When I first heard Ghostland Observatory I didn’t quite know what to think of it. As a lifelong fan of rock and alternative rock, techno rock was a nice change of pace without straying too far from what I love. Ghostland is a high energy, fast pace duo out of Austin, Texas. The combination of Aaron Behrens’ vocals and Thomas Turner’s techno musical stylings will make the rocker and club kid in you stand up and applaud. Their 2006 album Paparazzi Lightning is the second of their three albums and features “Sad, Sad City”, the track that earned them a cult following and a mention in Rolling Stone Magazine.

Their sound on this album stands out to me for two reasons: 1) Behrens knows how to sing like a rock star. There are very few mainstream bands right now that have vocals like his. 2) The music mix incorporates many pop culture references; many of the beats remind me of old monster movie themes, movie villain entrance music and even Halloween sound effects. (Putting the ghost in Ghostland.) The best part however is the fact that no matter your taste in music Ghostland Observatory will have you bobbing your head at your desk or, in the case of most fans, jumping around, dancing and stage diving.

If the albums fail to win you over just attend one of their highly electric concerts and you will be an instant fan. The energy of the music is exponentially elevated by the laser light show and costumes. For those living in Austin, you probably already know them, and those that don’t can see them almost every year at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. The rest of us will have to check them out at TrashyMoped Recordings or Ghostlandobservatory.net.

Listen Online at: Amazon


Photo from Ghostland Observatory Official Myspace Page.


Album Cover from TrashyMoped Recordings.