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"Baby Say Unh!" by Demolition Doll Rods

Sex-fueled shock rock tends to be the domain of men, or so I’ve always thought. Of course, the Cramps have Poison Ivy, Nashville Pussy has Blaine Cartwright (and the ever-changing bassist du jour), Bongwater had Ann Magnuson and there have been girls in Gwar, though not since Slymenstra Hymen’s retirement in 2002. But when a band is gritty, vulgar, seedy, tawdry and also fueled by a woman, it imbues a different vibe. For me, I can laugh a little easier knowing that Margaret Doll Rod—macrobiotic intellectual feminist—has written most of the lyrics. The Dolls’ reputation for raunchiness has as much to do with their barely clothed onstage antics as it does with the lyrics—which, truth be told, really aren’t all that lurid or offensive. This is especially true on their latest album, the fourth release for the band and the first with its new drummer. Tia “Baby Doll” Doll Rod is in for former percussionist Christine “Thumper” Doll Rod—Margaret’s biological sister—and she doesn’t seem to miss a beat. It might have been an uncomfortable situation for her—infiltrating this tight-knit group that has always been a family affair (former Gories guitarist Dan Kruha, a.k.a. Danny Doll Rod, is Margaret’s significant other)—but if so there’s no evidence to be heard on the album. Though song titles like "Booty Call" and "Baby Say Unh!" may sound titillating, there's really nothing on There is a Difference that should get anybody's panties in a bunch—at least not anything that's too easily deciphered by the naked ear. While the band does have things in common with other trash-thrash rockers, namely Nashville Pussy with its own romantic duo (Cartwright and hubby Ruyter Suys are the driving force behind the band), the highly listenable blues/grunge music the Dolls make sets them a bit apart, as does the gravelly, engine-revving purr of Margaret’s lead vocals (she can let loose like Patti Smith). Unlike any of the other bands mentioned, theirs is a CD I actually put on at home just to listen to. Gwar may be great fun on stage—and this is arguable, I know—but wouldn’t last a minute in the CD changer.