Listen Up: NY Dolls Sez So

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Mattel's Barbie and 38 years since the New York Dolls formed in New York City. While hundreds of Barbie models have passed through little girls' hands over the years, the Dolls are just releasing their fourth studio album.

But the quintet featuring original members David Johansen (vocals) and Sylvain Sylvain (guitar, vocals) and 21st century additions Steve Conte (guitar), Brian Delaney (drums) and Sami Yaffa (bass) will do their best to keep those girls' naughty mommies happy with Atco Records' May 5 release of 'Cause I Sez So and tour dates in support of it.

The New York Dolls teamed up for 'Cause I Sez So with producer Todd Rundgren (Lords Of The New Church, The Tubes), who was also at the controls for their self-titled 1973 debut. The 11-track album was recorded at Utopia Sound Studio in Kauai, Hawaii and includes a new version of the glorious "Trash" from the first record.

"It was amazing working with Todd again, and I think we were able to evoke the special sound of our first album and drag it by the hair into the present," says Johansen.

The Dolls followed their debut with 1974's prophetically titled Too Much Too Soon before they broke up in 1977. The surviving members of the glam-punk band reunited in 2004, but bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane soon died of leukemia. The current lineup released the underrated One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This in 2006 and have toured pretty regularly ever since.

The Dolls will play a night-time showcase at Smokin' Music on March 20 and an afternoon set at television food show host Rachael Ray's party at Maggie Mae's the next day in Austin, Texas as part of the South By Southwest Music Festival. A U.S. tour is slated for May, but no dates have yet been announced.

Here are the songs on 'Cause I Sez So:

"'Cause I Sez So"
"Muddy Bones"
"Better Than"
"Lonely So Long"
"My World"
"Ridiculous"
"Temptation To Exist"
"Making Rain"
"Drowning"
"Nobody Got No Bizness"
"Trash"
"Exorcism Of Despair"