On the Record with the Other Girls

By Leah Urbom
Published: June 23rd, 2009 | 7:00am

When college dropout Jonah Oryszak met the “too cool to even listen to music” guitarist Jay Tousley, the foundation of the Other Girls was laid. The band didn’t fully form for five more years — after Oryszak returned to school to study art and Tousley became a working-stiff carpenter — but, along with the help of Dave Wincek and Corey Lanigan, the Other Girls began to churn out their brand of not-quite-under-or-over-produced indie pop rock.

The boys are now past the days of squatting in houses with no electricity and surviving solely on beer and wit, and their mature outlook and hardcore editing process has resulted in their debut album, Perfect Cities (Audio Eagle Records). In the midst of a slew of record release parties, the Other Girls shared with Venus Zine some girls and girl-led groups that influenced their own musical abilities.

Vocalist-guitarist Jonah Oryszak

Joni Mitchell

Clouds

I guess I should preface this by saying that my parents probably have the world’s greatest record collection. So pin-pointing and answering this has proved to actually be pretty hard. This being said, when I did finally figure it out, it seemed like a no-brainer.

I must have been in first or second grade, or even younger. But I remember this album, specifically the last song, "Both Sides, Now," really impacting me — even being that young. I think it was just how crazy and powerful her voice comes across on it. The whole album is so stark and simple, it really drives home the emotion behind her words. This was probably the first time I ever thought about all of that sort of being the whole point behind creating music.

Bassist Corey Lanigan

The Crystals

Twist Uptown

[“Uptown”] is one of those really weird, old Spector songs that could almost have been used as character evidence against him in his trial. Songs like that or "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)."

I remember being really drawn to songs that tell a story. “Uptown” is basically about how working your day job blows, but when it’s your own time, and you're gettin' twisted with your girl, it rules. Right? Maybe I missed the point. Then, on top of that, you have really beautiful, angelic female vocals buzzing all around the headphones. It’s just a really cool song that I remember loving as a kid and still listen to.

Guitarist Jay Tousley

Madonna

True Blue

True Blue was the first cassette I ever remember buying on my own. I think my record collection consisted of that and Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet for a whole summer when I was like six or seven.

I guarantee I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about on any of the songs on that record, but I listened to it non-stop. My killer cut was by far "La Isla Bonita." It would be creepy to say I got a sexual vibe off it at that age but, for lack of better words, I guess that's what it was. If there was an iTunes back then, I'm sure the play count for that track would have been in the thousands.

Drummer Dave Wincek

Fleetwood Mac

Tusk

I know Rumours would have earned about 5,000 more cool points, but Tusk will always be my favorite Fleetwood Mac record. I think what makes it so great is how confused the thing is. It existed in such a weird time when all the big, classic rock bands didn't know what to do with themselves. You hear the New Wave stuff creeping in. Or maybe it was all the crack they were smoking.

The three bangers that do it for me on that record are "Sisters Of the Moon," "That's All For Everyone," and of course, since I'm a drummer, "Tusk". The full marching band behind that song just kills it.

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Other Girls MySpace

Audio Eagle Records