Girls (band)

History

Christopher Owens was born into the fundamentalist cult Children of God and left at age sixteen from their community in Slovenia for Amarillo, Texas. He spent years adjusting to mainstream society through exploring common technology, hardcore punk, and nihilism, and began busking as an outlet. Owens later worked as a personal assistant for Stanley Marsh 3 for four years. At 25, he moved to San Francisco, where he made music and used cocaine and heroin.

He became a member of Holy Shit with Ariel Pink and Matt Fishbeck before meeting Chet "JR" White, a Bay Area native raised in Santa Cruz, California, who had recorded bands in his parents' garage as a teenager. The two bonded over similar music and a shared background in punk and hardcore, and began recording what became their debut album, Album. Album received critical acclaim; Pitchfork rated the single "Hellhole Ratrace" at 383 of the top 500 songs of the 2000s and gave the album a 9.1/10, naming it the 10th best album of 2009.

In 2010, Girls released the EP Broken Dreams Club. Their second full-length, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, was released in September 2011. In November 2011, they issued the standalone single "Lawrence" on heart-shaped vinyl, written as a tribute to Felt lead singer Lawrence. On July 2, 2012, Owens announced his departure from the band to continue as a solo artist.

Musical style

Girls drew from 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s music, blending lo-fi, surf rock, rock and roll, psychedelic rock, pop rock, country rock, and garage rock. On their debut Album, critics heard echoes of The Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Buddy Holly, Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, Felt, and Ariel Pink. Their second record, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, kept the surf rock foundation but added metal and gospel elements. Owens pointed to Suede as a key influence, and his singing reminded listeners of Brett Anderson.