“Mydolls’ music is imaginative, political postpunk

that stretches the boundaries of what

most people consider “punk” and also challenges the status quo.” Osa Atoe, Shotgun Seamstress
Artpunk pioneers Mydolls were a core part of Houston’s emerging and fecund early

1980’s new music scene. As such, they eschewed typical rock’n’roll cliches and aimed for a

more cerebral meld of slanted guitar, bass driven tuneage, frenetic poetry, and tribal stomp

meets Latin style drumming.
Since they didn’t know the musical rules of any particular genre, they were completely

unconventional. One of their early songs, “Breaking the Rules,” in fact, was inspired by the

idea of “How can you break rules if you don’t know them?” Founded in 1978, two things

have not changed: the same founding members remain in the band, and their politically

charged lyrics, first penned and released on CIA Records, are clearly just as relevant in

this new era of strife.
Early on, Mydolls played live alongside other members of the now legendary Texas punk

scene: Big Boys, The Dicks, Really Red (fellow CIA Records recording artists), MDC, the

Degenerates, and Butthole Surfers. In Houston, they supported seminal touring bands,

including Minor Threat, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and one of the best conceived band

pairings ever Mydolls opening for the Cramps.

A band excursion to London included an onair interview with John Peel and a meeting

with Houston expat and musical influence Mayo Thompson of Red Krayola. Their

international experience didn’t end there. Shortly after their return stateside, they were

featured in German director Wim Wenders’ iconic road movie, “Paris, Texas,” which won

the Palme d’Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.
Mydolls’ stateside tours took them to college towns and small alternative venues. In 1983,

they completed a Midwest tour dubbed “The Dead Armadillo Tour,” which included

shows in Ohio, Illinois, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Missouri, and Michigan and a 1984

Midwest/East Coast jaunt, dubbed the “Go to Fish Tour,” stopped in New York,

Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Several of the live recordings on

Mydolls’ E.P. “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick” came from these tours.
In 2007, Grand Theft Audio released “A World of Her Own,” Mydolls’ complete anthology

CD, including two CDs and a 24page booklet of song lyrics, photos, flyers, and liner notes.

Houston music blog, The Skyline Network, remarked, “Listening to these tracks, it’s clear

that they accomplished the most important thing – making some great music that holds up

almost thirty years later. To everyone playing in bands today, we wish you equal success.”
In November, 2008, Mydolls reunited to play at the Noise and Smoke Festival in Houston,

Texas, and they have continued to play shows in Houston as well as regionally, including a

November 2012 wildly successful Island celebration show honoring the birthplace of punk

rock in Houston.
In August, 2013, Mydolls became one of only ten Houston artists to be inaugural inductees

into the newly established Houston Music Hall of Fame along with Geto Boys, Gene

Watson, La Mafia, and ZZ Top.

Recently, Mydolls traveled to California to play Fabulosa Festival and gigged in Oakland,

where they opened for the iconic year zero punks the Avengers. They have released their

new CD, “It’s Too Hot for Revolution,” a compilation of newly recorded and vintage works

remixed and mastered. This CD also includes the recently penned song, “Don’t Fucking

Die,” a song written for loved ones fighting the battle of cancer.

Mydolls are: Patricia “Trish” Herrera, Linda Younger, George Reyes and Dianna Ray.