Category Archives: The Ghost is Clear

Districts/Regret, The Informer – Split 12″


Posted by Nathaniel

Band – Districts (Bandcamp)
Band – Regret, The Informer (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Release Title – Split
Medium – (Twelve Inch)
Label – (Galt House) (The Ghost Is Clear) (Endnote Records)
Style – Post-hardcore/hardcore/whatever
From – Regret, The Informer – Kansas City, Missouri, USA
From – Districts - Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

(Str.eam)(Buy)

Info -

Wow, Districts and Regret, The Informer doing a split together?  Can I say match made in heaven?  That was exactly what I was thinking when I saw that they were getting together and doing this.  When It was posted I immediately listened to the release over and over again.  I drafted a post and then the worst thing happened!  The Ghost is Clear pulled the full stream.  This sent me into bummer summer mode.  Then two or so months later here we are, full stream ahead.  I am stoked again!

After about a thousand listens to and contemplation I can bring you these results, this split is fucking awesome.

Let us start with Districts, my wonderful girlfriend turned me onto them at around the time I posted the review of their demo some time ago last year.  I fell in love with them, emotional hardcore or whatever you want to call it.  This split offers more insight into the life of the vocalist through venerable introspective lyrics.  The Giver is the jammer on the Districts side, great lyrics to get you pumped on being depressed.

Regret, The Informer is on the flip side of this record and put out equal intense hits as the A side.  Each song pulls us along through a modern take on 90′s emo.  They really have crafted their own style and I give them mad props to that because these songs are just so unique and powerful.  The lyrics stick in my mind like glue and I wanna sing aloud all day, but I can’t because I am not insane.

Buy, Listen, Buy, Listen, Buy.


ALTA – Places


Posted by Nathaniel

Band – ALTA (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Release Title – Places
Medium – CD
Label – (The Ghost Is Clear)
Style – Post Hardcore
From - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

(Stream)(Buy)

Info -

Feel that howling guitar sound at the start of that record.  When I heard that tone I knew that I was in love.  Take that and add spot on vocals with dashes of group vocals here and there, I am simply ready to take out a ring and marry this band.  Highly energetic and full of musicianship brings me to the point of passion.  I’ve been repeating this release over and over lately and well… my best advice is that you should to.  The end of Winter/Mute blows me away every time.  Get pumped.  Get ALTA


Texas Instruments, Baitfish, Battle Royale, and Regret, The Informer – Kansas City 4 way


Posted by Nathaniel

Band – Texas Instruments (Website) (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Band – Baitfish (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Band – Battle Royale (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Band – Regret, The Informer  (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Release Title – 4 Way Split
Medium – Twelve Inch
Label – (The Ghost Is Clear)
Style – Hardcore/Screamo
From – Kansas City, Missouri, USA

Track List -

  1. Texas Instruments – RC-P90
  2. Texas Instruments – Troost
  3. Texas Instruments – Get on your Mammoth, Bitch!
  4. Baitfish – Ignorant
  5. Baitfish – Take back the hunt
  6. Baitfish – Oh My God, is that David Bowie are you ready to go back to the seventies?
  7. Baitfish – What a Faker, She wasn’t dead at all
  8. Baitfish – Building on Buildings to never be built
  9. Battle Royale – …But it Still Sucks
  10. Battle Royale – Mark, Service Champion
  11. Battle Royale – What the fuck was the scene from that movie
  12. Regret, The Informer – Old Newman
  13. Regret, The Informer – Love Less
  14. Regret, The Informer – Family Portraits

(Stream)(Buy)

Info -

I don’t know how to start this review so I am going to give you two opening sentences.

Oh my! This album is fucking radical/Oh my! Kansas City has it going on.

Texas Instruments open this record with a song title that is a Golden Eye reference.  They bring us some 90′s influenced emo, shotmaker comes to mind immediately.  I was super stoked to see Baitfish on this, I loved their demo from last year at least one song was on all my mixtapes.  Baitfish is grimy hardcore at it’s finest, for some reason they made me go back a few years and put on my Sex/Vid records.  I had never heard of the later two bands on this release but I found out about this album from a Battle Royale review.  Battle Royale plays modern hardcore/emo so a little sped up/more singing/awesome so I got pretty stoked on their songs.  Regret, The Informer is last but not least, they are similar to Battle Royale but heavier, each band has two vocalist I believe, which as you know is kind of what I love.  Their songs are a little chaotic and over the place if you are into that.  They have the last words on the track and they are “Never Get Married, Never Have Kids” beautiful.

The Ghost is Clear has a real gem on their hands because all the bands are just unbelievably great and it makes me a little jealous that I don’t live in Kansas City.  Don’t listen to this release, just pre order it when pre orders are up.


Jowels/The Reptilian Split


Posted by Nathaniel

Band – Jowls (Website) (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Band – The Reptilian (Website) (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Release Title – Split
Medium – Seven Inch
Label – (The Ghost Is Clear) (May Fly)
Style – Math/Emo/Hardcore/Screamo/Postpunk
From - Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA (Jowls)
From - Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA (The Reptilian)

Track List -

  1. Jowls – Russ
  2. Jowls – Dan
  3. Jowls – Jon
  4. The Reptilian – Jeff
  5. The Reptilian – Ryan

(Stream)(Buy)

Info -

I love the Reptilian, for some reason they fill the hole in my heart that is left from me no longer enjoying all the folk punk bands I used to love.  When I listen to The Reptilian I get a big vibe that these dudes are best friends and stoked on their friendship and it seems so organic.  They are just so highly energetic and fun.

This was the first time that I have been exposed to Jowels, I love the opening track because I’m so into those light, simple,ambient, waltzy sounding scream along tracks.  When their other two songs sped by like the speed of light I was surprised but they ruled so much that I couldn’t be anything more than stoked.


Innards/The Reptilian Split


Posted by Nathaniel

Band – Innards (Website) (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Band – The Reptilian (Website) (Bandcamp) (Facebook)
Release Title – Split
Medium – Seven Inch
Label – (Carucage Records) (The Ghost is Clear Records) (Black With Sap)
Style – Screamo/Emo
From – Forth Worth, Texas, USA (Innards)
From – Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA (The Reptilian)

Track List -

  1. Innards – Goro
  2. Innards – No Money, More Problems
  3. The Reptilian – Gold Blooded
  4. The Reptilian – Old Blood

(Stream) (Buy)

Info -

This split is nuts, two power houses bringing in two solid tracks each.  I’ve been super stoked on Innards since I heard Tracing last year and they have been on every mix tape of mine since.  Goro opens up their side by throwing you right into the record which is something that I enjoy every once in a while because everyone seems to have long intros these days.  The break down around the middle of the song is what sticks in my head though, it’s just so fucking gnar.  I am just continually blown away by this band release after release.  I feel like Innards are like a modern day Pg. 99 in that they are talented musicians pulling off super creative and intricate music.  Maybe that statement is wrong but it feels so right to me.

 

The Reptilian continue to bring the jams with two songs of their own, I some how missed their split with Jowls and forgot about the band but this release renewed my love.  I keep missing them when they play my town as well and it is embarrassing.  Besides that I love the spoken and yelling traded off vocals on their two songs.  From what I remember their two vocalist sounds more distinct from each other than on Full Health.  Math rock emo gets mixed with a little pop punk is the only way that I can describe this band and I’m going to stick to that.