OH, DONNAS PALO ALTO PUNKS ARE GAINING FANS AND FAME AFTER NINE YEARS TOGETHER.

Byline: Heather Wood Staff Writer

PIXIE-PUNK gals the Donnas are notorious for their tough-skinned rowdiness. They write muscular songs, engage in kissing contests with strange boys and dread being labeled ``cute.''

But lately, the Donnas have been getting a lot of attention for the right reasons. Magazines like Spin, Entertainment Weekly, Nylon and Teen People have given the group space in their pages. A once-stagnant fan base has grown to include teens who love their spunk, 20-somethings who love that they rock and older crowds that find them a refreshing change from the current pop-rock scene.

In October of last year the Donnas displayed their attitude and musicianship to a national audience when they appeared on ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.'' That gig is a keystone to any entertainer's career, but crucial for an underground band trying to make it big.

The four girls from Palo Alto have released four albums in their nine years playing together, but the latest, ``Spend the Night,'' is the first with major label backing - and pressure.

``There are a lot of expectations on us for this album,'' says bassist Maya Ford (aka Donna F.). ``But we put it on ourselves all the time anyway. We never want to do anything but our best.''

Joined at the hip since seventh grade, Ford, drummer Torry Castellano (Donna C.), singer Brett Anderson (Donna A.) and guitarist Allison Robertson (Donna R.) endured the pains of both adolescence and musical development against the backdrop of cross-country tours, dirty clubs and dirtier clientele. The Donnas appear Saturday at the El Rey Theatre.

``There were times when you just didn't want to do it anymore,'' recalls Ford. ``It's really hard to prove yourself as a girl band.''

``It still is,'' adds Castellano, who looks pretty cute in a red, cap-sleeved top, low-rise jeans and an attention-getting coat of gloss on her lips. ``At our last show, this guy waited for it to get really quiet, and then he yelled, 'Show us your (breasts)!' I was like, OK, so this is how it's gonna be? Being an all-girl band, you sometimes get attention for the wrong reasons.''

``I think they owe a lot of their popularity to their attitudes,'' says Tom Erlewine, content manager of the Web's popular All Music Guide (allmusic.com). ``They have a real sense of fun about them. The Donnas seem like an old-fashioned rock band. They're also a bit self-conscious, but they have fun being sexy and playing with the hard-fast-trampy image they've created.''

Erlewine is complimenting the group, but they might not take it that way. The Donnas have spent years trying to erase the labels they've been stuck with since they started playing.

They've also been called Ramones rip-offs, Go-Gos wanna-bes and riot grrrls. The Donnas may sing about drinking, partying and boys, but they want you to know there's more than meets the eye.

``I think we're just trying to have fun,'' says Ford, who pens most of the lyrics. ``We're not trying to make any statements or be serious. But we're serious about the music.''

But not too serious. As Castellano explains, ``We're actually kind of dorky.''

The new album puts the Donnas into virgin territory. With the backing of Atlantic Records, the band has entered the pop fray, where groups find a niche or fall by the wayside. The band's solid, simple and gritty guitar and I-don't-care attitude fit well with the new-garage sound along with the Strokes, Vines and White Stripes. But the Donnas' silliness and cache of songs that dwell on superficial relationships are more Avril Lavigne than the Stripes' Meg White.

``I see the connection, but I don't know,'' says Castellano. ``I think it's good that there are more girls out there and everything, but at the same time, it can hurt us, too. When girls wear a guitar in a video like an accessory, it keeps the facade going that we don't really play our instruments.''

Better sound quality, a stable of producers and access to top-notch recording equipment is one of the perks of signing to a major label. Sometimes those perks come at the cost of creative control.

``There were a few fights,'' says Castellano. ``There were a couple of days that got pretty ugly, but it's all fine now. Basically, they pushed us one way, we pulled the other and we ended up with an album that we all love. That's what really matters.

``There are two things we take very seriously. We take our music seriously and we take our image seriously. We're not trying to be something that we're not.''

THE DONNAS

Where: El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets: $15. Call [phone] or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

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The Donnas - Torry Castellano, left, Brett Anderson, Maya Ford and Allison Robertson - made the leap to a major label with their latest record, ``Spend the Night.''