Goat debut album review

For those who don't know me very well, I have been on an unsigned music high for the past few months since I saw Goat. You can see my full review for their show in a link I will post at the end of this review.

Lowell kindly gave me the CD as a parting gift before I left the record store. I was expecting a memorex CD Case and "GOAT" written crudely in permanent marker (I have been to enough shows to know this). I was very surprised with the sleek packaging and fully printed cover and CD.

The Track listing goes as follows:

1.Superficial

2. Before the Cock Has Crowed

3. Oil Spill

4. Ruminant Queen

5. Day 82

6.Escape

7.Sometimes

8.Melancholy Nonsense

9.Mr. Holmes

 

The album opens strong with the horn blaring, maraca shaking, body twisting reggae inspired beat of "Superficial" with an equally strong message: not everything is what it seems to be. It has a Sublime vibe to it, but with a heaping dose of Led Zeppelin wisdom right into its core.

Now, I had to giggle at the word in the second track and I will let you guess which one it is! "Before the Cock Has Crowed" is sprinkled with (unintentional?) sexual innuendos here and there, the slow flat melody, and a soft voice that sounds like Bob Dylan singing to a baby. It may sound bad the way I explained it, but you just have to listen to it to get my jist.

Now, for my favorite track on the album. "Oil Spill". It can be Al Gore's campaign theme for god's sake! The relaxing acoustic guitar combined with Lowell's soothing voice may make the song sound innocent, but addresses several world problems. One of which: pollution and environmental health. I am a big wildlife supporter and this song clearly explains what I believe in, and I praise the excellent song writing.

"Ruminant Queen" is a gem played live, and it was the song that originally got me intrigued by their music when I walked into the record store. Josh's guitar playing really shines here and Lowell steps back from the mic a bit to allow Josh's unsung and humble nature break down it's barriers and shred. It transitions back and forth from smooth and soft to hard and blaring (almost like Styx). It is simply the epitome of progressive rock at its finest.

"Day 82" caught my ear by the simple opening line: stuck in a freefall. I enjoy the sound of Zack's drums on this track, as well as Josh's amazing guitar playing. Lowell keeps it toned down on bass and delivers on lyrics yet again. The track has more of a bluesy sound to it. The outro is the highlight of the album, and Josh simply blew my mind YET AGAIN.

"Escape". Perfect song to do so. You are kind of hypnotised during the whole song. The bass sneaks into the intro and Josh slowly gets more and more aggressive by each track. The drums layer perfectly and the lyrics are, yet again, phenomenal. "You better hope you die before you learn to call this home." I leave you at that.

The album takes a quick break from the mayhem and returns back to a slow, ballad(?) like tune in "Sometimes". Lowell finally shows off his bass skills in the intro and (I cannot tell whether it is an angelic choir or Josh) backs up his wonderful vocals. The whole band stays minimal with everything they do and it all balances out, with one not overpowering the other.

My second favorite track, Melancholy Nonsense, is nothing like its title. It is a bit like Before the Cock Has Crowed, and focuses a bit more on the instruments, but the little sampling of the Beatles' Hey Jude toward the middle always brings a smile to my face and is another highlight of the album.

Last but not least, we have MR. HOLMES. Basically it is a stew of everything you can imagine. All the songs combined into one. The cream of the crop. For those fellow Weezer fans like me who know the song "The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived", this is basically part 2. Never been a big fan of instrumentals, but this is a great exception. This song defines how serious these guys are about their music. This song lands them a place in their genre. This track defines GOAT.

 

The whole album can be listened and downloaded here:

http://soundcloud.com/zsorenson

Visit the band's website:

www.thedangboat.com

And show them some love on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goat/156102751075608

I hope these guys explode with fame, because they deserve it. One of the best debut albums I have ever heard and progressive rock fans, punk fans, and everyone else will thoroughly enjoy these. guys. New album will be released soon so I will update you regularly!

 

Past review:

http://lonelygrungekid.posterous.com/goat-clouds-on-strings-naked-lady-mudflap-and

Goat, Clouds on Strings, Naked Lady Mudflap, and San Joaquin Steamers review. Oh my!

Yeah. Goat. You know, like the cheese?"

These were the exact words that the Chico based progressive rock trio Goat used to introduce themselves to me and my awe-struck grandmother. I managed to catch these guys along with their fellow Chico musicians Clouds on Strings during their last few dates of their tour. The guys acted very shy and humble when approaching the microphone, but it all changed once they played that first chord. Composed of Lowell Thomas on bass and vocals, Josh Andrews on guitar, and Zachary Sorenson on drums, their lyrics have the frankness of Weezer, the instrumental complexity of Rush, and the talent of any seasoned musician. Their release tour may have ended, but you will still be able to see them soon, for future dates may be in the works.

Next comes the aforementioned Clouds on Strings, a 5 piece progressive rock bands also from Chico. First thing that caught my eye was the violinist, Matt Weiner, who stood in the front with a concentrated expression. Josh Hegg stood behind the keys with the biggest grin I have ever seen, and Matt Franklin, their animal of a drummer. Michael Bone and Randall Jangula controlled the bass and guitar. The whole band made sure one did not overpower another, and I, as well as everyone else in the venue, heard every bit and piece of the song perfectly. The long instrumentals inbetween verses became increasingly stronger by each song and everyone left amazed. Their influences include prog-rock staples such as Genesis, King Crimson, and Rush. You can usually catch the band watching Zappa Plays Zappa, supporting other local acts, or promoting their latest album Pomology, which can be downloaded on their website

http://music.cloudsonstrings.com/   

 

Two weeks after this amazing experience, it was time to get my metal fix. Local instrumental band The San Joaquin Steamers went head to head with punk rockers Naked Lady Mudflap. The Steamers started off strong, playing Metallica-esque pieces and gradually progressed into a melting pot of different genres such as punk, metal, and grunge. The band doesn't have much on their Facebook page at the moment, nor songs released online, so I will keep you readers posted for any releases.

 

I am a big fan of girl members in groups and was very excited and surprised with Naked Lady Mudflap's Shantell terrorizing with her sticks. Lead vocalist Roger sounds like a reincarnation of Kurt Cobain, incorporating many Nirvana trademarks such as the strong and simple guitar playing, pounding drums, and equally powerful bass played by John. The band seems to have a very energized fan base who managed to create a two man mosh pit and an encore. You can find most of their music on their Facebook page, as well as upcoming tour dates.

I must say, after living in this town for only a few months, the music scene is pretty diverse and I will be sure to write more about my local music adventures on this magazine and my music blog which I try to update weekly. Please do not hesitate to email me your songs, bands I should review next, as well as criticism, which is gladly welcome!

Send in your songs/recommendations: jadegomez510@gmail.com

My blog:

 

 

 

 

www.lonelygrungekid.posterous.com   

Interview with anthonykiedis.net founder Rebecca!

Wonderful website dedicated to Chili Pepper's frontman Anthony Kiedis. I had the pleasure of asking her a few questions:

 

1. Great websites! As a fellow fan, what drew you to the Chili's music and how did you discover them?

 

Thanks for the comments about my websites!

 

I started to listen to RHCP back in the early 90s.  I loved Under The Bridge as soon as I heard it and it became my favourite song. Around that time, I usually had one of the rock TV stations on in the background and the video for Give It Away caught my attention too. I bought BSSM and liked it a lot but at that point the Chilis were another band I listened too- I was a massive Guns N Roses fan back then and they were my first love. But then GNR imploded and didn’t record anything for ages and I grew tired of them ... and Californication came out and blew me away. That was it J 

 

2. Earliest memory of the Chili's?

As in a specific memory other than just being aware of the band on the TV/radio, is from one holiday to LA in the mid 90s. We were driving down Sunset Blvd at night, stuck in a line of traffic at some lights and Under The Bridge came on the radio. I was singing along at the top of my voice (sorry to anyone that got deafened that night!) and I was crying too as it was so emotional hearing the song in LA, where it originated.

 

3.Most interesting thing you have learned about Anthony and/or the band?

Just the whole idea of ‘Give It Away’. Think the idea of sharing and helping others gets lost a lot in the modern world. Anthony in his book, ‘Scar Tissue’ explains how the idea for the song came about (one of his ex-girlfriends gave him a coat that she really loved explaining that if you give things away freely it comes back to you) and I think it’s an important thing to remember. It’s one of the reasons why I run my websites; I want to try to give something back to the amazing RHCP online community who have given me so much love and friendship over the  years- not to mention trying to give something back to the band in the only way I can for their music, etc.

 

4. How much does it cost you to buy the tickets, magazines, and everything else you post and scan onto your site?

 

Umm.... No idea! I run away from adding up the cost because it would scare me! I’ve spent over £2000- got to that total and stopped!- on current and back issue magazines that I scan and upload (would love to create an archive of all of the main RHCP articles in magazines for fans to enjoy). I’ve spent nearly the same on going to see the band 6 times on their current tour last year (2011) and I’m trying to work out what concerts I can go to this year... So it’s a lot! I’d only seen RHCP once before, on the Stadium Arcadium tour in 2006 because I could never seem to get tickets for any of their previous tours, so I did warn everyone I’d go mad this time round!

 

Luckily, some magazines are really cheap to buy and I’ve started to get sources now who let me know if anything comes in and who will often sell things in ‘job lots’. I once picked up a magazine for 1p on eBay! My most expensive one was £50. (I went mad as it was a magazine I’d wanted for ages, never seen and then a copy came on eBay for a ridiculous price but I decided not to chance it and grabbed it. It’s the ‘Complex’ magazine that has Snoop and AK on it; it turned out to have a really long article with loads of photos so that made it better). I normally have a £10 limit (included postage) on magazines and for that they have to be special e.g. really good cover or long article but there are a few iconic magazines out there that I will pay more for if they come up for sale. I normally pay about £2-4 for each magazine. It’s getting harder to buy back issues that I don’t have but there are now current magazines featuring the band to get instead! People are also really generous and I’m getting more scans and actual magazines sent to me for free as people realise what I’m doing.

 

5. Last of all, what is one thing you would like to tell a non-fan about Anthony or the band that might make them change their mind a bit?

 

Just forget any ideas you have about the band and actually sit and listen to a few of their songs and relax into the music. RHCP are totally unique and Anthony’s lyrics are amazing.

 

Check out her site and thanks Rebecca for everything!