Beat Box: Sugar and Spite, That’s What GIRLS Are Made Of

Posted on September 21, 2009 
Filed Under Beat Box, Music

So you’re sick of all your music and ready for some new tunes to rock out to? Have no fear, Taylor, our Bay Area woman on the beat is here to rescue you from your funkless funk with the latest sounds from the music scene. Listen up.

It’s not everyday that you hear something so totally new and yet so derivative and reminiscent of simpler times. Girls’ Christopher Owens and long-time band mate Chet ‘JR’ White have created a unique sound that balances beautifully somewhere between good pop music and gritty low-fi cool.

Their debut album Album sings of California beaches, the streets of San Francisco (where they met and consider home) and of course, love lost and found. They attack with vigor, and some sense of irony, themes that you and I have pondered our whole lives through, and it’s impossible not to find some solace and understanding in Owens’ sweet lyrics. ‘Hellhole Ratrace‘ begins as a slow almost Beach Boy-ish ballad that ultimately ends as a balls-to-the-wall hipster anthem that exclaims “I don’t wanna cry/my whole life through/yeah I wanna do some laughin’ too/so come on, come on, come on, come on and dance with me.” Owens goes on to sing “I don’t want to die without shaking up a leg or two/I wanna do some dancin’ too.” Call it a case of impeccable timing but damn, the first time it played I felt as though Owens was reading my mind.

I suppose the true testament starts and ends in my truck, which has become my travelling music reviewer’s laboratory. Honestly, I haven’t hit the eject button once since inserting Album into my awesome Chevy sound system, over a week ago. I can’t help it, I keep hearing new nuggets and gems worth savoring and something about Album makes being on the California road feel like the best place on earth to be! In fact, I’ve nearly overshot work twice now on purpose just to hear the song go on…

Girls is playing at Bottom of the Hill on November 21st. You’d be a fool to miss it.

—Taylor

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Comments

2 Responses to “Beat Box: Sugar and Spite, That’s What GIRLS Are Made Of”

  1. Tia on September 21st, 2009 10:21 pm

    After seeing these gents at Amoeba, I too have found the love! Thanks for the reco Miss Tay!

  2. riano on September 22nd, 2009 9:54 am

    Love that truck, it’s sick bumps, and the Girls CD you passed my way. They do some serious rocking. Preach on preacher girl.

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