Customer Reviews

Moon Over the Freeway

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As I write this review, the intrepid Ditty Bops are beginning their bike and music tour from LA to NY. Go Amanda! Go Abby!
I caught the Ditty Bops on the dance stage and Americana stage at MerleFest last month in Wilkesboro, NC. Totally smitten, I bought their debut album, produced by none other than Mitchell Froom. My wife then purchased for me the Ditty Bops risque Bikes & Bikinis 2006 Calendar. I speak for both of us when I say, "Va-va-voom!"
Moonlight Over the Freeway continues the Ditty Bops' collaboration with Froom, a producer (Suzanne Vega, Los Lobos) who knows how to put his own stamp on a project while letting the musicians do their thing. Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald are amazing singers but it is their songwriting which has really taken off since the debut album. Their unique 21st century cabaret sound soars on cuts like "Nosy Neighbor" and "Aluminum Can." The instrumentation is clear and nearly 100% acoustic with odd accordions, toy pianos and lap steels joining the guitar/mandolin party. The album has 13 cuts, not a clunker in the bunch. The sole cover is a sweet harmonious version of the Everlys "Bye Bye Love."
As a final note, The Ditty Bops are complete entertainers. They enjoy the entire process--from the music to the costumes to the stage presentation. They also have the best website of any new act out there. Check out the Femme Fatales of Fun! You'll be glad you did.

The Ditty Bops stalwartly ignored the typical pop conventions in their self-titled debut -- and they continue ignoring in "Moon Over the Freeway," their second album of jazzy folky ragtimey cabaret pop.

This time around, the Ditty Bops try out some new sounds -- blues and country rear their heads every now and then -- without losing their enchanting sound or their catchy li'l melodies. In other words, this original duo does not have any signs of a sophomore slump.

The title track starts off the album with visions of summer nights melting into autumn, road trips, and fun with your friends. "Moon over the freeway catch us as we ride/We just left the city, left it far behind/Silhouettes of palm trees, airplanes cross the moon/Living in the moment of the girl who left too soon," they croon over the banjo and guitar.

That whole cheerful-folky sound continues with "Angel with an Attitude" ("I've got a chip on my shoulder/and a halo on my head!"), before changing to a more meditative, slow-moving sound in the languid "Fall Awake," and a string of bluesy, soft-edged little folk ballads.

By the middle, they're dabbling in country-western flavours in the jazz pop, before fortunately switching back to the psych-folk of "Growing Upside Down," ragtime dance numbers, and a trio of folky numbers that finish up with the accordion-pop of "Your Head's Too Big," which I will have to send to my ex-boyfriend.

Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald are getting a lot more attention with their second album, courtesy of a song on "Grey's Anatomy." Well, they richly deserve the mainstream attention -- their pop music is rich in creativity and talent, and even their least imaginative songs (I just don't like country, okay?) are still solid and enjoyable.

Amanda and Abby create a number of haunting, earthy little melodies that are filled up with every instrument their songs can handle -- guitars, banjos, toy piano, tambourine, mandolin, dulcimer, accordion and what sounds like old hand bells.

They also mishmash different styles, which creates sounds like country with a cabaret flair, or jazz with a folk edge. That offbeat sound carries over into their vocals, which are almost harmonized perfectly. Their pretty voices are just out of sync enough for you to notice that there are two of them.

The best part is the songwriting -- no fluff or cliches in these songs, just good solid songwriting with a witty, surreal edge, and a knack for producing memorable imagery. For example, in one the girls muse that "Your head's too big/It grows like a balloon... And if you're unluckier than that/Someone such as myself might come along/And it just might pop." Top that breakup song.

The Ditty Bops continue turning out wonderful music in "Moon Over the Freeway," and make them one of THE new-ish bands to listen to. Delightful.

Most "lesser-known" artists put out a great debut cd, then a [...] follow-up that sinks their potential to reach more fans. But the Ditty Bops now have 2 superb cd's as far as I'm concerned. I work in a bookstore that sells cds, too, and I'm peddling "Moon Over the Freeway" so hard, my co-workers are starting to hate me. Too bad!

The first time I heard the Ditty Bops' "Ooh La La", from their first album, was on the radio. A caller promptly berated the DJ for playing something which didn't fit the station's rock and roll format. I wanted to box the guy's ears, since he obviously wasn't really using them, anyway.

When I loaded this CD into my iTunes, the genre listed was "Unclassifiable". Amen to that - the Ditty Bops' "everything, including the kitchen sink" approach to music is a true joy. There are elements of pop, folk, jazz, country, even music hall. It's all too much fun for people who need their music quantified into strict labels.

Oh, and good luck to the ladies on their bicycle tour.

Darn those Ditty Bops for songs that you can't get out of your head. A better, beautiful and more hauntingly gorgeous melody than Moon Over the Freeway - if it exists, it must be in another universe. Very seldom would I buy a 2nd CD unheard but after that first incredible debut cd, there was no doubt that I was going to love this one too and I do but in a much different way. The only true comparrison I can make about the two is that I loved every song passionately on the first and the "Moon" isn't a "10 for 10" but a good "6" and what tunes they are.
Why the Ditty Bops are not more popular than they are is beyond me but I have to admit, I get great joy in introducing friends to the world of the "Ditty's" and it's unanimous; everyone loves them.

The music makes you want to get up and wiggle, while the lyrics hit home on some serious subjects. I can't seem to take it out of the CD player. And who would have thought that the accordian would fit right in with the washboard and mandolin. If your looking for some fun music without fluff for lyrics, you've found it.

Abby & Amanda pick up where they left off before, with witty lyrics, sweet harmonies and an underlying edge to their songs. It's a skillfully crafted album, with a range of themes (Angel With An Attitude, Fish To Fry, Nosy Neighbor, Your Head's Too Big, Get Up 'N' Go) but all immensely listenable and enjoyable. The do have a cover of a song (Bye Bye Love), which is performed very well; I'm actually a little disappointed that it is in the album, not from a musical sense but only because it may be taking the place of another Ditty Bop original that would be fun, funny and a pleasure to listen to. I look forward to more CDs from the duo; in the meantime, I recommend getting this CD, their previous CD and visiting them on line at [...].

I have no idea what or why they are saying what they say but we love the lilt of their signing style. Heard one song from their first album and just had to buy it. All the songs were excellent also. This is only the second album I could find but if they make a hundred more I'd buy them all.

Just joking in the first sentence, they are very clear.

Another triumph for The Ditty Bops. The song "Your Head's Too Big" will cause tears of laughter. Their music and vocals prove a welcome continuation of their first release. Fans of good music will not be disappointed.

I first heard their song "Your Head's Too Big" 2 summers ago on an NPR station and nearly crashed my car laughing so hard! I immediately tracked the CD down in a nearby village and bought it for my daughter for her birthday. Later I received "Angel with an Attitude" on a Paste CD sampler and knew I would be following these ladies for a long time. AMAZING voices, Fantastic harmonies, Fun music and lyrics, sharp tongued witticisms and soul searing truths. The only other group I have felt this passionately for recently is The Weepies - different styles of folk rock but both groups are amazing lyricists and harmonizers. Can't wait for more from either group!