March 19, 2010

A Girl Group You'll Flip For

Straight outta Milwaukee, and seemingly 1966, come The Flips, an all-girl group of sixties afficianados. They got the look. They got the sound. They got ... six members -- and they're not a ska band.

The Flips take me back to when The Bangs (later the Bangles) were playing in the early 80s -- girly, soulful, garagish and overall poppy. They have a sweet girl-group sound, but there's a hint of agression under there, tightly coiled and waiting to be released. Not unlike other contemporary girl-groups going the retro route like The Pepper Pots or The Pippettes, The Flips come across not nearly as plastic as the latter, and not as sweet as the former. Both of which give them an advantage.

The Flips -- Baby, It's Gonna Be Alright (2009)

The Flips -- That Girl Stacey