It's 2004, but the attitudes toward women who play rock music still border on the Neanderthal. Every time The Donnas play, according to bassist and vocalist Maya Ford, there's a Cro-Magnon faction in the audience that refuses to believe four young, good-looking women are really musicians. "When people see us play, they're like 'Wow, oh my God, I never saw girls play so good. You guys really rock. Did you guys really write those songs?,'" Ford says in a male-mocking voice. "They get all excited, surprised that we have so much energy and that we're really performing, that we can play so well. More people should come to our live shows." The Donnas, who perform Friday at The World in the Strip District, are used to having to prove themselves. When the band formed in Palo Alto, Calif., Ford and her bandmates Brett Anderson, Allison Robertson and Torry Castellano were in middle school, 13- and 14-years old. At their first performance, they were booed. Almost 10 years later, Ford still doesn't think the band is respected. "I don't think anyone is ever going to take us seriously," she says. That's not quite true; the reviews of The Donna's new release, "Gold Medal," have been mostly positive, with critics commenting on the band's increasingly mature approach to songwriting. Not that there was anything wrong with their Ramones-inspired, minimalist approach, even going as far as adopting the same first names -- Donna A., Donna C., Donna F. and Donna R. -- in tribute to Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Marky. "Gold Medal," however, indicates the Donnas are not going to be pegged as a one-note band. "Our last album ('Spend the Night') was good, but it was kind of rocking and fast," she says. "There weren't that many dynamics; it was all fast and hard. We have a lot of influences, and before, we limited ourselves. It was like we could only write a Donnas song. This time, we were like, (forget) that, we should do just what ever we want to do and experiment." For "Gold Medal," the quartet took a different approach to songwriting. Instead of a single person concentrating on lyrics each song, the band collaborated more extensively. The result, Ford thinks, is a more melodic sound that also was enhanced by producer Butch Walker, who has worked with Avril Lavigne and Simple Plan. That doesn't mean the Donnas have gone soft; songs such as "Friends Like Mine," and "Fall Behind Me" still rock hard. But a song like the title track, driven by Ford's walking bass line, indicate the group is entering new territory. They're also returning to the road after an extended, unintended vacation. During the band's 2003 tour, drummer Castellano was diagnosed with deQuervain's Tendonitis, a condition which required surgery on her wrist. Ford admits not being able to tour was stressful. "It made us appreciate the road, because it's so boring being at home," Ford says. "It was a shock to the system, because you go from being busy all the time to not having anything to do ever, and being really bored. I missed hanging out with the band, meeting new people. I personally felt isolated in my apartment, living alone, missing the road, not having anything to do." Now that the Donnas are touring again, boredom is no longer a problem, leaving the musicians to go back to defending their musical honor. "People will say, 'You really didn't write those songs,'" Ford says. "We just say, 'Yeah, we did. Yeah, we are a band, we're not just girls.' It's pretty hard to be taken seriously." Additional Information:

Details

The Donnas Who: With the Von Bondies and Starlight Desperation. When: 8 p.m., Friday. Admission: $15. Where: The World, Strip District. Details: (412) 323-1919.

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