STILL SINGLE

A space for thoughts on music and culture, as written by Doug Mosurock and a select handful of individuals. This is intended as a supplement to our regular feature Still Single, published on Dusted Magazine. Updates will run here more frequently, and may feature writing on music not covered in the column. Compact discs are still not accepted for review -- we have more than enough vinyl and the occasional cassette to worry about.

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December 18, 2011

Ghost Aquarium/Josh Dobbs and His Deficit of Dream – split 7” (Ripping)

Ghost Aquarium released one of my favorite 7”s of 2008, and if you want to hear it, the first pressing of 300 is still in print from this very label. In fact, the seven inch was the first title I reviewed for Still Single. While basking in the meaninglessness of this, I just realized the lack of impact exacted by my genuine effort to recommend a great 7” to complete strangers. That was three fucking years ago, and chances are, you missed out on an anomalous wonder released against Thee Oh Sees/Sic Alps/Vivian Girls coup of that summer. What I mean by that is that you could have heard some on-the-level guitar-quickening possessive of a feel unlike anything flooding from the cool club, for which you might have affected “blown away” status but at the end of the day, pined for that feeling of being blown away. I highly recommend that 7”, or I wouldn’t have let the subject of it take this review hostage.

The two Ghost Aquarium tracks on this split don’t stand up to that debut. Do I recommend them? Without pause. G.A. may have broken up this year (a 2001 to 2011 CD is available), leaving behind one and a half 7”s and one discography-spanning CD. The accolades directed at G.A. number in the realm of garden-variety “local rock” and the shameful ignorance, combined with a priority-list placement near the bottom re: the creative force, is a cultural crime that will go unpunished.

The Josh Dobbs tracks were glossed over for a reason. (http://www.runnamucks.com/ghostaquarium.html)
(Andrew Earles)

2 months ago • 0 notes