Kansas City-based label The Ghost Is Clear (TGIC) Records was started so that co-owners and musicians Bobby Johnson (Canyons) and Brian Dooley (Almanac Man, ex-Tigon, ex-Laurium) could put out releases from their own bands as well as those of their friends. Since then, their roster has expanded to include a swath of underground artists across the US, the UK, and Canada. In terms of the quality of those bands and their releases, TGIC Records simply can’t miss.
I can’t recall another label having such consistently exceptional output that so perfectly fits my musical tastes within the realms of noise rock, sludge, post-hardcore, and more. I may be somewhat biased being based near the Kansas City area, as the label is home to some of my favorite local acts of recent years, including Nerver, Missouri Executive Order 44, and Big Water. But since joining Heavy Blog is Heavy two years ago, I have also reviewed exceptional TIC-associated albums released by bands based outside of the Kansas City area, such as halfmass, Blue Youth, MOLT, Cell Press, Almanac Man, and Edhochuli. Besides local favorites and recent label highlights, digging through TGIC’s extensive back catalog of releases reveals hidden gems from Basement Family, Tigon, Demons, and many more.
One of the most impressive aspects of the TGIC’s roster is that each band has its own distinct style. While noisy, angular guitar work is certainly a shared characteristic among most of the label’s roster, each band offers its own unique blend of sonic violence. Labels often declare a distaste for mediocrity in favor of talent and innovation, but TGIC seems like one of the few actually putting their money where their mouths are. Below is a primer to get you started on the most underrated label in heavy music.
Tigon - Infinite Teeth (2012)
While much of Infinite Teeth is knotty and confrontational sludgy noise rock, Tigon’s expert use of post-rock-like dynamics and guitar interplay builds tension in such a way as to often imbue the listener with subtle but lingering discomfort (in the best sense possible).
Halfmass - Ten-Gallon Heart (2025)
Post-hardcore and progressive at its core, Ten-Gallon Heart is one of the most stylistically ambitious and eclectic albums I’ve heard in many years. There is an exceptional amount of talent on display here, and you may forget that you are listening to the same band multiple times throughout the album’s running time. One of my favorite albums of the 2020s thus far.
Nerver - Cash (2022)
No nonsense noise rock. Dense and unforgiving. The pride of Kansas City.
Sympathy Pain - Swan Dive (2024)
Featuring Casey Hansen (Cult Leader, ex-Gaza) as one half of the Sympathy Pain duo, Swan Dive is an outlier among the label’s catalog. As a mix of post-rock and ambient drone, it’s majestically cinematic, heart-breakingly beautiful, and crushingly heavy. It recalls many 2000s-era post-rock bands, such as Mogwai.
Cell Press - Cages (2024)
This captivating full-length debut from these Québecois noisemakers combines hardcore, noise rock, and sludge with a significant amount of groove. Fans of Coalesce will find much to appreciate here. Another one of my favorite albums of the 2020s thus far.