| The Dollyrots | |
|---|---|
The Dollyrots in Chicago, 2011 |
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Pop punk |
| Years active | 2000-present |
| Labels | Blackheart Records Lookout Records Panic Button Records |
| Website | www.dollyrots.com |
| Members | |
| Kelly Ogden Luis Cabezas |
|
| Past members | |
| Frank Beasley Josh Valenti Amy Wood Chris Black |
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The Dollyrots are an American pop punk band composed of Kelly Ogden (bass, vocals) and Luis Cabezas (guitar). They have released three studio albums and are currently signed to the Blackheart Records label.
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Kelly Ogden and Luis Cabezas had known each other since the 8th grade. They formed The Dollyrots with drummer Frank Beasley[1] while they were attending New College of Florida. The onus to go professional was made due to the results of the 2000 US Presidential Election.[2] As Ogden recalls:
"We were watching the 2000 presidential election results, and at four o'clock in the morning, when we found out that George W. Bush had won, Luis and I were like, "The world's probably gonna end anyway, and I don't want to go to med school," so we thought, "Let's just do the band," says Ogden. "So that's when it happened. We had no future anyways, so let's just be in a rock band!"[2]
The pair soon embarked on a road trip to find a new home to accommodate their musical aspirations. In January 2002 after visiting various cities they finally settled in Los Angeles. Ogden described Los Angeles as having "everything we needed — record labels, venues, other bands.It seemed like the right place”.[3] In 2003 the band self recorded and released an EP Feed Me, Pet Me.[4] In 2004 they signed a deal with Panic Button Records/Lookout! Records[4] and released their first studio album Eat My Heart Out.
The band started work on their second album but were forced to find a new label due to problems with Lookout Records. Kelly Ogden stated: "we started recording and then had everything ready. Then Lookout went out of business for all intents and purposes. They had troubles with Green Day and financial problems, and so they pretty much told all of us that we had to go find a new label."[5] In 2006 the Dollyrots signed to Blackheart Records. Ogden had given a compact disc of the band's music to Joan Jett, the co-founder of Blackheart Records, while the Dollyrots were on the Vans Warped Tour. The same year, drummer Amy Wood left the band. Wood suggested that Ogden and Cabezas ask Chris Black to replace her.[6]
Their second album, Because I'm Awesome, was released on March 13, 2007. A review in the webzine PopMatters noted that "the Dollyrots' sound is the same as it ever was, with clever, catchy lyrics running around a track of straightforward, chugging pop-punk."[7] The title song was featured in a Kohl's commercial during the fall of 2007 where the band made an appearance at the end.[8]
Winner of the 7th annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop vote for best Pop/Rock song "Because I'm Awesome".
The Dollyrots promoted their 7-inch single "California Beach Boy" with a feature performance during the Showcase on the CBS game show The Price Is Right.
The band opened for the Buzzcocks on their 22 date North American tour in May/June 2010.[9]
A Little Messed Up is the band's third album, and the second one to be released on Blackheart Records.
The band opened for Bowling for Soup on their Just Can't Get Rid of Us UK tour in 2010. In May/June of this year, they played six dates supporting The Go-Go's on their Ladies Gone Wild Tour. In August, they will again support Bowling For Soup on a west coast tour.
On August 9, the band released an EP, Arrested Youth, on their own label, Arrested Youth Records[10].
The Dollyrots next album will be released on their own record label. On September 12, 2011, the band launched a fundraising drive on Kickstarter[11] to raise money for the production and release of the album[12] in which they received their goal within one day and went on a month later to make almost five times the goal of money raised, donated by fans and supporters.
On November 30, 2011, it was announced that drummer Chris Black was parting ways with the band.[13] In a YouTube video on December 11, 2011, Kelly introduced Alicia Warrington as the band's new drummer. [14]
The Dollyrots recorded a cover of the song "There's A Barbarian In The Back Of My Car" by Voice of the Beehive for Snake Oil Supercharm, a 2003 tribute album to Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction. The band recorded a version of "Santa Baby" for the 2009 album A Blackheart Christmas and also recorded a cover of "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett for the film Easy A. In July the band announced that they would be teaming up with Bowling For Soup to release a split 7".[15] The 7" will feature both bands covering one of the others songs.[15]
Songs by the Dollyrots have been used in films, TV shows, and commercials.
Brand New Key was used on the British Scifi show Doctor Who
| Album | Release Date | Label |
| Eat My Heart Out | September 14, 2004 | Lookout Records |
| Because I'm Awesome | March 13, 2007 | Blackheart Records |
| A Little Messed Up | August 17, 2010 | Blackheart Records |