Ghost Mice - The Debt of the Dead

Ever heard of Plan-It-X Records? Most people haven't. While the label probably hasn't even sold 1000 copies of any release and won't take it up to the "next level," there is still a lot of success seeded in the Indiana based company. With the motto "If it ain't cheap, it ain't punk!", Plan-It-X has managed to keep all of their prices around 5 bucks or less, allowing you to buy 3 albums for the same price those punks New Found Glory have their album selling for at the local mall. Bands like This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Abe Froman, Carrie Nations, the Bananas, Operation: Cliff Cavin, etc., have laid the foundation for the label with a lot of folky punk rock, never polished and always sincere. Ghost Mice (Hannah and Chris from The Devil is Electric) plays that aforementioned style using acoustic guitars, fiddles and the occasional harmonica. This is the band's best work (and best recorded), and if you like one song, you'll enjoy the entire album. A cover of The Smiths' "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is a wonderful surprise at the end, and I only wish I could hear what Morrissey would have to say about it. Personally, I think it's better than any other Smiths cover I've heard. This band will never be famous. They'll probably never grace the cover of any music magazine, anywhere. But people who have heard this band respect and love them for what they are--completely honest and modest people playing fun, emotional music without a care in the world for the almighty dollar, fame or a glossy image. [www.plan-it-x.com]