There are currently a lot of acts following in the highly produced '

There are currently a lot of acts following in the highly produced 'chick-rock' genre success of Garbage. One of the best of the recent releases is Frozen Charlotte from Dollshead on MCA Records.

Sierra Swan sets the tone for this effort with her breathy, throaty and sexy vocals. The musical tracks are pop oriented electronica which, pleasantly, never get in the way of the melodies. As a high end audio demo, Frozen Charlotte is a winner. Look to cuts "Letting Me Die," "Perfect Day" and "Idiots Convention" for everything from the aforementioned sexy vocals to complex electronic arrangements to actual vocal harmonies.

Dollshead is a score of a CD if you are prone to like a pop record that makes a highly produced and driving musical bed for a sexy Sierra Swan to lay in.

Reviewed by Jerry Del Colliano
Publisher of The Audio Revolution

DollsHead is an exceptional band that receives very little publicity, although they deserve more than most of the bands out there. Therefore, I have decided to provide this page, connected to my Garbage page, as a means of helping a respectable group become known. If you enjoy Garbage's music, please take the time to download the sample DollsHead songs I've provided.

Here are two full length songs from DollsHead's debut album Frozen Charlotte in high-quality MP3 format. The quality in these songs is maintained throughout the album. If you like what you hear, pick up the CD and support a relatively unknown band before they fade into obscurity.

When Scottish bass guitarist Graham Edwards joined with 19-year-old American vocalist Sierra Swan last winter, the potential was immediate. The assured collaboration became DollsHead, and the rousing results are captured on Frozen Charlotte, their maiden effort for Refuge/MCA Records.

"I think our musical styles mix well together because vocally I have nothing to do with the other side of the Atlantic," says Sierra in a typical no-nonsense form. "While musically, Graham is much more U.K.-sounding." Graham nods, "Scotland and Sherman Oaks, California - they're certainly worlds apart."

An impromptu jam at Coney Island Studio in Los Angeles first hinted at the depth of the duo's musical possibilities. "I was working with some friends and we were producing a few songs," says Graham. "Sierra came down to sing some background vocals. She just had this smokiness about her voice."

To execute his vision, Graham formed a production team called Doll Factory with expert producers/songwriters Charlie Midnight and Nick Trevisick (who, along with Joel Soyffer and Sierra, share the production credits on Frozen Charlotte). Nick tackled guitars and Graham added his expert bass playing while the two of them conspired on programming chores. In addition, Sierra complimented selective songs on guitar and keyboards.

The recording sessions resulted in a mesmerizing combination of a forceful, guitar-driven alternative sound, the energy of the emerging electronic/techno music scene and time-honored songwriting (an element often overlooked in today's musical landscape). From the pulsating rhythms and agitated chord sweeps of "Hole in the World," the trip-hop textures and torch-style vocals of "Touch the Moon," and the catchy, hammering hooks of "New Creation," Frozen Charlotte is a stunning debut.

I can't force myself to write, I just write on a whim," explains Sierra (the youngest daughter of "I Can Help" songwriter and long-time Kris Kristofferson guitarist Billy Swan). "Usually, I don't consciously even know what I'm going after until I read it back and it becomes clear to me. Intending to be clever is not the right way to be clever."

"She likes to mess around with different styles and listens to quite eclectic music," Graham describes his colleague. "Her approach is a lot darker and more sinister than mine."

The public was first exposed to DollsHead in October '97 when the pulsating mood-piece "It's Over, It's Under" appeared on the soundtrack of the Bruce Willis film The Jackal. "The song sits alongside bands like Massive Attack, Primal Scream and Prodigy," Graham says. "We're not really a techno band, but we have those elements in what we do."

DollsHead will spend much of '98 on tour, where Graham will handle the bass playing and Sierra the vocals and rhythm guitar. "We'll use the elements of the studio, we'll work with loops and use some sample sounds and augment that with great musicians to create an exciting performance," Graham explains. "And I'll bring a little bit of rebellion into the mix," Sierra adds.