Review / 200 Words Or Less
History
Ghosts in the City

24-Hour Service Station (2007) Jason

History – Ghosts in the City cover artwork
History – Ghosts in the City — 24-Hour Service Station, 2007

I hate being lied too. I remember wanting this CD for review because the one-sheet was all about this Orlando, Florida band being a "Dischord-Style" punk band. Well I can tell you right now that they don't sound anything like Minor Threat. They do however try and co-opt a very vague 90's Dischords sound. If I really stretch my listening comprehension abilities I do hear a Jawbox riff here and some quirky Shudder to Think parts there. Nevertheless, there is nothing else on Ghosts in the City that reminds of anything from Washington D.C.

What History does remind me of is a very arty version of Thursday. The drumming is way too busy, there's too many keyboards controlling the songs, and the song themselves sound like a bunch of parts throw together in hat. The band would just pick them out at will and think, "Okay this part will go here right after this one and then we will pick another part out of the blue." It's a mismatch of overbearing pretentiousness filtered through some good ideas with less than stellar results. I will give it up to History they don't sound like every other band out there but then again they don't really do anything that makes me want to keep listening to them.

This band isn't that bad at all actually. The music is really inventive, somewhat catchy, and probably a band full of nice talented people. I'm still bitter over the whole Dischord thing. Oh well, them's the breaks.

8.2 / 10Jason • July 6, 2008

History – Ghosts in the City cover artwork
History – Ghosts in the City — 24-Hour Service Station, 2007

Related features

Red Scare Industries - History 101

Music / History 101 • December 10, 2024

The Greatest Take-Down in Music History

Regular Columns / Running on Nothing • March 25, 2024

Kill Rock Stars 30th anniversary: History 101

Music / History 101 • October 18, 2021

Related news

Perennial To Give a Lesson in 'Art History'

Posted in Records on April 28, 2024

A history of drone (in book form)

Posted in Music News on July 8, 2022

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025

Recently-posted album reviews

Detention

Dead Rock ‘N’ Rollers
Left For Dead Records (2024)

Life ain’t so easy in the detention home- Dead Boys. Emerging from the underbelly of Jersey, made up primarily of three brethren. Raised on rock and roll and sipping from the chalice of early punk rock stalwarts like Da Bruddahs from Queens, Hey Ho! and the Pistoleros of Sexual Nature screaming banshees from across from the large pond. Thus forging … Read more

Nightfreak

Nightfreak
Big Neck Records (2024)

Semi-feral punk outfit NightFreak are back with a self-titled LP filled with breakneck riffs and 70s metal bombast. The Chicago group haven’t slowed down since 2022’s Speed Trials but they have filled out. NightFreak the album is lousy with warm back beats and melodic guitars; although, hardcore vocals and tight drums still reign supreme. Album opener “Blackout” is dead serious … Read more

Death By Unga Bunga

Raw Muscle Power
Jansen Records (2025)

I’m pretty sure I became aware of Mike Krol when The Whiffs posted about playing some shows with him. Krol is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is he on Merge and collaborates with Mac Superchunk- a dream scenario imo- but he’s also been elusive of my fan boy attempts at cold dm’ing him about stuff even tho we … Read more