Saturday Dance Party At The Ritz, Courtesy Ghostland Observatory
Some say that we have a "hard-on" for Ghostland Observatory. And they're probably right. But that does little to change the fact that the GLO - Aaron Behrens (vocals/guitar) and Thomas Ross Turner (keys/beats/vocoder) - are one of Austin's most talented indie electronic duos. Austinist contributor J.G. summed it up rather well last month:
GLO evokes the seventies underground art-beat of Georgio Moroder, Sparks, Metal Urbain while infusing it with the dirtier glitter of Bowie, Eno, Mud, and Prince. Bring your diamonds, fishnet stockings, and dancehall spirit: it’s going to be a decadent time.
We've had their sophomore album, Paparazzi Lightning, on repeat in our car for the past few days -- needless to say, we've frightened more than a few suburban soccer moms in nearby minivans. A proper description of their LP will follow sometime next week, but for now we'll present you with a brief glimpse into what could very well be one of our favorite local releases of the new year.
Sparing little in the way of introduction, the album opens with "Piano Man," a frenetic panoply of pulsating bass notes, spasmodic piano chords and fever-pitch vocals that eventually dissolves into a sandstorm of distortion. Track 2, "Ghetto Magnet," is like Spoon on methamphetamines - think minimalist instrumentation set against a raging drum beat. Show staple "Move With Your Lover" rounds out the first three, its jackhammer bleeps firing at several orders of magnitude faster than anyone we know could keep up with, save for Behrens himself.
We could talk for hours about this shit, but you're far better off seeing them for yourself at The Ritz tomorrow night, where they'll be throwing their CD release show, along with Lomita, Clap! Clap!, and DJ Erin. The $10 cover includes a complimentary copy of Paparazzi Lightning, with which you might replicate your very own dance-party in the comforts of your car.
Ghostland Observatory CD Release Show
Saturday, January, 21 2006
10pm, 21+
$10 (With CD)
