Ghostland Observatory Noah Sanders

Sound: Electro Butt-Metal
Album: Robotique Majestique
Label: Trashy Moped
Shows:
Friday and Saturday April 4th & 5th @ the Market Showbox 
Why: Lasers shows and capes.... Need we say more?

There is some truth to be found in the recent rash of negative reviews regarding Austin, Texas’s electro-funk duo, Ghostland Observatory and their second album, Robotique Majestique. Yes, the twosome tends towards a dumbed-down hodgepodge of electronica, 80s synth-fusion, and rock ‘n’ roll. Sure, the blinding sheen of hype that accompanied their second album may only be skin deep. And yes, you might describe their music as “Daft Punk for frat boys” (thank you Pitchfork).

But… who cares?

Ghostland Observatory is America’s modern equivalent of the hair/glam metal of the 1980s. Replace the pulsing synth and squealing electro-squawk provided by Thomas Ross Turner with eight-minute guitar solos and double-bass drum kicks and you’ve got all the mixings for a present day Warrant or Bon Jovi or L.A. Gunz or… you get the point. These bands eschewed the need for musical intricacy, instead replacing it with ass-kicking anthems that left us fist-pumping and yearning for another dose. Bluntly, this music was dumb, big, stupid rock and roll that continues to hold a strong place within the heads and hearts of music lovers, no matter how you feel about it.

When placed within this context, RobotiqueMajestique is a glowing success; nine tracks that blast with bouncing bass and catchy, distorted electro-pop melodies, all tied together with Aaron Behrens trademark wail. It’s fun, it’s ass-shakingly funky, and it is, seemingly, exactly the kind of grimy, electro-pop the duo intended to crank out. It certainly isn’t brainy, but it’s exceedingly entertaining to listen to; a rarity in these days of such intense internet scrutiny.

In live form, Ghostland is even more explosive, matching their wall of distorted funk with a layer of fog, an impressive laser show, and shiny, shiny costumes. It’s a two-man spectacle that, much like the aforementioned hair-metal predecessors, elevates their studio material to a near unmatchable level of enjoyment. It’s an event you’ll be sorry to say you missed.



Discography
Delete. Delete. I. Eat. Meat.- 2007 Trashy Moped
Paparazzi Lighting -2006 Trashy Moped