Ghostfinger

Saturday · The Comet

With all the radio stations adopting Jack FM formats, wasn't it inevitable that individual bands started doing the same thing? Imagine a band that goes from Newgrass to Metal to Post Punk to Nuggets to ... aw, fuck labels. Ghostfinger rocks. This power trio doesn't just blend for an interesting sound or cop some influence by dipping their toes into one genre or another; rather they dive in the deep end, touch the bottom and swim a lap. They pull disparate elements together, but Ghostfinger spends little effort deconstructing and reassembling them, instead just sticking it out there in all its glory. The madness began in 2003 when singer/guitarist Richie Kirkpatrick and bassist/keyboardist Matt Rowland got together with some friends with a turntable and sampler. The next year, they picked up drummer Van Campbell and started kicking ass in earnest. Last year they cut their debut CD, These Colors Run. The title must be lampooning bumper sticker culture, because the "colors" on the disc don't run together much at all. Some songs mix it up, like the first track, "Aminal Eye," that goes from Postal Service smoothness to an explosive Pixies-like sound. Other songs are completely faithful to their source in every way, like the twang, Fender Rhodes and pedal steel of "Pretending to Die." Every way except vocals, that is. There is always Kirkpatrick's half-parody of Mick Jagger, a fitting stand-in for the over-the-top aspect of Rock to which the band gives the "ghost-finger." The Tennesee group tours frequently, dedicated to fulfilling their apparent mission to make the familiar seem absurd and the absurd seem familiar. (Ezra Waller)