Meet JOE LEKKAS (vocals/ bass), WALT EPTING (percussion) and BEN DOUGLAS (guitar/ vocals/ keyboards),

Together they are PALM GHOSTS.

They are a true indie outfit in both modus and music.

They were formed in PENNSYLVANIA by JOW and are currently situated, as they say, more centrally in NASHVILLE. While they have reached some level of success they also hold proper day jobs.

To say they are prolific songwriters is an understatement. By my count they have released 8 studio a remix LP and a clutch of EPs since 2014.

They also tour whenever they are able. That is how they came into my orbit.

They played in Wïndsor a couple of years ago (April 28, 2022.) I had not heard of the band and was unable to attend.

Dear pal @iammiozio was there and bought me their self-titled debut LP and had it signed!

When PALM GHOSTS returned a year or so later (August 11, 2023) I was there with Zio! It was a great gig!

I also got to meet the band and complete my acquisition of their discography! (As it then was!)

Following the post gig chat the guys are now active members of our little group AND more importantly, they continue to crank out vibrant indie music.

I recently spoke with JOE and asked him for a 24 song playlist for 2024. He gladly obliged!

Here it is for your listening pleasure along with a piece written by about their latest release “Facades” – a 4EP masterpiece.

Art Jipson from “Your Tuesday Afternoon Alternative” described the song collection in the following review:

Palm Ghosts’ Facades is a glorious, hypnotic propulsive attack of an album that makes you feel both like you’re drifting through a dream and stumbling through the wreckage of something you can’t quite recall. This album, a combination of EPs is a declaration. It’s like the band took everything that was ever great about post-punk, new wave, and shoegaze and smashed it all together, yet somehow came out sounding fresh, urgent, and dangerously alive.

The shimmering guitars and languid basslines swirl in and out, creating this thick, intoxicating atmosphere that makes you want to dive deeper into the murk but also leaves you gasping for air.

The vocals are equal parts ethereal and gritty—softly crooning, yet laden with desperation. They balance somewhere between hope and despair, almost like the singer is talking you down from the edge of a nervous breakdown. And just when you think you’ve pinned the band down, Facades hits you with a groove that’s suddenly danceable, only to drag you back into darker waters. It’s a record that doesn’t do anything easy, and that’s what makes it remarkable. Palm Ghosts know their sound isn’t for everyone (even thought it really should be), but damn if they don’t craft an atmosphere so immersive you feel it in your bones. This isn’t just music—it’s an experience.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1JGY8d0UUFWgWw9MY7Zv9h?si=BoLUpEfDSlyCy9FbQx3kSw&pi=u-HXegATVsTlGa

(SONGS 912-935)

I urge you to delve into this music and hopefully join me when the PALM GHOST comet retunes this way!

PLAY LOUD OR PERISH

1/31/2025