Picture: S Melot / NMEThey Are The Pipettes
U.K. trio The Pipettes, who've dragged the '60s girl group sound kicking and screaming into the 21st century, are readying a mini-invasion of North America.
The group will whet appetites for the release of their full-length debut, We Are The Pipettes - due to drop in August - with an EP, Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me, on June 5 and will mark the occasion with a 12-city tour. The polka-dotted Pips will spend the first half of June hitting clubs around the U.S. and Canada including Lee's Palace in Toronto (June 1), Washington, D.C.'s Black Cat (June 2), Chicago's Empty Bottle (June 7), The Troubadour in Los Angeles (June 11) and Seattle's Chop Suey (June 14). The Pipettes comprise three wickedly sly gals - RiotBecki, Rosay and Gwenno - who decided in 2003 to "put an end to stodgy, standardized boy rock by embracing their love of classic Brill building pop and polka-dot dresses." The trio's subversively catchy tunes have scored them a number of hit singles in the U.K., including "Dirty Mind," "Pull Shapes," "Judy," and "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me." They've been sharpening their live show, which has won them raves from the U.K. press, the past couple of years opening for the likes of Sleater-Kinney, Maximo Park and current British bad girl, Amy Winehouse.