Good Music That Everyone Should Hear: Ghost Mice

If you've never heard of folk-punk, Ghost Mice are an excellent gateway drug. They're ineffably sincere, full of heart, they sing with conviction and yet they write songs about dumpster diving and Dungeons and Dragons. Make no mistake - they aren't limp-wristed geek panderers, they're all out punks. Acoustic only, yes, but the DIY ethos shines strong.

Chris Clavin, the guy who leads the band, is over 30 years old but still manages that adolescent, nasally wail that I have come to cherish as a throwback to my friend's teenage bands - full of hope and piss and vinegar. He sings about things of importance - anarchy and institutionalised brutality, childhood and child-molesting priests, all of it with the same earnest, untrained voice.

One other thing that you should know: Chris Clavin heads the stalwart Plan-It-X Records, a beacon to folk-punk and independent music (not that crap you heard on NPR or Pitchfork, but actual shipping-out-LPs-covered-in-crumbs-from-their-basement independent.) Their roster is extensive and has some excellent releases, almost all of it worth listening to.

If you're interested, get a hold of their splits - releases in which they perform on one half of the album and another band does likewise. I could recommend their split with Andrew Jackson Jihad, another excellent folk-punk band, and their split with Saw Wheel - admittedly not a huge fan of Saw Wheel, but the Ghost Mice side redeems it. Also, required listening: their album The Debt of the Dead. It's one of their fuller sounding albums, and has some excellent songs.

If you like them so far, you can buy their super cheap releases here. If you don't like them, then listen to Cementville from start to finish and then change your mind because you are wrong: