“Don’t try to get me down. Don’t try to harsh my mellow, man!”

Because after multiple listens over the last 24 hours, the short & sweet Lysandre album, brand new from former Girls frontman Christopher Owens, is doing the trick. And yes, Owens does indeed use the “harsh my mellow” line in “Here We Go Again.”

So for anyone who doesn’t know, I am enamored with the Girls catalog – the two albums and one EP. Christopher dissolved the band in mid 2012 to move on to some solo work. The first fruits of his solo labors is the concept album Lysandre, which has been kicking around in his head since the first Girls tour in 2008. For on that tour, while in France, he met a fair French maiden named Lysandre, and they fell hard for each other. Love ensued, but so did separation, as Chris returned to his home in San Francisco. Most of us know how difficult it is to maintain a long distance relationship, and theirs was no different than most of us – it fell apart.

Lysandre tells that story from A to Z in a sweet, sad, fun, beautiful little 28 minute package. My one and only complaint is the abbreviated EP-like length. It leaves me thirsting for more.

Tops for me so far is “New York City”, which is catchy as hell with that cool neo-Brian Wilson vibe, and juxtaposes tales of his pre-band days in Texas (dime bags, guns & knives, making a quick hundred bucks in the back of a pickup truck) with playing to a crowd for the first time in New York City: “But look at us in New York City, everybody’s listening to me.” Oh, and Saxophone warning! There is Saxophone on this track, which some may find over the top or cheesy at parts. I like Chris’s attitude about it though – put it in there, and make it loud! This, folks, is a fun song…

Another highlight is “Love Is In The Ear Of The Listener,”  an endearing song about self doubt, the naysayers and critics, and an affirmation that “beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, love is in the ear of the listener.”

All in all, I admire the way this album is put together. As I’ve prattled on about before, any artist who is out there creating something fresh and unpredictable every time out has my respect. It’s one story told over 28 minutes. “Lysandre’s theme” / interlude makes appearances throughout, and ties the songs together. It never leaves the key of A. There’s saxes. There’s Renn-faire flutes. There’s bang-bang beach rock n roll… It’s a half hour journey through California, NYC and France – an enjoyable one that I look forward to riding along to in the months and years to come.

MP3 Download Giveaway – I bought a vinyl copy of Lysandre, and they included a couple of extra download codes for the digital album in MP3 format. If you’re interested in getting a hold of the digital album, leave a comment below. I’ll pick a couple of people in a few days (or – if there’s only two of you, lucky you!).

If you’re bent on grabbing that record here and now (which I heartily recommend), here are some links for you:

Buy Lysandre On: Fat Possum Records | Amazon

Christopher Owens, the heart, mind, body and soul behind San Francisco’s Girls, decided to leave (and effectively disssolve) the group back in July with an announcement on Twitter (One, Two, and Three).

Thankfully, the creative juices are still flowing, and he’s been busy in L.A. recording his first solo album. The word is now out that Chris will be releasing Lysandre on January 15th, 2013 on the Fat Possum label.

There’s a really nice piece here on Fader where Chris talks about the backstory behind Lysandre. In a nutshell, Lysandre is a French girl he met on Girls’ first tour back in 2008 (supporting their debut, Album). A long distance romance evolved and eventually ended. The album tells the story of the journey.

I feel like this is the most focused effort I’ve ever made musically; telling a story from one song to the next in order of occurrence, making the album almost like one long song. A little bit like a musical. I’m very proud of it and happy it worked so well. I’m pleased to be able to share it with the world; its story, its music, its universal and classic themes. It’s a coming of age story, a road trip story, a love story. It’s a moment in time that has been captured and brought to life through art. For you, for me, for us. For what it’s worth. – Christopher Owens

I am so locked into this guy and the music he makes, so count me among those who are very excited about this new record. The first two tracks have been offered up on Soundcloud: “Lysandre’s Theme” (a short instrumental intro) and “Here We Go,” featuring soft acoustic guitar, flute, fuzzed out electric… Time for another listen.

Here’s the track listing for Lysandre. Pre-Order the album here.

1: Lysandre’s Theme
2: Here We Go
3: New York City
4: A Broken Heart
5: Here We Go Again
6: Riviera Rock
7: Love Is In The Ear Of The Listener
8: Lysandre
9: Everywhere You Knew
10: Closing Theme
11: Part Of Me (Lysandre’s Epilogue)

Keep up with all things Christopher on his web site, his Facebook, and Twitter.

God, have I fallen hard for this band. There’s some sort of musical synergy that I share with Girls singer/songwriter Christopher Owens. The three Girls albums (2 full lengths and an EP) are played regularly, and every listen is more and more of an enriching and fulfilling experience. I connect so deeply with his melodies, his lyrics, the soft touches, every nuance of his voice, and pretty much every element he crafts into his songs.

Case in point, the journey of “Carolina” from Broken Dreams Club, their stellar 2010 EP. It’s broken up into three separate parts: first, a calm, quiet into with guitars (pedal steel and electric) and some other-worldly effects; then the drums gradually build and launch into the second part – a driving, trance-inducing rhythm where the first lyrics come in…

“Get the reaction / get it right now / Find a connection / Get it right now…”

And finally, an unexpected transition to one of the sweetest, most beautiful melodies you’ll ever hear, where Chris breaks out his familiar falsetto and these lovesick, heart-wrenching words:

“I’m going to pick you up baby, throw you over my shoulder
Take you away, I’m going to carry you home
To Carolina, Carolina
Away to southern Carolina
And then I’ll never let you go.”

It’s classic build and release – so, so satisfying.

I love love love these three records…

Album (2009)
Broken Dreams Club (2010)
Father, Son, Holy Ghost (Amazon MP3 Exclusive) (2011 – still only $5!)

Girls on…
Spotify
Facebook

CAROLINA!

Sometimes an album comes along that covers you like a warm blanket. There’s no rhyme or reason to it really, it just feels right. You carry it around with you, playing it every chance you get. It’s not just a connection to one or two good songs, it’s a connection to the whole body of work. Every song seems to hit you in a good place, and every listen is a fresh adventure.

Sometimes that feeling doesn’t kick in until you’ve listened to an album a bunch of times (an example this year: My Morning Jacket’s Circuital). But other times, it’s immediate. And when it’s completely unexpected – my God, it’s such a rush.

It happened to me today with a new album called Father, Son, Holy Ghost by San Francisco’s Girls. A couple of years ago, I became enamored by one of their songs, “Laura”, and had the good fortune to catch part of their set at the ’09 ACL Festival. It’s a song that still pops into my head from time to time, including this morning. Then, I saw they had a new album out, and I clicked Play (on Rdio). And I really haven’t stopped since.

Beautiful melodies. Shades of the Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Pink Floyd… Summery pop interspersed occasionally with an edge, but never losing its luster and beauty – all from the mind of singer/guitarist Christopher Owens.

Believe it or not, you’ll fall in love with songs called “Vomit” and “Die”. And the lead single and album opener “Honey Bunny” sucks you right in.

I’ve been listening to this record for less than 12 hours, and already it’s one of my highlights of 2011.

Here’s the official video for “Honey Bunny”, featuring Christopher and his real life girlfriend, Hannah Hunt. He channels Prince with his black belly shirt (the “Kiss” video), and MJ with his “The Way You Make Me Feel” gestures. I’ve also been reading that the video (and the band itself) takes inspiration from Ariel Pink – who I’ve heard of but know pretty much nothing about. Perhaps I shall explore.

BUY: Father, Son, Holy Ghost