On our way up to Toronto for NxNE this year, the four of us talked about the great year of music that was 2009.  Our Top 4 albums of that year were Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, White Denim and the debut album from San Francisco’s Girls.  Back then, everyone discussed the fact that lead singer Christopher Owen had spent time in a cult when he was younger.  It was a sort of breathless admiration for what he had experienced and how his limited access had affected his art.  At this point, however, it’s safe to say that his scope has increased exponentially.

Owen & Co. released an EP late in 2010, and they are back this year with another full length release – Father, Son, Holy Ghost – that will be unveiled in September.  The band gave away the first track from the album earlier this week – the brooding “Vomit.”  (With that kind of a title, I don’t think anyone was expecting another “Lust for Life.”)  The song starts out simply enough, building into the whole band while Owen repeats “lookin’ for love.”  And then, about two-and-a-half minutes through the song’s 6+ minutes, the song descends into a sort of sonic maelstrom before repeating the whole process over again.

It’s a formidably simple formula, leading some to call it ‘boring.’  It’s really anything but.  “Vomit” is the darker parts of Album; it’s not as hopeful or cheerful, but when the gospel choir kicks in toward the end while Owen repeats “come in to my heart,” it’s hard to tell whether its him who has found redemption or if he’s become something messianic for us, the listeners.

Father, Son, Holy Ghost is available for pre-ordering now through InSound.

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Girls // Vomit [mp3] from the forthcoming Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Dominant Legs are a San Francisco duo made up of Ryan Lynch and Hannah Hunt.  Lynch is best known for his work with another San Francisco band – last year’s indie sweethearts Girls.  But don’t expect a similar type of output here; Dominant Legs still makes nostalgic, shiny pop, but they employ a more electronic feel to their songs than Girls does.  Hunt serves to soften Lynch’s voice throughout the EP, which reminds me of Jonathan Richman.  This particular track is a great introduction to the band.

The band’s debut EP – Young at Love and Life – is due out next Tuesday (8/17) via Lefse Records.  It will be available both on 10″ vinyl and digitally, and you can pre-order it right now.  They also have a couple of tour dates lined up with Mystery Jets in New York City and L.A. in the middle of September, which you can check out over at their MySpace.

Dominant Legs – Clawing Out at the Walls (mp3) from Young at Love and Life EP