Remember back in the early 2000s, when almost every “cool new band” had a name starting with “The” and ending with a plural? The Strokes, The Hives, The Ataris, The Gorillaz, The White Stripes, The Vines, The Unicorns? Well, my friends, it looks like the time has come for another wave of bands with similar names to emerge. The common link? Girls.

Now, the first thing to jump to mind may be the newest hit among hipsters everywhere, San Francisco indie-rockers, Girls. This upstart band recently released their debut album (ingeniously titled Album) in September, and, thanks to being featured on pretentious-yet-popular music news site Pitchfork’s selection of “Best New Music” (with Album earning a rare rating of 9.1 out of 10), have been garnering attention ever since. With a style akin to the early Beach Boys, while simultaneously drawing comparisons to Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, and Morrissey (partially due to lead singer Christopher Owens’s voice), this band is worth keeping an eye out for. Interested in seeing them live? Girls are playing at The Troubador in Los Angeles on December 5th (click HERE for tickets).

Up next is Cheap Girls, a Lansing, Michigan power trio that harkens back to indie/alternative rock of the early nineties. The group released their debut album, Find Me A Drink Home in March of last year, but have already released a follow-up record, entitled My Roaring 20’s, on the up-and-coming record label Paper + Plastick, founded by Less Than Jake drummer and Fueled By Ramen co-founder Vinnie Fiorello. With simple power-chord-fueled hooks and catchy vocal lines, Cheap Girls offer both the energy and the nostalgia of a good nineties rock band, churning out tunes in the vein of Gin Blossoms. Notable tracks include “Ft. Lauderdale,” “Hey Hey I’m Worn Out,” and “Her And Cigarettes,” all of which can be found at www.myspace.com/cheapgirls. My Roaring 20’s can be streamed in its entirety at the band’s AbsolutePunk profile HERE (note: you must first register for an account in order to stream the album).

Lastly, a lesser-known band from San Jose, CA: Hard Girls. Formed by Mike Huegenor of punk act Shinobu and Morgan Herrell and Max Feshbach of the recently-defunct Pteradon, the band has just released their first EP, titled Hello, earlier this month. The seven-song album can be found for download HERE (with a suggested donation of $5). Hard Girls blends together a mix of driving alternative rock and relentless punk borne and bred in the Bay Area to create an occasionally spastic but forcefully passionate set of tunes. With raw energy rivaling Goddamnit-era Alkaline Trio and early Against Me!, these rockers wear their hearts on their sleeves and practically ooze emotion. Additional songs “Punkers Too” and “The Orbitoclast” can be streamed at their MYSPACE PAGE. Click below to check out the new video for “Beach Party,” filmed at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, CA.

Hard Girls – Beach Party

-Alex Pieros