Mydolls at the Island (1981). Photo by Ben DeSoto, courtesy of the Ben DeSoto Archive at UH Special Collections.
For over 40 years, Mydolls has created and inspired art in the true spirit of the punk rock ethos: do it yourself and be yourself. These post-punk pioneers have been making relevant, timeless songs that inspire us to rise above and resist hate.
Mydolls is an experimental art-punk band which formed in 1978 in Houston. The lineup consists of Trish Herrera (guitars and vocals), Dianna Ray (bass and vocals), Linda Younger (guitar and vocals) and George Reyes (drums and vocals). One of Houston’s earliest punk bands, Mydolls created a D.I.Y. sound that is as ethereal, fluid and poetic as it is politically charged and feminist. As influencers in Houston’s contemporary art history, these pioneering musicians have paved a path for women and minorities in the music and arts scenes.
During the 1980s, Mydolls recorded several albums including the 12″ EP Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick on the indepdent, Houston-based label C.I.A. Records. Mydolls was featured on the iconic Seattle label Sub Pop’s #7 compilation cassette released in 1982 showcasing a diverse lineup of underground new wave artists. While in London, John Peel interviewed Linda about the Texas punk scene on BBC Radio and debuted Mydolls’ first 45 record, In Technicolor (CIA, 1980), to an international audience. Mydolls’ music also had an impact on internationally acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders, who cast the band in a cameo role performing the song “A World of Her Own” in the Cannes award-winning film PARIS, TEXAS (1984). In 2007, Mydolls’ anthology CD, A World of Her Own, was released by the label Grand Theft Audio. Houston Press inducted Mydolls into their inaugural Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
Mydolls and the Houston punk scene were the focus of a 20HERTZ music-based lecture, performance and archive display at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in 2016, and the SPEAKEASY experimental music and art program series at Lawndale Art Center in 2017, where they released a collectible edition of It’s Too Hot for Revolution. In February 2018, Mydolls released their latest single, “Easter,” as a political anthem to resist the hateful rhetoric and actions of the current administration.
Discover Mydolls on Bandcamp: https://mydolls.bandcamp.com/merch
MYDOLLS PRESS BIO
Mydolls (1978-present) is an American post-punk band from Houston, Texas. As experimental musicians involved in the Houston contemporary art scene, the women-led group has been recognized by Contemporary Art Museum Houston, Lawndale Art Center, Houston Press Music Hall of Fame, and most recently by University of Houston Special Collections, for the band’s 40-year advocacy of equality, female empowerment and minority representation in the arts. In the early 1980s, Mydolls’ music was introduced to international audiences during an interview with John Peel on BBC Radio and a cameo role in Wim Wenders’ classic, award-winning film PARIS, TEXAS (1984). One of Houston’s earliest punk bands, Mydolls has created a D.I.Y. sound that is as ethereal, fluid and poetic as it is politically charged and feminist. Mydolls continues to perform with its original lineup in the true spirit of the punk rock ethos: do it yourself and be yourself.