Welcome to the Monday Threesome! We’ve always enjoyed the way that bands intermingle when they belong to a certain scene — the way members float into and out of each other’s bands, creating a sense that music is truly a living, breathing organism. Here, we’re using the group Girls as a platform to discuss the various projects that led to their creation and have fed out since.
Vomit – Girls // Buy
Distinctive vocals are the most noticeable aspect of critical darlings Girls. Christopher Owens sings with a great deal of range and delicacy, but he always adds a certain strangled or hiccupping quality. This tone matches well with the personal, sometimes tortured or self-deprecating, lyrics that Owens writes. The dichotomy between the pain in his voice/lyrics and the beautiful retro pop, surf quality of music, though, is what makes this band special. On their newest album, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, though, they open up their sound even more, recording songs such as “Die”, a 70s metal-sounding track (which is brilliant), and re-styling Owen’s vocals. He sings much more delicately and ethereally on the record, showing off his powerfully emotive range. The group clearly works well with a full band sound as well (their debut was just the lead duo of JR White and Christopher Owens, and their previous EP found the two experimenting with several studio musicians). You can currently catch Girls on tour with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and their NPR page has two World Café interviews/intimate studio performances: one from after 2010’s EP and one from just a few weeks ago. Both are very interesting and well worth the listen.
I Am the Lion King – PAPA // Buy
Darren Weiss, the current drummer of Girls (both on the new album and their current tour) does double duty as the leader of PAPA (@papatheband). In fact, at one point he was opening for Girls on tour, going from singing and leading PAPA, to playing drums and singing backup for the headliner. He’s discussed how this was the most exhausting time of his life, but also the most amazing. Their sound is equal parts soul/R&B and Punk, though on their newest release, A Good Woman Is Hard to Find, the soul seems to have taken the lead. Weiss has a distinct baritone vocal approach that, with his intense enunciation and emotional delivery, is very reminiscent of his other gig. Good Woman is an absolutely brilliant indie EP with a wonderful retro sound worth seeking out to purchase. Check out the band’s site to stream the EP, and head over to their MySpace for a non-EP b-side and all 3 songs from their previous 7 inch, which feature punkier influences at play with the soul. Enjoy!
Hoop of Love – Dominant Legs // Buy
Ryan Lynch, leader of Dominant Legs (@dominantlynchie), used to be a touring member of Girls, and before that, he was a member of Magic Bullets along with current Girls member Matthew Kallman. Beginning to see all of the connections? If you throw Owens’ first band Holy Shit into the mix, for which Lynch played guitar, things get really complicated. With this project, though, Lynch and Hannah Hunt deliver giant hooks and breezy pop. They began performing as a duo, delivering songs with bright jangly guitars and synth, but with a stripped down style. Last year’s Invitation found them working with a full band, though, and the fleshed out, slightly glossier sound suits their style of songwriting — check out the song “Hoop of Love” to see how this sound has bolstered the songs. Head to their MySpace to hear all of their first EP (particular highlights are “Clawing Out at the Walls” and “Young at Love and Life”).