It's an era of homecomings of sorts for Sylvain Mizrahi, aka Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist and founding member of proto-punk icon New York Dolls.
The band's latest disc, " 'Cause I Sez So," is a reunion with producer Todd Rundgren, who helmed its seminal 1973 debut. And Friday night, the Dolls come back to Atlanta, Mizrahi's home base for more than a decade.
"I married a Georgia peach that I found in New York," Mizrahi says with a laugh, Bowery delivery intact. "She turned me into a Southern gentleman." The Big Chicken, he jokes, became his new Statue of Liberty.
Vocalist David Johansen and Mizrahi are the two surviving original Dolls. What the band lacked in monetary success was worth its gold-weight in street cred. Its influence runs deep. Since the Dolls' demise in the '70s, generations of fans have and continue to rock New York Dolls T-shirts, blast choice cuts like "Trash" and "Jet Boy" from their stereos, and mimic the band's musical and fashion sense.
But it wasn't until 2004 that the Dolls dusted off the makeup and pumps. Alterna-rock singer and longtime fan Morrissey orchestrated a Dolls reunion as part of London's Meltdown Festival. Mizrahi, Johansen and bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane reconvened, an experience documented in the film "New York Doll." The buzz that originally inspired The Ramones, R.E.M., Kiss and others was back.
"To get back up there and turn on an audience again and feel the wave of love you get when you do good as a performer was wonderful," Mizrahi said.
Unfortunately, Kane died shortly thereafter. But Mizrahi and Johansen forged ahead with the new lineup and a new album. 2006's "One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This" earned critical praise and boasted guest spots from Michael Stipe, Iggy Pop and Bo Diddley.
Despite the extra attention, Mizrahi, who also has an apartment in New York, remains in Atlanta where he regularly slurps noodles at Doc Chey's, hangs at the Earl in East Atlanta and trolls boutique guitar shops. He's been known to mentor area bands such as the El Caminos and bow at the slide guitar chops of Rick Richards.
Then a call came last fall for the Dolls to join forces again with Rundgren for a disc on the Rhino label, a Warner Bros. imprint.
Beginning in January, Mizrahi and the band holed up for a monthlong writing and recording session at Rundgren's home studio on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. With a bass rig stashed in the bathroom, drums in the living room and a patio-cum-songwriting-sanctuary overlooking the lush, tropical backdrop, the band cut 12 tracks.
The title tune screams vintage Dolls, with full-tilt attitude, a straight-out-of-1973 guitar riff, and Johansen giving reality TV and tabloids the finger. A majority of the album loosens its blouse with songs like the Brill Building bossa nova of "Temptation to Exist" and the salty blues of "This is Ridiculous." The band even toys with "Trash," a tune originally recorded with Rundgren 36 years ago, this time reimagined as easygoing reggae.
As yet another generation discovers New York Dolls, Mizrahi doesn't measure the band's success by his bankroll. Sure, fat money would be nice. "At this point, Sylvain could really use it," he said, laughing.
"Maybe we didn't make a hit record, but what we said, what we sang and the lifestyle were all hits," he said. "Fans are still being inspired. And that's the true job of an artist, to go out there and inspire."
CONCERT
New York Dolls; Fri. June 12, 9 p.m. Center Stage Theatre, 1374 W. Peachtree St.; $21 in advance, $24 day of show, available at Ticketmaster, or call 404-249-6400. Information: www.centerstage-atlanta.com
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