Demolition Doll Rods
Encyclopedia
The Demolition Doll Rods was a three-piece glam
/ garage rock
band from Detroit, Michigan
. The band, known for wild stage attire, released its first record in 1994. The line up included Dan Kroha aka Danny Doll Rod (formerly of The Gories
) on guitar
, vocals, and harmonies, Margaret Doll Rod on guitar and lead vocals, and songwriting, Christine Doll Rod, also known as 'The Thump'/Thumper/Thumpurr on drum
s. In March 2006 Christine went on "maternity leave" and was replaced by Tia "Baby T" Dollrod.
, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and The Cramps
. The band's sound has been influenced primarily by other famous Motor City rockers like the MC5
and the Stooges
. Their stage performances have been likened to those of the New York Dolls
, and also The Cramps
; the band members appearing in drag or in costume, occasionally wearing food items and often almost nothing at all. One memorable performance featured the band performing with only toy cartoon mouse heads covering their breasts, and only plastic wrap and semi-strategically placed slices of Swiss cheese covering their nether regions. In the last few years of their existence they wore leather pieces that they had made by Tom the Leatherman who designed costumes for Parliament/Funkadelic in the late '70s.
The Doll Rods play a genre-crossing, minimalist Detroit rock style incorporating rhythm and blues
and garage rock
. The three piece band features lead and rhythm guitar
s backed by the most basic bass-drum-floor-tom-and-snare drum kit
. Their lyrics
tackle issues such as sex
, drug overdoses, drag racing
, boy
s, girls, dogs, cats and good times.
The band has since been inactive - all members are concentrating on other musical projects.
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
/ garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band from Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The band, known for wild stage attire, released its first record in 1994. The line up included Dan Kroha aka Danny Doll Rod (formerly of The Gories
The Gories
The Gories are an American garage rock trio that formed in Detroit in 1986. They were among the first 1980s garage punk bands to incorporate overt blues influences...
) on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals, and harmonies, Margaret Doll Rod on guitar and lead vocals, and songwriting, Christine Doll Rod, also known as 'The Thump'/Thumper/Thumpurr on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. In March 2006 Christine went on "maternity leave" and was replaced by Tia "Baby T" Dollrod.
History
The band first found national exposure in the mid-1990s on the second stage at Lollapalooza as an opening act for, respectively, Iggy PopIggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
. The band's sound has been influenced primarily by other famous Motor City rockers like the MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
and the Stooges
The Stooges
The Stooges are an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan first active from 1967 to 1974, and later reformed in 2003...
. Their stage performances have been likened to those of the New York Dolls
New York Dolls
The New York Dolls is an American rock band, formed in New York in 1971. The band's protopunk sound prefigured much of what was to come in the punk rock era; their visual style influenced the look of many new wave and 1980s-era glam metal groups, and they began the local New York scene that later...
, and also The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
; the band members appearing in drag or in costume, occasionally wearing food items and often almost nothing at all. One memorable performance featured the band performing with only toy cartoon mouse heads covering their breasts, and only plastic wrap and semi-strategically placed slices of Swiss cheese covering their nether regions. In the last few years of their existence they wore leather pieces that they had made by Tom the Leatherman who designed costumes for Parliament/Funkadelic in the late '70s.
The Doll Rods play a genre-crossing, minimalist Detroit rock style incorporating rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
. The three piece band features lead and rhythm guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s backed by the most basic bass-drum-floor-tom-and-snare drum kit
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Their lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
tackle issues such as sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, drug overdoses, drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
, boy
Boy
A boy is a young male human , as contrasted to its female counterpart, girl, or an adult male, a man.The term "boy" is primarily used to indicate biological sex distinctions, cultural gender role distinctions or both...
s, girls, dogs, cats and good times.
Break up
On April 4, 2007, Dan Kroha posted the following message to the band's Myspace page:To all our beloved and loyal fans . . .
This is Danny. I have decided that after thirteen years of non-stop Doll Rod action, it is time for me to take a break for a while (don't really know how long). I am very proud of all we've done as a band and I want to thank everyone who has loved and supported us all these years.
The band has since been inactive - all members are concentrating on other musical projects.
Singles
- "The Demolition Doll Rods" - Womb/Past It Records (1994)
- "The Unauthorized Demolition Doll Rods: African Lipstick" - Bulb Records (1994)
- "Spoiled Kitty/Walkin' the Dog (single)" - In The Red Records (1995)
- "Power Cruise/You Gotta Do That Do!" - Wantage USA Records (1995)
- "I Wanna O.D./Dream" - Bag Of Hammers Records (1996)
- "Bride" - ProA.S.S (2000)
- "Big Rock Candy Mountain/Hot Pink Visqueen" - Munster Records (2003)
Albums
- TASTY - In The Red Records (1997)
- TLA - Matador Records (1999)
- ON - Swami Records (2004)
- There Is A Difference - Swami Records (2006)
External links
- [ Demolition Doll Rods] profile on Allmusic
- Demolition Doll Rods Page @ Swami Records
- 1997 Metro Times Article