2008 Woodie Awards
Boppin' Ditty Bops
The Ditty Bops turn out to be a Boppin' hit.
Ike Saunders
Issue date: 11/12/04 Section: Entertainment
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The cover can very quickly either attract you or quickly deter you. Very childish-looking art using vibrant colors, black and white photos, and magazine clippings, the band depicts art similar to that in The Smashing Pumpkins' music video for "Tonight, Toight"-artistic and fun
Their opening track, "Walk or Ride", sets the mental-imagery stage for a walk around the carnival (this image being in black and white, of course) with cotton candy or waiting in line for the Ferris Wheel. The music is very difficult to describe...
It's all very upbeat. Two females, Abby DeWald and Amanda Barrett, head the band as the two vocalists. Accompanying mandolin, banjo, and ukulele creations add the bounding-head pop style that adds spark to their 1930s genre. The sundae-topping lyrics either seeming a bit tree-hugging-hippie-esque, such as, "With just one kiss/You could change the world/It might not be much better/But it certainly couldn't hurt/When you stomp your feet/You aren't hurting me/But you're always killing something/Just by living on the earth," of "Walk or Ride", or a smidgeon love-imbued, such as, "Why can't little kids tie their shoes/Why can't the white people play the blues/Why can't I fall in love with you/It must be because of the seasons," of "Wishful Thinking", but the CD overall stands firm to the thought of good music. It's new and different, so if you're one who tends to stick to 106.7 or 105.9, the CD probably wouldn't strike your interest.
If, however, you'd find yourself seeking through the radio stations to 91.5 (that would be Rollins College's radio station), The Ditty Bops would be very comfortable in your CD player at home or in the car.
The website reveals a little information on the background information of the two lead singers. Amanda can eat fire and modeled. Abby rides her bike around town and loves sharks. Though all of this may seem entirely irrelevant, I'm sure it somehow plays into their strange and original, though highly delightful, musical genre. Fans of Bitch and Animal, Tori Amos, and/or Ani DiFranco should enjoy this one.
They're presently on tour with The Dresden Dolls (bare, rhythmic background music to a striptease show in pre-Third Reich Berlin, Germany), though no tours are scheduled for Florida (as of yet, that is). Should you be curious, just travel to www.thedittybops.com and check out their music for free.