Emerging at a time when C-86-inspired acts like Vivian Girls and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart were in vogue, it’s little wonder California’s Dum Dum Girls -- an all-girl group whose '60s-inflected lo-fi pop brings to mind acts like Black Tambourine and Dolly Mixture -- became something of a sensation on the indie circuit soon after the release of their first single. After signing to Sub Pop in 2009, Dum Dum Girls released the Jail La La single in early 2010; their debut album, I Will Be, came out soon after. Both releases were produced by Richard Gottehrer, who had formerly produced albums by the Go-Go's and Blondie. ~ Tim Sendra