Way back when, in the early days of this new decade/millennium, when Northern Liberties (the neighborhood) was quickly becoming the next stop on the gentrification express; I had a small glimmer of hope that the rise in the profile of Northern Liberties (the neighborhood) would in turn help rise the profile of Northern Liberties (the band). Granted I never believed for a second that the majority of people who would possibly become aware of this West Philly trio by their association (in name) with an up-and-coming neighborhood would accept them with open arms. But hey, any press is good press, right….

Jump back to the present, and now Northern Liberties (the neighborhood) is one of the city’s hottest spots to live & hang out (at least until Fishtown/Kensington gets off the ground), and Northern Liberties (the band) remain one of Philly’s best kept secrets. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, I mean some of the greatest artists spent their entire lives shrouded in obscurity waiting patiently for the rest of the world to develop the eyes, ears, or whatever senses are required to fully appreciate their work (I believe the scientific term for this is The Van Gogh syndrome). And that definitely puts these guys in with good company…

But on the other hand, now that Northern Liberties (the neighborhood) is a safe haven for hipsters & yuppies alike (though in actuality there is little difference between the two, the hipster of today is really just the yuppie of tomorrow, you know, when mommy & daddy cut off the trust fund and they have to get, like, a real job, but I digress…), people approaching Northern Liberties (the band) for the first time may be a bit puzzled by the odd choice of name. Well let me be the one to enlighten you there newbie. Let’s step back in the Way Back machine shall we & take a look at the city in years of NLBG (Northern Liberties Before Gentrification, for those of you not down with acronyms). And what did this now hip & bustling community look back then: A vast, teeming industrial wasteland of abandoned warehouses, broken street lamps, danger, & madness (remember folks this was, more or less, the area of Philadelphia that inspired David Lynch to make Eraserhead). And it is these images that, in a way, best describe the music that Northern Liberties makes.
Make no bones about it, these boys are all about the doom & gloom, but they also can recognize the beauty & wonder that exists in this modern urban asylum.

(Note to the band:
If you’re looking for critical endorsements to slap on the cover, I humbly offer the previous statement as well as the following:
“The Soundtrack to Humanity’s Spiritual Apocalypse & Rebirth”
“Songs About the Things That Go Bump in the Nightmare of Your Psyche”
“What Lurks in the Shadows When You’re Alone at Night? Listen to This Album and Find Out!”
“Hey, If You’re a Pigeon You’ll Love This Band!”)
Which brings us (at last!) to Ghost Mind Electricity, Northern Liberties newest tome to the mysteries of modern life. Recorded by Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios, this album tackles subject matter such as: voices calling from other astral planes, the dreams of unborn babies, death, resurrection, dead deers, war, blood, psychic nurses, & in Northern Liberties’ ongoing struggle for the rights of birds everywhere, finally, a National Anthem (For Birds).

My reaction to this album, as well as the other Northern Liberties’ album & most of all their live shows, is really hard (if not outright impossible) to put into words. It definitely grabs me in an intellectual level, as well as a gut level, but in the end it grabs me the most in a spiritual way (hey here’s another blurb: Finally a Band That Will Make The Atheists Believe In…Something!). Each encounter with this band (and once again the live shows especially) is like a baptism in fire, blood, & electricity, and every time I reemerge I’m still convinced that the world is a dark & scary place, but I also have a renewed hope that there still is something resembling magic in this world…

Once again Justin Duerr & co. have walk down that fine line between madness & enlightenment into the gaping jaw of the unknown & have come back, souls intact, with an album reporting what they have found for benefit for all of us true believers…