Ghost
Meliora
Loma Vista Recordings (2015)
When Ghost first materialized on the scene in 2010 with their debut album Opus Eponymous, they made quite an impression. First there was the image: five "nameless ghouls" performing the music in hooded robes (now silver, horned masks) and vocalist Papa Emeritus, dressed as a sort of anti-pope with a penchant for fog machines and blacklight paint. These aspects of … Read more
Ghost
Phantomime
Loma Vista Recordings (2023)
From the first taster of Phantomime... a cover of "Jesus He Knows Me", released in early May, I had a feeling that good things were to come with this new covers EP! This five track EP was released a few weeks after the Genesis cover on May 19th and follows after last years Impera as a between album aperitif which is always welcome to any … Read more
Ghost Buffalo
Ghost Buffalo
Suburban Home (2006)
Ghost Buffalo is an alt-country-ish band from Colorado. They lean more to the "alt" side of that genre as they don't really use (at least on this record) lap pedal steel guitar, banjo, or any other instrumentation that one would expect to hear on a country record. The record is also largely absent of country twang. This is a good … Read more
Ghost in the House
Ghost in the House
Edgetone (2007)
Sometimes one needs a good reminder not to let expectations run amok in order to avoid disappointment. In general I always try to get positively surprised rather than the other way around, but you can't always be at the top of your game. Sometime you let yourself hope of something good only to be let down. This may sound more … Read more
Ghost Mice
Europe
Plan-It-X (2006)
"To speak of money and music in the same sentence is a fucking travesty. I'd rather keep losing money, rather keep scraping by than be a part of a scene constantly talks about sales, guarantees, and marketing prowess... Because this is how simple it should be; music is inside you, boiling, and it needs to get out because it's your … Read more
Ghost of the Russian Empire
With Fiercest Demolition
Thirty Ghost (2006)
Rock with horns that isn't ska? Oh, thank god. Ghost of the Russian Empire's debut EP, With Fiercest Demolition - produced by Erik Woffrod (Explosions in the Sky, Voxtrot) - is six tracks of catchy, but not poppy music. There's definitely a Radiohead-esque aspect about this group of Texans (imagine Thom Yorke and company before they started mingling heavily with … Read more
Ghostface Killah
Fishscale
Def Jam (2006)
If "The Champ" has not, by the time of publication, been mass produced onto 12" record and shipped to every club DJ in the hip-hop speaking world then there is something truly fucked with the world. You see, with summer fast approaching the dance floors of the world are screaming out for a new jam that will make women emit … Read more
Ghostface Killah
Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City
Def Jam (2009)
I'm a big Ghostface fan. Iron Man? Supreme Clientele? Fishscale? Love em'. The guy is by far the most consistent rapper of the Wu-Tang Clan. He's got great flow, can pull off the stream of consciousness rapping quite well, and his lyrics cover a nice variety of topics including the usual life on the street struggle, explicit sexual acts, as … Read more
Ghostface Killah
The Big Doe Rehab
Def Jam (2007)
On his seventh album it sounds like Ghostface is handing over the reins to the less noted, giving more of his name and less of his talent, allowing the up and comers to ride on his success. The overall presentation of the album seems rushed and halfhearted; perhaps he assumes that people will purchase the album solely on the premise … Read more
Ghostlimb
Bearing and Distance
Level Plane/Adagio (2008)
Ghostlimb is a project spearheaded by Justin Smith of Graf Orlock. Bearing and Distance is the band's second full-length release and first for Level Plane (vinyl was handled by Adagio). Whereas Graf Orlock takes a novelty approach to grindcore, Ghostlimb takes a more direct and serious approach to hardcore. In fact, the band's sound has a lot more in common … Read more
Ghoul
Transmission Zero
Tankcrimes (2011)
Oakland's Ghoul are a mysterious bunch, going by pseudonyms, apparently hailing from Creepsylvania (a quick Google map check tells me this isn't actually a real place), and looking like they just stepped off a 70's horror flick set. Sounds crazy. And it kinda is, but what else would you expect from a band with a Kill-bot and members (supposedly) of … Read more
Giant Haystacks
The Rebirth of Our City
Pizza Pizza (2007)
Giant Haystacks play really jangly indie rock. It's like a mix of Minutemen with The Jam trying to play early R.E.M. songs. This is probably nothing I will ever listen to again after this review but it's good for what it is. It's awesome they took their name from the legendary English wrestler. Read more
Giant Squid
Cenotes
Translation Loss (2011)
Well, that was a short album. At only thirty-five minutes long, doom/sludge metal group Giant Squid have almost halved the runtime of their previous album, The Ichthyologist, for the release of their third studio album, Cenotes.But what does brevity matter, when the music is top quality? This album is every bit as weighty as the giant squi--er, creatures on the … Read more
Giant Squid
Metridium Fields
The End (2006)
I've always been fascinated with oceanography, or anything related to the ocean for that matter. And with the oceans covering nearly three-quarters of our planet, there is a lot to be fascinated with. My quest to learn as much about the history of the sea and everything contained within will likely never be completely fulfilled. But, as I continue in … Read more
Gift of Gab
4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up
Quannum Projects (2004)
For the following reasons I'm a firm believer that every CD collection should contain a few albums that confuse people when they are slipped into rotation. These albums a) give us credibility amongst different groups of people; b) make our knowledge of music superior amongst people within our own groups; and c) gives us chance to experiment with different types … Read more
Gifts From Enola
From Fathoms
The Mylene Sheath (2009)
Post-rock has predictably reached its stage of full saturation, becoming the self-loathing cliché that wasn't hard to see coming. Bands are unfairly and mockingly compared to Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and This Will Destroy You, whose stranglehold over the genre have made them a benchmark for those that follow suit and a constant reminder of the jadedness of the … Read more
Gifts From Enola
Local Eyes Betrayed the Mind
Independent (2007)
It's been almost ten years since Mogwai released their now classic debut Young Team and still countless younger bands are trying to emulate that almost entirely instrumental, post-everything sound that relies just as heavy on ambient noises as it does on actual musicianship. I give praises to Gifts From Enola for actually creating a disc that shows some promise of … Read more
Gifts From Enola
Self Titled
The Mylene Sheath (2011)
Gifts From Enola should be fairly recognizable to anyone into the post rock scene at this point. The Virginia based band have been putting out music and logging road time for the better part of 6 years at this point. The band have worked hard to progress their dynamics-laden post rock sound. So it comes as little surprise that after … Read more
