New Album of the Week - Sleepwaking by The Casket Girls

Okay, So I love this blog. I love writing about music. Unfortunately I am just too busy to put the effort that I did 6 months ago when I wrote constantly. So instead of trying to push myself to write like 1000 words every week, I will just do a paragraph or two. Also this takes less time to come up with what to say, so I will just do my new album of the week :D

Anyways, last week I picked up Graveface record's new band's, The Casket Girls's, debut album. Graveface as you might know is the personal label of Ryan Graveface of Black Moth Super Rainbow, and more importantly, BMSR's side project, the Marshmallow Ghosts. If you like crazy-weird-but-crazy-awesome indie music, then they are the label for you.

Anywho, Graveface (the man) decided to do another side project called the Casket Girls with Elisa and Phaedra Greene. According to the website, Graveface (the man) is obsessed with creating a darker version of the Shangri-Las, as evident by the Marshmallow Ghosts cover of "I can never go home" that they played at the concert Steve and I went to. That sentiment was part of what went into the MG and is definitely part of what went into the Casket Girls. Whether he succeeded or not is up to people who know the Sangri-Las better then I do.  But that is irrelevant; The Casket Girls are awesome.

Why are they awesome? Well imagine the Marshmallow Ghosts with a little bit more of a upbeat pop mentality and get rid of the Halloween theme. That is fantastic because I while absolutely love the MG, I find there music is best listened to when the air gets cold, the leaves fall, and ghosts are lurking around every corner (October). The Casket Girls are a band I can get behind 365 days a year. I might not like them as much as the MG, but man do they kick some ass. Check out the song "Sleepwaking" below.

Half eerie, half beautiful, half rocking out, Graveface (the man AND the label) once again creates a perfect mixture of obtuse and upright. Whether or not you are a fan of BMSR, the MG, or indie music in general, I highly recommend at least checking out Sleepwalking. You can buy it here.

Hopefully I will be back next week.

Elliott's Eccentricities- The Hearse Song by The Marshmallow Ghosts

Everyone who loves music has a short list of special bands that they hold close to their heart. Something about these bands just resonates with the person. Listening to music by these bands is almost an almost divine experience. When I write about music these are the bands that first pop into my mind whenever I make a comparison. People who consistently read my articles (I.E. no one in the world except Eric) could easily my particular short list. It is fairly straightforward seeing I mention them all the time. They are Man Man (mentioned 6 times), Pink Floyd (also 6), The Beatles (6 again), and The Marshmallow Ghosts (4 times).

The Marshmallow Ghosts are an odd duck on my list for many reasons. The first reason is that I am positive that 95% of you have never ever heard of them besides when I mention them. The second reason explains the first; they are not a “real” band. They are a side project of Black Moth Super Rainbow and a couple other bands. The lineup for the band changes every year (apparently). They have only release a couple 7”s and an LP (that I know of). The band only plays around Halloween because they are a Halloween band. Wikipedia doesn’t believe that they exist; it is really hard to get any information on them. The third reason is that they are not in my top five favorite bands of all time yet are on my shortlist unlike Led Zeppelin (which is in my top 5). Also, they are not one of the best bands of all time. Yes, Man Man is one of the best bands of all time. Don’t argue, you are wrong. 

That being said, the Marshmallow Ghosts accomplished something truly incredible with their self-titled LP; they personified fall and Halloween. I can listen to their album on a beautiful spring day and be whisked to late-October. The air around me becomes crisp, the leaves turn red and orange, I can taste pumpkin, and I can feel ghosts surrounding me. Yet not only does the album catch the mood of the season, the music on it is really good. It has some rocking beats and catchy tunes. One of such tracks is The Hearse Song, the video is taken from Corpse Reviver #2 (see below). 

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10
1- I celebrate 4/20.
10- I celebrate 4/20 on the 21^st (I am looking at you Snoop Dog).
The Rake’s Song-5/10

The Hearse Song is not the most Halloweeny of their tracks, yet it shows what the Marshmallow Ghosts are capable of. The haunting voice of the singer drones like a moaning ghost (in a good way). The background synths create a really twilight-zone-esc atmosphere. That being said, this track is a bit more poppy than their other songs which focus more on the ambience. The upbeat melody and drumming drive the song into one you could almost dance to. I know I would, but then again that is just me. Speaking of the drumming, it is really top notch. The drummer is absolutely fantastic and is one of the people who inspired me to learn to drum.

I discovered the Marshmallow Ghosts last fall when they opened at the BMSR concert. Steve and I were completely blown away by them; in my opinion they upstaged Black Moth and were the best part of that night. After their set we immediately bought their Trick or Treat 7” and self-titled LP and got it signed by their female singer/guitarist (or was she the bassist?). We talked for a bit and she was really cool, if not completely scared by our excitement that was pretty much bubbling over at that point. I have to admit that I have a major crush on her, she was really great on stage (and also really cute).  

The best part was that their LP came with a CD version and a movie, Corpse Reviver #2. The movie is nothing more than a string of music videos spaced out by a sling of ghost stories being told on a tour bus (which Steve, John, and I admittedly fast forwarded through). However, the music videos were really enjoyable and fit the music really well; we had a really good time watching it. You can buy it online here if your so inclined.