Black Girls

Order “Hell Dragon” Now on Limited Edition Color Vinyl or CD.

Preview tracks here:




Richmond, Virginia’s BLACK GIRLS have become a staple in their hometown almost overnight. In a city where there are probably more bands than actual citizens, they have quickly developed a large and dedicated fan base in their short one year history.  As editor of RVA Magazine, Andrew Necci puts it, “they have somehow accomplished the impossible in Richmond–they play out more than any band I can think of, yet still bring out legions of fans and musical peers.”The shorthand for their sound is “snuff rock” — which the band refers to as psychedelic southern soul. On tape, it sounds like Freddie Mercury was raised by swamp people. Onstage, it sounds like Dick Dale playing at the Apollo.

Funk and falsetto harmonies alternate with group choruses. Rock and roll hooks get stuffed with equal amounts of power chords and major-sevenths. Synths bubble underneath keyboards that give Steely Dan deja vu. Frontman Drew Gillihan’s eccentric preacher-meets-Jagger stage presence makes the live show impossible to ignore.

Beginning with the release of a self-titled anthology of collected demos, Black Girls have turned heads up and down the East Coast. As that album went into it’s second pressing, they released a vinyl single of “Broadway”  as a split with local heavy hitters NO BS! BRASS BAND – the pet project of Bon Iver’s horn man, Reggie Pace. Black Girls have shared stages with bands such as Fucked Up, Wavves, Girl Talk, Best Coast, Soft Landing, Wild Nothing, and Fang Island.

This winter, the release of BLACK GIRLS’ first proper full length “Hell Dragon” will teleport you to some place between 2112 and 1999.

Find them on tour, online, and in your speakers ’round about January

PRESS:
Black Girls: Best Rock Band of 2011 by Style Weekly
“Dishing out self-proclaimed “snuff rock” (like the tobacco, not the film), this surf and glam unit of white boys has experienced a meteoric rise since their inception last summer. Bassist Jeff Knight has a simple explanation: “Hard work got us here, and the support from fans.” And like snuff, Black Girls embodies a quick, fun burst of energy, so go see them before they’re banned by the feds or given a warning label”
“What hasn’t been said about Black Girls? They have earned a tremendous level of devotion from their hometown. as well as encouraging the naysaying of your everyday detractor. They have somehow accomplished the impossible in Richmond–they play out more than any band I can think of, yet still bring out legions of fans and musical peers. There seems to be no stopping them, and their addition to this bill was a nice gesture. Any worries about how they would fit on a bill like this were immediately quashed, as a loud burst of applause greeted the band as they finished their set. A friend that I rode with to the show mentioned to me that she had never heard Black Girls before. The song and a half we caught acted as her introduction. She was enamored by the conviction of Drew Gillihan’s voice against the backdrop of the group’s self-declared “snuff rock” jams. This is the true beauty of the band–despite everything they have already accomplished in their short lifespan, they still attract new interest in the most abrupt and sudden ways. Black Girls represented Richmond wonderfully, and I look forward to their presence on out of town shows in Central Virginia and beyond.”
“I find it very easy to talk about bands like Black Girls. The music does all the descriptive work…you simply play their music and your friends think you’re cool because you introduced them to another dynamite band! Super polished, smoothly textured surfish psychedelic pop that can burn up a house party or any hip music club in any city. Black Girls leave you feeling cool to be part of their sound. I love this band. Lets get the word out on them.”
- Loudvine, NYC: http://loudvine.com/blog/2011/01/download-black-girls-get-off/

“Take, for instance, the Black Girls, my favorite Richmond band at the moment. They remind me of Huey Lewis fronting Pavement covering tunes by KC & The Sunshine Band, Parliament and Modest Mouse at a party thrown by Brian Wilson”

 

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