Trouble Dolls

New York City's Trouble Dolls began in 1995, when pals Cheri Leone and Matty Karas recruited guitarist Michael Taylor for a new project. While both Leone and Karas were at the time toiling in "civilian" vocations, they had spent most of the late '80s as members of Kudzu. The Trouble Dolls began playing and recording in earnest, but it was mostly for their own enjoyment, since the playing occurred in a basement and the recording was to four-track at home. Over the next few years, Taylor departed, drummer Gabe Rhodes joined up, and the Trouble Dolls began to play a few shows here and there. One such gig proved particularly fruitful, when in 2001 an appearance at the East Coast edition of Ladyfest led to bassist Pam Weiss jumping the Bionic Finger ship to join the S.S. Trouble Doll. In 2002 the band's debut EP, I Don't Know Anything at All, appeared through its own La La La Unlimited imprint. It was a fizzy, intelligent mixture of trad rock and elemental indie pop led by Leone's soaring vocals and showcasing an overriding sense of absurdist humor. The Sticky LP followed from Half a Cow in November 2003. ~ Johnny Loftus