The Days of Lore

Girls to men

Monday, November 3rd, 2008 | musiX, pdX | No Comments

I grew up on a steady diet of early MTV—staring in awe at the TV screen as bands like The Cars, Bow Wow Wow, Devo and The Vapors awkwardly mugged for the camera and played sexed-up new wave tunes whose lyrics flew over my untainted little head. But I was old enough to know what a catchy tune was. I remember sitting on the couch and drumming along to those bands on the right arm with a pair of markers and … wait a second, I think I just figured out why I play drums left-handed.

Today I was sitting on my couch as I popped in The Girls‘ latest Yes No Yes No Yes No, and … where are my markers? The five men that make up The Girls have taken the innocence and good times of early-’80s new wave and have cranked it up to an acceptable aughts punk-rock volume. It’s music for swilling cheap beer, sniffing glue, eating paint chips, or any sort of unhealthy activity that makes you feel good (so I hear).

This is the Seattle band’s second full-length release on Portland’s all-things-punk Dirtnap Records, the label responsible for releases from The Ergs! and Denton Texas’ the Marked Men, the latter of which just released a new 7-inch. Dirtnap owner Ken Cheppaikode informed me that the label recently added locals The Mean Jeans and Autistic Youth to the roster (look for new records in early 2009). And to that I say, let the good times roll.

“Not I” - The Girls

Tags: Autistic Youth, Bow Wow Wow, Dirtnap Records, Ken Cheppaikode, Marked Men, MTV, The Cars, The Ergs!, The Girls, The Mean Jeans, The Vapors, Yes No Yes No Yes No