’ll be a brief break before they embark on their 5th but most extensive headline UK tour in the autumn. Previously the band supported She Wants Revenge on a UK tour, played to packed out venues in Berlin and Cologne as part of British Music Week, performed at Hugh Heffner’s Playboy party in Moscow and the Big Issue’s 15th Anniversary Concert at the Shepherd Bush Empire.

Some Stories

Maya Von Doll was 7 years old when she was airlifted from war in Beirut onto a ship bound for Cyprus. “I wanted there to be bombs as it was more exciting,” she remembers, “but my parents knew they had to get me out.” Four years later, in 1992, the family decided to move to the UK permanently. “I’m going to be an English girl,” declared the headstrong 11 year old, who professed, too, that she “liked their school uniforms”. But whilst other girls in her class were getting down to R ‘n’ B and hip hop (“it was ridiculous!”) Maya decided to turn her attention to the burgeoning Britpop scene. And who better to show her a thing or two than Blur’s Alex James? “I met him at 16,” she sighs, “ although at the time I knew nothing about his band. But all I will say is that Alex instigated the desire in me to be a singer. Before then, I wanted to be a corporate lawyer. A cold bitch with a penthouse apartment.” 

A couple of indie bands and one degree in economics later (“well, you need something to back you up in life”) – but with no penthouse on the horizon – Maya met Sohodolls co-founder Toni Sailor.

“My father was away on the boats for months and my mother was nowhere to be found.” So says Toni, who was placed in a children’s home soon after his birth in Hamina, a Finnish port town brimming over with sailors, the military and prostitutes. At the age of four, Toni was adopted by a priest and his wife, who brought him up. Playing in a couple of bands in his teens, he soon found himself in notorious Finnish garage-rock combo Lowdown Shakin’ Chills: “We achieved the sort of status where everyone knew who we were,” he says, “but no-one was buying our records.” So a move to London was in order.

And three years ago Toni met Maya. “I was watching her then band at the Rhythm Factory in East London,” he says. “Three girls and a mini-disc player for drums. I really didn’t like it.” He smiles. “Good songs though.” After the gig, Toni was offered £80 a day to drive the band around and play guitar – and, somehow, he – unlike the other two girls – has been a Doll ever since. 

Aged 11, Weston Doll spent his time having organ lessons at a Yamaha Music School. By 14 he was more into socialising and the female species (“all I cared about was vodka, fags, girls and the local park”). From one organ to, um, another. After enrolling in a degree in Music Production a couple of years ago, he thought he should play an instrument again, and these days, whilst still fond of vodka, he’s also a dab hand with a keyboard: “I love them.  I have one for each corner of my room along with my set of decks,” he enthuses. Weston met Maya through MySpace last year. Actually, within ten minutes Maya and Toni asked if he was available to play their Istanbul date two weeks later. It really was that simple.

Maya von Doll

Toni Sailor

Weston Doll

Matt ‘Fuzzy’ Lord

Paul Stone

RIBBED MUSIC FOR THE NUMB GENERATION (Agrecords>2007)

Stripper

Prince Harry

My Vampire

Right And Right Again

Trash The Rental

I'm Not Cool

Bang Bang Bang Bang

The Rest For The Wicked

Weekender

Pleasures Of Soho

No Regrets

1724

RIGHT AND RIGHT AGAIN (Agrecords>2007)

Right And Right Again (Radio Edit)

Right And Right Again (Jesse Rose Remix)

Trash The Rental (Crystal Castles Remix)

Sohodolls>www.sohodolls.co.uk
SohoDolls on Wikipedia -

Peaches

Goldfrapp

Soft Cell

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