The Orange County punk trio Girl Tears play exceedingly brief songs, most less than one minute long, and throw plenty of darkness into their three-chord attack. Guitarist/vocalist Kam Andresen, bassist Tristan Ellis, and drummer Sal Gabriel were all playing in the band Sweet Valley Slumber Party when they decided they wanted to do something more aggressive and punk. They released their first album, Tension, on Lolipop Records and it caught the ear of Captured Tracks honcho Mike Sniper, who signed the band to CT offshoot label Sinderlyn and re-released the record in September of 2014. After the album came out, the band went on tour, playing over 100 shows in venues as diverse as art spaces, backyards, and clubs. This toughened them up and tightened their already taut sound even more. They took time out to record a single, 2015's "No Faith"/"Void." Their second album, the intense and brisk Woke Against the Tide, was released by Sinderlyn in October of 2016. ~ Tim Sendra