Christopher Owens Giving Away Acoustic Lysandre

Also Announces Acoustic Tour w/ Two NYC Dates

I think I must have been on vacation for the week or something, because I remember returning home from a bike ride one day last summer and reading, with sadness, that Christopher Owens had left Girls. I still consider Girls' two albums and an EP to be some of my favorite recordings of the last several years.

Then, early this year, Owens released his first solo record Lysandre. That record contained a good deal of the emotion that characterized Girls; but the fuzzy, reverby, sometimes dreamy sounds of Girls were mostly gone, replaced by a cleaner sound that featured lots of acoustic guitar work along with the full band.

Today, in conjunction with the announcement an all-acoustic tour, Owens is giving away an all-acoustic version of Lysandre. Album standout "Here We Go" retains its bounciness while losing its aeroplane taking off outro. Conversely, the already mostly acoustic "Everywhere You Knew" picks up about forty-five seconds of plaintive strumming at the end of the fully acoustic track.

It's fun to compare the records side-by-side; but even if you don't own Lysandre, you can't really pass up the free version, can you?

His acoustic solo tour will bring Owens to New York's The Slipper Room on June 15th and 16th.

First, Big 2013 Release Day

So Many Things to Spend Money On

At the end of last year, I was wondering which records I was looking forward to in 2013.  Maybe it was a sluggishness of mind brought on by the holidays, but I honestly had trouble thinking of anything.  Then, today, a whole bunch of interesting stuff arrived at the record store.  Well, as usual, it didn't actually arrive at my local record store; but we knew that already.

California X, California X -- Guitar-heavy sludge punk from Amherst, MA.  How could I say no?

Christopher Owens, Lysandre -- First solo effort from the former Girls frontman.

Parquet Courts, Light Up Gold (really the second release for this record) -- Jangly pop post-punk.  Or is it post pop-punk?

Free Energy, Love Sign -- Power pop from The City of Brotherly Love.

And of course...

Yo La Tengo, Fade -- Pre-ordered this one from Matador and wrote it up for Speak Into My Good Eye.

Maybe you actually live near a record store that will have some or all of these.  If not, they should be available in all the usual places.  It's gonna be a good year.

New Solo Music from Christopher Owens

Lysandre

I expressed my sadness earlier this year following the announcement that Christopher Owens had decided it was time to leave Girls.  I loved that band's first two albums, especially Father, Son, Holy Ghost; and I've been looking forward to what Owens would do next.

Well, today he announced that his first solo album, Lysandre, will be coming out January 14th on Turnstile Music.  He also started streaming the first music from that record at Soundcloud.  "Lysandre's Theme / Here We Go" definitely contains all of the emotion of Owens's work with girls, but it's wrapped in a slightly more delicate package.

See for yourself over at Turnstile's Soundcloud.

Kind of in Mourning Right Now

Christopher Owens  Leaves Girls

Over the last several years, San Francisco's Girls have been one of my favorite acts.  With two albums -- Album and the unbelievable Father, Son, Holy Ghost -- and the Broken Dreams Club EP to their credit, Girls melded the sounds of Elvis Costello, The Beach Boys, and even Pink Floyd to produce a small catalog that I'm sure will be viewed as essential for years to come.

Christopher Owens announced via his Twitter feed today that he is leaving the band he formed with Chet "JR" White, saying his "reasons at this time are personal."  He promises to continue making music, but it remains to be seen what form that will take.

For now, join me in a tiny bit of mourning for the loss of what Owens and White produced together and in hoping that everything works out for both of them.