Girls Names - Arms Around A Vision [12", LP]

My favourite Irish band is back with an absolutely great album. ARMS AROUND A VISION is another huge step forward for GIRLS NAMES, just like The New Life already was compared to their first album. One of the first things you notice, is that Cathal's vocals are much more in the front of the mix. No more soft mumbling, no echoes. Call it less new wave, more post-punk. Actually it reminds me the most of Felt's singer Lawrence. Musically it's more experimental than what they did before. You'll hear a saxophone, eerie screeches and weird noises, short instrumental interludes... yet still it's typically Girls Names. Their sound is like an eclectic mix of all bands that influenced them; without ever sounding as a copycat. No need to sum them all up here, but you'll surely hear familiar sounds. And if those bands happen to be your own favourite bands as well, like they are (amongst) mine, you're in for a treat for 46 minutes. This album is definitely one of the best releases of this year as far as i'm concerned. Also they'll be going on a month-long European tour in two weeks from now, so check them out if you get the chance.

Totaly unrelated: I just noticed this is my 500th post on this blog. Anniversary post, yay! ;)

Label: Tough Love Records
Cat.nr.: TLV083
Year: 2015

SIDE A:
01. Reticence
02. An Artifcial Spring
03. Desire Oscillations
04. (Obsession)
05. Chrome Rose
06. A Hunger Artist

SIDE B:
01. Málaga
02. Dysmorphia
03. (Convalescence)
04. Exploit Me
05. Take Out The Hand
06. I Was You

Girls Names - Zero Triptych [12"]

GIRLS NAMES have recently announced that their new album Arms Around A Vision will come out in October, and i can't wait. This 11-minute long ZERO TRIPTYCH one-sided 12" single came out in May this year, as a little taste of what to expect of Girls Names anno 2015. And man, it's fantastic! Simply a brilliant piece of post-punk/krautrock that proves that this three-quarter Belfast/one-quarter Dublin band is one of the best in their league. Adventurous, tight and in-your-face. The song won't be on the album, but i can only imagine at this point that it will become one of my favourite albums of the year. There were 500 copies made of this 12": 350 on black (like mine is) and 150 mailorder copies on clear transparent vinyl.

Label: Tough Love Records
Cat.nr.: TLV079
Year of release: 2015

SIDE A:
01. Zero Triptych

SIDE B:
-

Girls Names - The Next Life EP [12"]

GIRLS NAMES are working on a follow-up to their album The New Life from 2013 at the moment. Really looking forward to hear some new stuff by this awesome band from Belfast/Dublin. It will be the first on which my buddy Gib plays the drums, since he officially joined the band after their summer tour last year.
I bought THE NEXT LIFE EP about a year ago. It features a darn fine Brian Eno cover (Third Uncle) that ends with an endless groove on side A. Or better said: it doesn't end at all ;) The David Holmes remix of the album's title track is really good. It's a mellow version with French spoken words and pitched down vocals. Projektions (with an S at the end indeed) was remixed by Gabe Gurnsey of Factory Floor and has become an unrecognisable, yet very danceable tune. What i also really like about this EP is the witty artwork. They did with The New Life, what David Bowie did with Heroes for his album The Next Day. Pretty funny.

Label: Tough Love Records / Slumberland Records
Cat.nr.: TLV067 / SLR198
Year of release: 2013

SIDE A:
01. Third Uncle

SIDE B:
01. The New Life (David Holmes remix)
02. Projektions (Gabe Gurnsey Factory Floor remix)

Girls Names - The New Life [12", LP]

While their previous album Dead To Me has more of a surf/garage sound, THE NEW LIFE by GIRLS NAMES from Belfast is a damn fine mix of new wave, post-punk and krautrock. I must admit i hadn't heard about this band until recently, when a friend of mine from Dublin (who plays in Logikparty) said he'd be filling in on drums for them during their live shows for a while. So I've seen them live in Utrecht a couple of weeks ago for the first time -before this album had come out-, and tonight they'll be playing in Amsterdam so that's gonna be the second time. It's the last day of their European tour and tomorrow they'll be flying to NYC, playing a gig the same evening at the Cameo in Brooklyn and then 4 days SXSW. Respect for that! They're a really good live band as well, i can tell you.
The album has some great songs on it, like Hypnotic Regression, Drawing Lines and the closing song of the album; its title track. The songs remind me of The Cure, Bauhaus, Neu! and Joy Division, for example. But still very much 2013. And the artwork looks great as well. Has a bit of a Factory Records feel to it, and suits it very well for that matter. Clear transparent vinyl to top it off.

Label: Tough Love Records
Cat.nr.: TLV062
Year of release: 2013

SIDE A:
01. Portrait
02. Pittura Infamante
03. Drawing Lines
04. Hypnotic Regression
05. Occultation

SIDE B:
01. A Second Skin
02. The Olympia
03. Notion
04. Projektion
05. The New Life