Girls Against Boys

Girls Against Boys is a post-hardcore band which formed in Washington, D.C., and subsequently relocated to New York City shortly after their formation in 1989. The band released albums on the labels Adult Swim, Touch and Go Records, Geffen Records, and Jade Tree from 1990 to 2002. The band then sporadically played shows from 2003 until 2009 when they became inactive. In 2013, Girls Against Boys briefly toured and self-released their first new material in 11 years. After another hiatus in 2017, they reunited for a longer term in 2021.

For the majority of their existence and on every release, the lineup has consisted of vocalist/guitarist Scott McCloud, keyboardist/bassist Eli Janney, bassist Johnny Temple, and drummer Alexis Fleisig.

History

Formation, Nineties vs. Eighties, lineup changes, and Tropic of Scorpio (1989–1992)

The band was initially a studio side-project for bassist/keyboardist Eli Janney and drummer/keyboardist Brendan Canty. The duo wanted to experiment with other genres that were different from what they were involved in, primarily Canty's main band Fugazi. They initially called themselves Skind. The duo then enlisted Soulside guitarist Scott McCloud, who also provided vocals. By 1989, the group named themselves Girls Against Boys as a reflection on typical gender rivalries. The trio finished three songs in late 1989, described as industrial disco. By 1990, Soulside's vocalist Bobby Sullivan wanted to disband Soulside; thus, McCloud and his other Soulside bandmates (bassist Johnny Temple and drummer Alexis Fleisig) decided to create a new band named Little Baby, alongside former Rites of Spring bassist Mike Fellows. Little Baby was short-lived as they only played a handful of shows. McCloud then invited Temple and Fleisig to become involved with Girls Against Boys, and the trio worked with Janney on three additional studio songs in early 1990, described as more post-hardcore in nature. Both sessions were released later in 1990 as their debut effort Nineties vs. Eighties. It initially was released on Janney's novelty label Slate Records, but it later appeared on the independent label Adult Swim. The 1990 recordings were placed on the first side ("Nineties") while the 1989 recordings were placed on the second side ("Eighties"). By the time of its release, Canty departed from the band to focus on Fugazi. McCloud, Temple, and Fleisig then convinced Janney to move from Florida to New York, and they opted to continue the band as a full-time project. Shortly afterward, guitarist Luke Wood joined the band.

Although Janney handled keyboards and programming, he also played bass; thus, Girls Against Boys had an unusual lineup of dual bass guitars. For the lyrics, McCloud took an abstract approach, and metaphors became a common element as well. During the early stages of the initial full-length album's recording, Wood departed from the band to focus on his business career with major labels and his own band Sammy. Girls Against Boys decided to continue on as a quartet, and they then embarked on their first major tour of the U.S. in early 1992 as they opened for Fugazi. The band released the full-length album Tropic of Scorpio in December 1992. Janney self-produced the album due to his prior experience in the studio. Nathan Larson from the band Shudder to Think made guest appearances on various tracks, and Wood's guitar contributions remained as well. It was the band's second release on the Adult Swim label; however, they then decided to sign with the Touch and Go label the following year.

Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby, Cruise Yourself, and increased exposure (1993–1995)

Girls Against Boys released Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby, their second full-length album, on Touch and Go in 1993. It was produced by Ted Niceley, which marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the band (Janney was previously Niceley's studio assistant in the 1980s). The album received positive reviews and was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The band supported the album by touring on the side stage of the 1993 Lollapalooza tour, followed by brief runs with The Jesus Lizard, Helmet, and Jawbox.