If 2004 was kinda-sorta the start of “wolf” names a-go-go, then I’d venture that 2009 was the year of the girl names: Dum Dum Girls, US Girls, Parenthetical Girls, Vivian Girls, and then, of course, Girls. Now, I’m not the first to venture this (see here, here and here), but it’s nevertheless remarkable that these naming trends produce big batches before quickly getting to a series of self-referential names about names in the years to follow. If I had the patience or skill to do some sort of infographic for it, you’d see a big colorful grid with crystals, various animals, stilts, castles, and possibly caves.
Girls Names came at a good time for me: I’m digging the mini-album format for short trips and easy-listening (I tend to do albums proper justice even when in casual listening mode). In fact, their Self-Titled ep is so listenable it’s beating out Surf City for my most-listened-to-ep-in-recent-memory slot. Other write-ups have compared the guys to jangle progenitors Beat Happening and Black Tambourine, although these Girls have a distinct The Good Earth–era Feelies feel. That distinction is really arbitrary, so here’s “Graveyard,” my fav track from the ep.
If you have palpitations from possible horrors, don’t worry, it’s not creepy or anything; I think the graveyard being described is more Princess Bubblegum’s Candy Mausoleum (outside the Candy Foyer) than Pet Cemetery II. I love that zigzagging opening, and really really dig the changing rhythm throughout (it goes from shuffling feet to outright beat right quick). Even the vocals sound merry and sweet, not like those decaying corpse sounds we’re all well familiar with.
Check out their blog (hey, it’s updated much more frequently than ours!) for progress on their upcoming full-length. The ep is still available from Boomkat if you’re interested in ordering it.
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