Holy Ghost! Premiere "Wait And See" Video

With their self-titled debut finally unleashed on the world and fresh off a tour with Cut Copy, Holy Ghost! are plowing ahead with a performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Friday, April 29, and also gearing up for a European tour before crossing back over the pond for some U.S. gigs. In the meantime the band has released a new video for the single "Wait And See."

Set in the duo's familiar NYC stomping grounds, they decided to include some very special guests for the clip. "For a long time Nick and I joked that our dads should take our press photos," Alex Frankel said. "At some point our go-to director, Ben Fries, came up with the idea of actually making a video with playing us and "Wait And See" seemed like the perfect song to do it for."

While both dads were a little nervous about their cameos, Frankel assured them they weren't butt of the joke. "My dad was appalled at the sizing options at American Apparel. But when we explained that the joke wasn't on them--that it was actually kind of making fun of us getting older and still living like teenagers--they were game. For the record they agree: We need to grow up."

Watch the video below.








Holy Ghost! - Wait & See from DFA Records on Vimeo.

Q&A: Holy Ghost!

Ever since the release of their debut single "Hold On" four years ago, electro duo Holy Ghost!, made up of childhood friends Alex Frankel and Nick Milhiser have gone from strength to strength, releasing another memorable cut, "I Will Come Back," in 2009 and dropped the critically-acclaimed Static On The Wire EP last year.

Now with their self-titled debut, (which garnered the first 5 out of 5 review on this blog) topping iTunes' Electronic Charts and a U.S. tour with fellow dance-rockers Cut Copy, the band seems poised to become electro music's next big thing.

Holy Ghost! chatted with Indies And The Underground about their early musical incarnation as hip hop band Automato, remixing Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac, and how they lured in Michael McDonald to sing on the album.

While the name Holy Ghost! comes from a song by Bar Keys, did either of you grow up in a religious home? 

Not so much...I'm Jewish and Nick is not, but by virtue of the fact that we're both from the Upper West Side of NYC we're both basically Jewish. 

What were your early musical/songwriting influences?

The Talking Heads, New Order, Michael Jackson

You were in a hip hop band called Automato in your teen years. How is Holy Ghost! different from your previous band?

Actually, musically it's not all that different in its approach. We still think about sound in a similar way, but now it's more melody based and chord driven. But we still think about drums the same way really.

Both of you are classically trained musicians as well as DJs. How has that affected your approach to making music? 

We're not classically trained but we did take lessons growing up and taught ourselves a bunch of stuff. I don't what it would be like to make music without knowing how to play anything at all. Certainly people do it all the time with excellent results. And I imagine a lot of creativity comes from having no rules. But I guess I like to be able to sit at the piano when we're writing and kind of just go without thinking to much about what follows what...I guess a little bit of training helps allow yourself to just play and see what comes out instead of being stuck before you start. But I don't know. There's no right way. It certainly helps that Nick is a drummer for dance music.

Which mainstream hits would you love to remix?

Eeek, I'd rather not touch the things I really like. Having the stems to the Michael Jackson catalogue would be pretty sweet though...or Fleetwood Mac!


Holy Ghost! sounds like a modern take on the late 70's/early 80's new wave, R&B and disco sounds of bands like Chic, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Modern English, The Cars and Let's Dance-era David Bowie, as well as Prince and Michael Jackson. Did you have those or other artists in mind while recording the album?

I think everyone who enjoys life has those songs and artists in their minds.

How were you able to get Michael McDonald to guest on "Some Children?"

Strangely he just wanted a back rub. No, through a friend of a friend.

Although it's upbeat musically, lyrically the album sometimes touches on some pretty emotional territory, like "Jam For Jerry," a song about the death of your drummer, and songs like "Hold My Breath," "Wait and See" and "Static On The Walls." Was it a conscious decision to have the contrast with the sound and lyrics? 

Definitely on "Jam For Jerry" we had the idea. "What about a song that pays tribute to a somber subject lyrically but in an uplifting way musically."

You stated that you wanted to make an album that people would want to play both at a club and at

 home. Do you feel that's a barrier that  a lot of dance artists face?

Of course, and hurdle many stumble over. Hopefully we cleared it.


You guys, along with other bands like Cut Copy, Sleigh Bells and MGMT, blur the lines between electronic dance music, pop and rock music. Do you see yourselves as part of a movemnt or a creating a new style of pop music?

Hmm, I don't think we really think like that nor are we in a position to judge where we fit in. I do feel a certain sense of kinship with Cut Copy because they are good friends.

What can fans expect next from you? 

Not sure yet, but it'll probably have to do with more music.

Album Review: HolyGhost!

Holy Ghost! first peaked the ears of audiophiles with "Do It Again," a first-class slice of sonic wizardry crammed with shimmering synths, a ferocious bassline and beats all topped off by an "oh oh oh's" that could only be described as deliriously psychotic baby laughter.

The duo provide plenty of heading spinning tricks on other tracks. "It's Not Over" and the ironically titled "Slow Motion" practically spill over with stacks of  booming tom tom drums, frenetic keyboards and at one point, an oddly poignant brass solo. "Static On The Wire," features an elastic bass, smooth falsetto vocals, warm chords and fiery guitar solo, provides a sleek, sultry groove ideal for late nights, and the breathy "Say My Name" give offs a cool, laid back vibe.

But the album's focus turns consistently to pop melodies and more traditional song structure. This was a wise choice, as pulling back the production theatrics leaves room to concentrate on the lyrics, which focus on themes of love, betrayal and loss. "Well you promised/To be honest with me/Were you being honest/Tell me honestly," singer Alex Frankel pleads in "Wait and See." Backed by heavy synthesizers and a slowing pumping bass, the track rides a twinkling melody that echoes in the guitars, samples and keyboards and builds into a giant, Phil Specter-esque melodic sound wall.

Dripping with early 80's new wave sheen, clean, angular guitars and all, "Hold My Breath" mines the same paranoid territory, with Frankel repeating "Took some money from the joint account/I know I know I know I'm runnin' out but/I found a woman in a photograph/Good guess, good guess, good guess." The emotional "Jam For Jerry" laments the untimely death of the band's drummer. "It surrounds me/Drowns me in it/If I change it all I would/If only I could," he sings mournfully.

If any track seems to meld Holy Ghost!'s pop ambitions with sheer sonic audacity, it's album closer "Some Children." Somber chorus harmonies weave in and out over a bouncy, grooving bassline, while jittery synths flutter by and rise and fall from the shadows. All while Michael McDonald serves as guest star vocalist....oh yeah, that Michael McDonald. The song manages to be cutting edge, catchy, joyously danceable and beautifully melancholic all at once.

Holy Ghost! is a frighteningly hooky, compulsively listenable debut that dares you not to bust a move.

5/5

Holy Ghost! Live Album Stream

Can't wait to hear Holy Ghost!'s self-titled debut? Well you're in luck, as Hype Machine is streaming the band's album in its entirety. The disc will officially hit the streets on April 21st. The duo are also in the midst of a tour with fellow dance-rockers Cut Copy. View the tour dates below, and listen to the album HERE.

04/07 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
04/08 – Chicago, IL – Riviera
04/09 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
04/12 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo
04/13 – Portland, OR - Branx #
04/15 – San Jose, CA – Blank Club #
04/16 – San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom
04/17 – San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom
04/18 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex (Check Yo Ponytail) #
04/20 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
04/21 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s
04/22 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s
04/23 – New Orleans, LA – Republic
04/29 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

# = without Cut Copy

Holy Ghost! "Wait & See"

While Holy Ghost!'s first offering "Do It Again," showcased the duo's ability to create cutting edge, dancefloor anarchy their new release, "Wait & See" reveals they also have a knack for crafting straightforward pop songs,. Carried by a catchy four-note melody motif, they strip away the synthesized zaniness, leaving space for anxious, emotional lyrics about a relationship.

Holy Ghost! are currently on tour with Cut Copy. Listen and download "Wait & See" below, and view the full list of tour dates.

Holy Ghost - Wait And See by IndiesUnder

03/29 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club*

03/30 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club*
03/31 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero*
04/01 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5*
04/02 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5*

04/04 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues*

04/05 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda*

04/07 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy*
04/08 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera*
04/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue*

04/12 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo*

04/16 – San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom*
04/17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom*
04/18 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex

04/20 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater*

04/21 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s*
04/22 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s*

04/23 – New Orleans, LA @ Republic*

04/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Holy Ghost! Give Up Album Details, Plot U.S. Tour With Cut Copy

Holy Ghost! plan to set dancefloors around the world on fire with their self-titled debut, due out in April. Fans have already gotten a taste of what's to come with the release of the insanely catchy single "Do It Again". The band's 10-song release will feature guest appearances the Rapture's Luke Jenner, Penguin Prison's Chris Glover and Michael McDonald. Yes, that Michael McDonald.

The litany of guest stars is all part of the duo's plan to mercilessly dominate the electronic music game. Or at least craft tracks that don't require seizure-inducing strobe lights and alcohol-filled Styrofoam cups to be enjoyed.

"I didn't want to limit  myself to making an album that could only be played in clubs," says Alex Frankel. Partner in crime Nick Millhiser agreed, adding "We were trying to make something that people would want to listen to front to back at home."

Holy Ghost! will also be hitting the road with dance-rock trio Cut Copy for a U.S. trek. View the album's tracklist as well as tour dates below.

Tracklisting
1. do it again
2. wait and see
3. hold my breath
4. say my name
5. jam for jerry
6. hold on
7. it’s not over
8. slow motion
9. static on the wire
10. some children

US Tour Dates w/ Cut Copy
03/28 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
03/29 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
03/31 – Philadelphia, PA – The Trocadero
04/01 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/02 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/04 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
04/05 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
04/07 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
04/08 – Chicago, IL – Riviera
04/09 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
04/12 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo
04/16 – San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom
04/20 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
04/22 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s
04/23 – New Orleans, LA – Republic

Holy Ghost! "Do It Again"

Holy Ghost! are busy working away the self-titled debut album for DFA records, which is due out April 5th. The duo are offering fans a taste of what's to come with the album's first single "Do It Again," The deep, driving bass and layers of synths and samples manage to pay homage to 80's new wave while still sound sleekly current. The stuttered 'do it agains' are also a hooky highlight. Think 1999-era Prince meets The Cars. Holy Ghost! will be playing their entire album for NYC fans at the Mercury Lounge on February 2nd. Listen to "Do It Again" below:

Holy Ghost - Do It Again by DFA Records