NY-based art rocker Adam Rushfield, aka Ghost X Gardens, brings a whole new meaning to the word alternative. This idiosyncratic artist has his fingers in several disparate genres, often pulling from prominent East Coast rock artists of the past five decades. One can easily draw a direct line from the freewheeling influence of Lou Reed to the searing riffs of Smashing Pumpkins, and further towards the modern neo-psychedelia of Grizzly Bear.
What makes his album even more eccentric is its contextual emphasis on the legendary Chelsea Hotel, which was Rushfield’s permanent residence for a year, at which time the strange guests and goings-on seeped into his recordings. He even weaved in fascinating, gin-soaked chats with the cross-dressing matriarch of the Hotel, Storme’ DeLarverie, a famed performer and MC at the Apollo, who is credited with throwing the first punch of the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
All the late-night recordings and bizarre lyrical fixation on the hotel might not connect with all music lovers, but certainly provides a charming and totally original view into one of New York’s most fabled institutions and a wildly experimental musical journey to boot. “Concealed Little Weapon” might be the most traditional song on the album, but works as an excellent entry point into the strange and macabre world of Ghost X Gardens.
Grab a free download of the song from the Soundcloud stream above.
