[Listen] Christopher Owens - "Lysandre’s Theme" & "Here We Go"

Back in July, Girls frontman Christopher Owens called it quits, saying he left the band "in order to progress", and that he would "continue to write & record music". Well, as it turns out, that day has come, as he has announced his debut solo album Lysandre, which will be released on January 15th through Fat Possum. The album is described as "a coming of age story, a road trip story, a love story" inspired by Girls' first tour in the summer of '08. He has also offered up two tracks from the upcoming album, "Lysandre’s Theme" & "Here We Go", both of which can be heard together below.

[News] Christopher Owens Leaves Girls

Girls frontman Christopher Owens has announced that he has officially left the band via his Twitter, saying the following:

Dear all, This may come as a surprise to many & has been an issue of much thought for me. My decision was not easy to make. I am leaving Girls. My reasons at this time are personal. I need to do this in order to progress. I will continue to write & record music. More will be announced soon. I thank you all for everything. Sincerely–Christopher

The news comes as quite a shock, seeing as the band has seen a great deal of praise and success following the release of their sophomore album Father, Son, Holy Ghost last September. J.R. White, the other half and co-founder of Girls, has yet to release a statement regarding Owens' departure, but stay posted for updates.

[Watch] Girls - "Love Like a River" Live on Conan

Girls returned to the late night circuit last night with a visit to Conan O'Brien's stage. They were their to perform the track "Love Like a River" which features on Father, Son, Holy Ghost. The band will play Coachella again this weekend so expect to see some more live footage of the band before the week's out. Peep the performance at the top courtesy of The Audio Perv.

[Watch] Girls - "My Ma" (Official Video)

Girls' new video for their song "My Ma," which is the third single from their latest LP Father, Son, Holy Ghost, delves into the beauty of nature and how we as human beings age alongside it. Premiering on Conan O'Brien's TeamCoco, the video is summery yet melancholy, but overall very beautiful, so check it out above.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost is out now via True Panther Sounds, and the 7" single for "My Ma" is out on March 22nd, the same day that the band will be performing on Conan.

[Watch] Girls Cover Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You"

During their performance at this weekend's Laneway Festival in Singapore, San Francisco duo Girls paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston by covering her famed track "I Will Always Love You." Take a look at the live tribute above, via Disco Naïveté.

[News] Girls and Unknown Mortal Orchestra Team Up for Tour Dates

This March, Girls and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, both of whom released fantastic albums last year, will come together for an 11-date string of performances. Starting on March 1st in Santa Cruz, CA, the tour will take both bands throughout California and the Southwest, with the final show taking place in Reno, NV on March 18th. From there, Girls will be performing at this year's Coachella Music Festival. You can peep both band's touring itineraries after the jump.

Girls' second studio album Father, Son, Holy Ghost is currently out via True Panther Sounds, whereas Unknown Mortal Orchestra's self-titled debut is also available via Fat Possum Records.

Girls 2012 Tour Dates:
01/28 – Brisbane, AU @ Laneway Festival
01/30 – Auckland, NZ @ Laneway Festival
02/04 – Melbourne, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/05 – Sydney, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/10 – Adelaide, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/11 – Perth, AU @ Laneway Festival
02/15 – Singapore @ Laneway Festival
03/01 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Coconut Grove *
03/02 – San Diego, CA @ Birch North Park Theatre *
03/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
03/05 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
03/07 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit *
03/08 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa *
03/09 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
03/12 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *
03/13 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
03/16 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre *
03/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue *
03/18 – Reno, NV @ Cargo *
04/13 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/20 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival

* = w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Unknown Mortal Orchestra 2012 Tour Dates:
02/12 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
02/24 – San Francisco, CA @ Clift Hotel
03/01 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Coconut Grove *
03/02 – San Diego, CA @ Birch North Park Theatre *
03/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
03/04 – Vail Valley, CO @ Snowball Festival
03/05 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
03/07 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit *
03/08 – Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa *
03/09 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
03/12 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *
03/13 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
03/16 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre *
03/17 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue *
03/18 – Reno, NV @ Cargo *

* = w/ Girls

[SKOA Presents] The 50 Best Albums Of 2011: 45 - 41

45. TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light [Amazon] [iTunes] [Insound]

44. YACHT - Shangri-La [Amazon] [iTunes] [Insound]

YACHT - Utopia by DFA Records

43. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost  [Amazon] [iTunes] [Insound]

42. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues [Amazon] [iTunes] [Insound]

41. Cut Copy - Zonoscope [Amazon] [iTunes] [Insound]

[Watch] Girls - "Love Like a River" Live For No One

We got to see Neon Indian recently perform "Hex Girlfriend" as part of the For No One series earlier in the month and today comes a video of Girls performing their track "Live Like a River" for absolutely no-one in an empty concert venue. Check it out at the top via Disco Naiveté.