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Well, this record has been out for a couple years now, and with the sudden interest in folk punk (you didn't think Against Me! wouldn't be mentioned or eluded to in this review, now did you? It's PUNKnews.org here, people) I felt I had to review this after listening to it tonight.

I first heard of Ghost Mice from their split with Defiance, Ohio. Ghost Mice put out a very solid half of the split and as their counterpart on the album was Defiance, Ohio, I was very intrigued after all. The Debt of the Dead was my first proper introduction to the band (the split I'd only checked out because of D,OH), and what a great introduction it is. I was instantly hooked by how clean the record sounded for a DIY anarchist acoustic band. All the vocal harmonies are nicely highlighted, and the production is just perfect to allow it to sound clean, while not overproduced.

Now, onto content. Ghost Mice's lyrical content revolves around the positive and this record is no exception. With songs like "Hang on Kids" and "Alas Babylon," it can inspire feelings of hope and optimism, even when you're having a horrible day. The urgency that some of the songs are delivered with ("Lightning Bolt," "Up the Punks" [sadly not an acoustic mock Casualties cover, but still a great song], and "The Road Goes on Forever") make the record very enjoyable.

As a fan of folk punk, or whatever you want to call it, I feel that Ghost Mice are one of the top bands in the genre. Listening to some other PIX bands and Riot-Folk artists I don't feel they possess the same energy and originality that Ghost Mice do. Many of the other bands can get boring and a little depressing, but Ghost Mice are a nice, unique band in a world full of mediocrity.



People who liked this also liked:
Defiance, Ohio - The Great DepressionAgainst Me! - As The Eternal CowboyNOFX - The DeclineOperation Ivy - Operation IvyThe Lawrence Arms - Oh! Calcutta!Against Me! - The Disco Before the BreakdownNOFX - Punk In DrublicAgainst Me! - AcousticGaslight Anthem - Sink or SwimAgainst Me! - is Reinventing Axl Rose



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    Posted by Mute98 on 2006-11-16 15:35:33

    debt of the dead is good but europe is ALOT better, get that instead

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 13, 2006 at 6:27 PM (EST)

    i saw them with a fench guy named pascal who played the accordian

    Posted by saint_nick on 2006-11-13 09:18:06

    touche. i apologize for my stupidity

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 12, 2006 at 9:20 PM (EST)

    dear reviewer,

    the word you were looking for is "alluded," not "eluded." to "elude" means to avoid.

    Posted by Ianw on 2006-11-12 09:06:39

    "fuck this shit...this band has some good songs but fuck plan-it-x and everything they stand for"

    releasing records that they like and helping out their freinds? harsh bro. It's a pretty non-threatining ideology.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 5:02 PM (EST)

    I try so hard to get into Folk Punk but I just can't do it, ah well, I love the other kind of Org Core

    Posted by maverick on 2006-11-11 16:25:50
    My Score:

    What the hell is up with all these people being at the Fest and NOT saying hi to any of us 'Org regulars? Sickboi, KirbyPuckett and myself were all there. Let's be friends, jerks!

    -Scott

    PS: Score's still for Paul Baribeau. Goddamn, this dude is great.

    Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, November 11, 2006 at 2:39 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    ....listen to johnny hobo in the freight trains...it's like a combination of ghost mice and leftover crack....good stuff

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 10, 2006 at 9:58 PM (EST)

    saw htem at the fest and it was the cheesiest most naive, and dumb music. Plus I later encountered the singer at the defiance show and he was a dick.. free pizza for lifffeee!!

    Posted by k-dubs on 2006-11-10 18:59:13

    i saw them at the fest twice, and a few days beforei n tallahassee once. they were great.

    paul baribeau is fucking amazing, his songs are truly genius. i was holding up a sign that said
    "paul baribeau for state rep" at the fest show

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 10, 2006 at 4:32 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Europe is a lot better than this.

    Posted by Benjasauruss on 2006-11-10 15:58:26
    My Score:

    Ghost Mice are pretty mediocre in the genre of folk punk and in this is by far their worst release. Everything else they've put out is better than this. There are about 2 good songs on this cd. By comparison, almost every split they've put out is good from beginning to end.

    Posted by TheRhetoric on 2006-11-10 15:37:34

    Just to reiterate, Paul Baribeau is great. I would have loved to have seen the tour he did with Ginger from One Reason where they played Springsteen songs.

    Posted by SloaneDaley on 2006-11-10 15:29:20

    I know there was in the 90's a term I heard used called "Riot Folk". Is folk-punk essentially a new name for that or was that something else? I take folk-punk to mean acoustic folk played harder with speedier tempos and sometimes shouted vocals.

    Posted by skankin_in_the_pit on 2006-11-10 15:17:48

    So an Against Me! mention should be expected, but no mentions of the great Operation: Cliff Clavin. Fuck that.

    This band is alright (really hit or miss to me) , but goddamn do I love O:CC and the Devil is Electric.

    Posted by stuttermispronounce on 2006-11-10 15:15:49
    My Score:

    Paul Baribeau fuckin' ROCKS!

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 10, 2006 at 1:05 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    This band is pretty good, their songs are often hit or miss. I have to say that I liked some of the songs on the album until I heard Paul Baribeau cover them on the split they did with him. Paul Baribeau's covers of their songs were just so superior to the originals.

    Score is for Paul Baribeau. Also check out the GM/PB split, but you're gonna have to download it since its long out of print. The GM tracks on the split are shit though. They pretty much butcher the hell out of some of Paul's songs.

    Posted by baseball on 2006-11-10 12:52:41

    I saw this band twice at the Fest V, sorta against my will. Soooooooo boring. However, I did get to see Paul Baribeau twice because of it, and he was flat-out fantastic (and is my new favorite singer-songwriter).

    Score's for Paul Baribeau.

    -Scott

    you were actually sitting like a few people down from me during Paul Baribeau's set on that brick wall type thing....that was the first time i heard him and he was quite good

    as for Ghost Mice, i don't like them at all though, i have to say i'd rather listen to any other Plan-It-X band probably

    Posted by danperrone on 2006-11-10 11:44:21
    My Score:

    one of the worst bands i have ever heard in my life

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, November 10, 2006 at 10:43 AM (EST)

    one of the last real punk rock persons in music today. thanks chris for all the help you have given me for the last 10 years. i love you and wish you well for many years to come. much respect. lets keep the fight up!

    Posted by SuperRad on 2006-11-10 10:20:40
    My Score:

    Great band, great album, end of story. 10.

    Posted by maverick on 2006-11-10 09:31:20
    My Score:

    I saw this band twice at the Fest V, sorta against my will. Soooooooo boring. However, I did get to see Paul Baribeau twice because of it, and he was flat-out fantastic (and is my new favorite singer-songwriter).

    Score's for Paul Baribeau.

    -Scott

    Posted by notfeelingcreative on 2006-11-10 09:15:29

    I never understood the phrase "folk-punk", I actually like the music, but from what I've heard there's no punk in this stuff at all, it's just folk music turned up a notch! I'm not exactly sure why they feel the need to through the word punk behind other typed of music, fol-punk, dance-punk etc. If it's dance or folk it isn't punk!!!! That being said, I have a split personality of 1/3 crusty, 1/3 hippie, 1/3 90's skater kid, so I like ghost mice!

    Posted by hobbitcore on 2006-11-10 03:34:38
    My Score:

    "sudden interest in folk punk"

    what?! is it 2003?!

    fuck this shit...this band has some good songs but fuck plan-it-x and everything they stand for

    Posted by theotherstevejones on 2006-11-10 03:15:03
    My Score:

    Ghost Mice is amazing, and this is their finest. Great people and great music.

    Posted by JTravolta on 2006-11-10 02:44:57
    My Score:

    terrible, terrible band. seriously.

    Posted by stuttermispronounce on 2006-11-10 01:47:32
    My Score:

    Fine message, but really naive for people in their thirties, and just kinda annoying.

    Posted by SloaneDaley on 2006-11-10 00:19:32

    as far as folk-punk goes Ghots Mice are pretty average to me.

    Posted by strangenotes on 2006-11-10 00:01:40

    I would rather eat nails than listen to this band ever again.

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