New York Dolls

Few bands evoke a specific era like the New York Dolls, a band that once featured the iconic Johnny Thunders and played a big part in the creation of both glam and punk rock in the ’70s. The death of original bassist Arthur Kane in 2004—just after the band reunited to much fanfare—only motivated the two remaining original members, David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain, to burnish the band’s legacy, which they’ve done with gusto. The Dolls have taken several measures to stay true to form, including recruiting original producer Todd Rundgren to man the boards on 2009’s Cause I Sez So. A recently released album, Dancing Backwards In High Heels, is full of lurching singles like “Fool For You Baby,” and might just be the best of the band’s latter-day career.

Updated 07/12/2011