Dressy Bessy

Thursday, June 13; Rocket Bar

Comments (0) By Matt Harnish Wednesday, Jun 12 2002

When indie-rock dorks talk about "pop music," they're usually talking not about Destiny's Child or Britney but about Beatle-esque (or at least Guided By Voices-esque) guitar bands with tons of interesting chord changes, ba-ba-ba backup vocals and production values that worship at the altar of Brian Wilson. They're more or less talking about Denver's Dressy Bessy.

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Part of the Elephant 6 collective (a loose congregation of like-minded popsmiths), Dressy Bessy fully embraces the sunny '60s pop that's made bands such as the Apples in Stereo (almost) famous. The similarities between the two groups stem in part from the fact that the bands share a member, guitarist John Hill -- but don't dismiss Dressy Bessy as a coattail-riding side project. With singer/guitarist Tammy Ealom's cooly sexy vocals, drummer Darren Albert's percussive ingenuity and bassist Rob Greene's amazingly melodic McCartneyisms, every member is more than pulling his or her own weight. Add in Ealom's consistent ability to create surprisingly perfect pop hooks, and you've got a band that would be making a name for itself no matter what scene spawned it. Dressy Bessy's latest release is the 13-song pop juggernaut Sound Go Round. If not as absolutely flawless as last year's The California EP, there are still enough moments of pure pop bliss to put a smile on the most curmudgeonly of faces.