The Go! Team | ||
| Allmusic Biography : The sound of the Go! Team, a six-piece group from Brighton, England, is a stunning blend of indie rock guitars, police show themes, hip-hop beats, and schoolyard chants built on samples and then augmented by live instrumentation. The founder and leader of the Team is Ian Parton, who provides guitar and sculpts their sound. The rest of the group includes Sam Dook on guitar, banjo, and drums; Chi "Ky" Fukami Taylor on drums; Jaime Bell on bass; Ninja on vocals, and Kaori Tsuchida on drums, guitar, keyboards, and melodica. Their first release, 2000s Get It Together, was primarily a solo effort by Parton that gained support from John Peel and others, but legal problems prevented a timely follow-up. By the time of 2003s Junior Kickstart single, the group had been assembled (and included Silke Steidinger, who left in the fall of 2005) and signed to Memphis Industries. Thunder, Lightning, Strike was released in 2004 and quickly became a sensation in the U.K., where it was nominated for the Mercury Prize, and in the U.S., where the band became an MP3 blog darling. A bidding war ensued in the U.S., with Columbia winning, but before the album could gain release, many of the samples had to be replaced (which didnt affect the quality of the record at all). The group followed up the album with two U.K. singles, 2005s Bottle Rocket and 2006s Ladyflash, and extensive world touring. While Thunder, Lightning, Strike was an artistic success, it didnt sell the way Columbia would have liked and the band found itself label-less in America. Sub Pop soon picked them up and (with Memphis Industries) released Proof of Youth in 2007. After a long break, the group returned in early 2011 with its third album. Rolling Blackouts had the same core group as previous records and featured guest appearances by Deerhoofs Satomi Matsuzaki and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast. After another long break, during which Parton called a band meeting and basically fired the whole group, the fourth Go! Team album, The Scene Between, was released in early 2015. With Parton calling all the shots musically and a different singer on each track, the album was both a return to their early way of working and a step in a new direction. After the albums release, Parton played on and helped produce a song on Whyte Horses 2016 album Pop or Not, then started work on the next Go! Team album. He brought in players from the bands live incarnation, drummer Simone Odaranile and vocalist Angela "Maki" Won-Yin Mak, and sought out some old friends -- guitarist Sam Dook and rapper Ninja -- for some old-school flavor. Once basic tracks were laid down, Parton traveled to Detroit in search of vocalists, settling on members of the Detroit Youth Choir and teens from an area high school. He also called in previous contributor Julie Margat (aka Lispector,) while adding Annelotte de Graaf (aka Amber Arcades) and a Houston, Texas vocalist, Darenda Weaver, he found while on Bandcamp. On the finished album, 2018s Semi-Circle, the players, singers, and samples combine to create a sound that incorporates the schoolyard hip-hop of early records with the more song-based style of later albums, while adding new elements (like marching bands and calypso) to the effervescent sound. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 7 Title: Thunder, Lightning, Strike Released: 2004-09-13 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Panther Dash (02:50) 2 Ladyflash (04:12) 3 Feelgood by Numbers (01:56) 4 The Power Is On (03:14) 5 Get It Together (03:28) 6 Junior Kickstart (03:32) 7 Air Raid GTR (00:39) 8 Bottle Rocket (03:42) 9 Friendship Update (04:00) 10 Huddle Formation (03:11) 11 Everyones a V.I.P to Someone (04:58) |
| Thunder, Lightning, Strike : Allmusic album Review : The Go! Team earn their exclamation point. Their debut album, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, is a refreshing blast of Day-Glo bubble-dance-pop that could crack a smile on even the most frozen of faces. The sound of the record is a slap in the face to audio purists; it sounds like it was recorded on a truck stop-quality cassette in a very damp, crowded basement. The feel of the record is like a slap on the arse of complacent music-makers everywhere. A wake-up call to arms; a "can you top this?" The group whips up a clattering, exhilarating collage of Northern soul horns meshed with sampledelic beats, plangent harmonica, lyrical piano melodies that bring Martin Duffys work with Felt to mind (especially on "Feelgood By Numbers"), hard-charging 70s police drama funk, old-school hip-hop, and sincere indie rock. Everyone from Marley Marl to Sonic Youth is roped in to be borrowed from. Its all thrown together with a glorious sense of what works and what doesnt. There isnt a single misstep on the record and it is hard to pick favorites because every song is so blindingly good. Still, if pressed, one might pick "Ladyflash" because it encapsulates everything that is brilliant about the band, from the "Tighten Up" samples to the wonderful vocals (by the one-woman wrecking crew Ninja) that are equal parts playground hip-hop crossed with a sassy girl group to the melody to the two drummers beating the holy crap out of their kits. Find a better song than this from 2004 and you are lying. Well, maybe "Huddle Formation," a more straightforward song with the same double dutch vocals, only this time married to bracing New Order playing the hits of Phil Spector in a wind tunnel musical backing. But again any song would do, the banjo-driven epic ballad "Everyones a V.I.P. to Someone," the funkier than Ike & Tina "Bottle Rocket," the theme to the best day of your life "Friendship Update." Its pin the tail on the donkey where everywhere you stick the pin gets you a prize. The Go! Team is widescreen in a pan-and-scan world, a sparkling rejoinder to purists and spoilsports everywhere and more fun than recess on the last day of school. Cinematic, fantastic, and essential to all who want their music larger than life and rambunctious, Thunder, Lightning, Strike is the kind of record that makes you glad to be alive. What could be better than that? | ||
 | Album: 2 of 7 Title: Are You Ready for More? Released: 2005 Tracks: 6 Duration: 18:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bottle Rocket (single version) (03:35) 2 The Ice Storm (03:32) 3 We Just Wont Be Defeated (02:46) 4 Did You Feel It Too? (02:53) 5 We Listen Everyday (03:18) 6 Hold Yr Terror Close (02:23) |
 | Album: 3 of 7 Title: Live at Lollapalooza 2006 Released: 2006-09-12 Tracks: 7 Duration: 31:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Panther Dash (03:29) 2 Huddle Formation (02:58) 3 Sonic Sting / The Power Is On (04:31) 4 Junior Kickstart (04:18) 5 Everyones a V.I.P. to Someone (03:47) 6 Bottle Rocket (04:08) 7 Ladyflash (08:39) |
 | Album: 4 of 7 Title: Proof of Youth Released: 2007-09-10 Tracks: 15 Duration: 39:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Grip Like a Vice (04:02) 2 Doing It Right (03:24) 3 My World (02:09) 4 Titanic Vandalism (03:50) 5 Fake ID (03:26) 6 Universal Speech (02:35) 7 Keys to the City (03:10) 8 The Wrath of Marcie (03:23) 9 I Never Needed It Now So Much (03:27) 10 Flashlight Fight (02:50) 11 Patricias Moving Picture (04:12) 12 Milk Crisis (02:46) 13 A Version of Myself (?) 14 Willows Song (?) 15 Bull in the Heather (?) |
| Proof of Youth : Allmusic album Review : The Go! Team burst onto the indie scene like the proverbial breath of fresh air. Their music, built on samples of schoolyard chants and TV theme rockers, made most everything else sound gray and a little timid in comparison. Thunder, Lightning, Strike, their debut album, was a brilliant record and Proof of Youth cant help but suffer when stacked up against it. Indeed, it might take a fews spins before you can shake the feeling that youre listening to outtakes from Thunder, Lightning, Strike, but once you do, the album reveals itself to be another, though slightly lesser, stroke of greatness. Rather than relying heavily on samples this time out, bandleader Ian Parton goes with a live band approach with samples blended in. It results in a slightly more organic sound, but one thats still recognizably the Go! Team. Meaning that the master tapes were dragged behind a car for a couple of miles and left out to melt in the hot August sun. The resulting tinny and muddy mess may be enough to give audiophiles the hives, but to everyone else its an exciting mess that fairly explodes out of the speakers in a hissy rush of sound. The drums pound, the horns blare, the guitars wail and clatter, the vocals shout to be heard; its a whirling fun house of music. Which would be enough to recommend the album, but the songs themselves are equally as impressive. "Grip Like a Vice," which features raps from female pioneers Lisa Lee of Cosmic Force and Sha Rock from Funky 4 + 1, is the equal of anything on Thunder; "Doing It Right" has lovely verses sung by guitarist Kaori Tsuchida to match the instantly hooky chorus; and "Patricias Moving Picture" shows a sensitive side the group would be wise to investigate in the future. Taking the place of the samples on Proof of Youth are many guest appearances. Along with Solexs appearance, Marina from Bonde do Rolê sings on the stomping "Titanic Vandalism," two rap crews from opposite ends of the age spectrum (daycare cuties the Rappers Delight Club and real old-school jump-roping rappers the Double Dutch Divas) are on board for "Universal Speech," and Chuck D of Public Enemy raps on "Flashlight Fight." Only the latter guest spot feels like a gimmick. Chuck Ds rap isnt as bad as his "Kool Thing" misadventure, but it sounds wildly out of place next to Ninjas exhortations and the old-school lightheartedness that prevails elsewhere. No doubt the idea of working with one of their heroes was a thrill for the band, but the album would have been better off without the song. One misstep isnt enough to ruin things, though, and if you can forgive them for basically making the same album again, Proof of Youth is a pretty solid continuation of some of the most exciting, innovative sounds around. Next time theyll have to stretch some, but for now the Go! Team is doing it right. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 7 Title: Rolling Blackouts Released: 2011-01-12 Tracks: 13 Duration: 40:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 T.O.R.N.A.D.O. (02:09) 2 Secretary Song (03:32) 3 Apollo Throwdown (03:20) 4 Ready to Go Steady (02:45) 5 Bust-Out Brigade (02:42) 6 Buy Nothing Day (03:59) 7 Super Triangle (01:46) 8 Voice Yr Choice (03:34) 9 Yosemite Theme (04:09) 10 The Running Range (03:45) 11 Lazy Poltergeist (01:40) 12 Rolling Blackouts (03:30) 13 Back Like 8 Track (03:49) |
| Rolling Blackouts : Allmusic album Review : If the Go! Team’s second album, Proof of Youth, sounded like they were remaking their debut, Thunder, Lightning, Strike, Rolling Blackouts sounds like they are remaking Proof of Youth. Like that record, this is filled with guest appearances, great songs, and a sense of collaboration that was missing from the sample-based first record. However, while Proof had a few weak points, Blackouts has practically no flaws at all. It’s a thrillingly joyous and fun record that bursts out of the speakers with the call to arms of "T.O.R.N.A.D.O." and rarely lets up. If you thought that maybe the initial idea behind the band as concocted by Ian Parton, the sample-based blending of hip-hop, soundtrack music, indie rock, and hooky pop songs, was going to run out of steam or start to sound forced, you’d be way off. Way, way off. Parton seemingly used the time between albums to line up perfect collaborators, tweak the sound just enough to give it more life, and with his core band write a batch of wonderfully realized songs. From jangling, jet-powered rock tracks, schoolyard-with-strings hip-hop battle jams, and widescreen movie theme ballads to bubblegum sticky pop songs and rumbling gospel throwdowns, Parton and crew can conjure up almost anything and make it sound just right. The vocalists Parton chose fit just right, too. Dominique Young Unique’s gum-smacking nonchalance and sassy rapping on “Apollo Throwdown” and “Voice Yr Choice” are a nice contrast to Ninja’s enthusiasm and fire, Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki’s wide-eyed innocence sweetens the work-hating anthem “Secretary Song,” the long-running lo-fi genius Lispector’s singing on the ridiculously catchy “Ready to Go Steady” should inspire everyone to check out her albums, and the London African Gospel Choir gives the record some class on “The Running Range” (which also features some fun yelping from Marina Gasolina). Best of all is the feature for Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, who in a feat of seerdom not known since the days of Nostrodamus, Parton contacted long before she became a ubiquitous poster girl for weedy indie rock. “Buy Nothing Day” is the record’s highlight, as her vocals and the song combine to make the kind of song that would be a huge pop hit if the radio would only allow it. The near-perfect combination of guests, brilliantly constructed songs, and sounds that fit together like a multi-colored Lego wall of sound make Rolling Blackouts something very special. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 7 Title: The Scene Between Released: 2015-03-17 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What D’You Say? (04:13) 2 The Scene Between (03:48) 3 Waking the Jetstream (04:03) 4 Rolodex the Seasons (00:58) 5 Blowtorch (03:28) 6 Did You Know? (04:50) 7 Gaffa Tape Bikini (00:43) 8 Catch Me on the Rebound (02:52) 9 The Floating Felt Tip (00:52) 10 Her Last Wave (03:52) 11 The Art of Getting By (Song for Heavens Gate) (03:46) 12 Reason Left to Destroy (03:47) 13 Ye Ye Yamaha (03:35) 14 Til We Do It Together (04:06) |
| The Scene Between : Allmusic album Review : After the promotional cycle for their Rolling Blackouts album ended, Go! Team guiding force Ian Parton called a band meeting. At the end of it, Parton was the only member of the team still in the band full-time. This return to the original way of working meant that Parton was back to being in total control and he also needed to find some new vocalists. Eschewing the high-profile cameos of the previous two albums, for The Scene Between Parton sought out and selected female vocalists he didnt know or hadnt heard before. He also put more focus into the songwriting and production than before, aiming to create a different feel and sound from track to track. It makes for a listening experience that is at once familiar and also pretty different. The hallmarks of the Go! Team sounds are mostly in place; the album doesnt lack for thundering beats, sunshiny samples, and layers of sound crashing brightly against one another. A little less clustered than the first two albums, a little fuzzier than Blackouts, the Scene Between succeeds in its aims. Going from track to track isnt exactly like flipping down a radio dial, but each song has a unique feel. And its more like an album of songs than any previous one, with stuff like the ultra-sugary indie pop-inspired "Waking the Jetstream" and the bubbling shoegaze blast of "Blowtorch" sounding like they could be radio hits. The jangling girl group ballad "Did You Know?" and dream pop confection "Reason Left to Destroy" also have lots of stand-alone value. Parton doesnt totally leave the classic Go! Team sound behind, with "The Art of Getting By (Song for Heavens Gate)" and the title track displaying lots of old-school swagger and a very G-Team way of sampling. These nods to the past are comforting and provide a base for the rest of the album, and the inclusion of short instrumental snippets is a nice touch that shows off Partons sound-manipulating skills. What The Scene Between is, though, is a departure -- its a pop album at its core and it works. Theres a lightness to the sound that gives the record a fresh-faced and innocent feel; the vocalists Parton chose are all up to the task (and inspire the listener to seek out their other projects); and the songs have a brisk, joyful skip to their step thats impossible not to love. Especially if youre a fan of blown-out, slightly overloaded pop music, the kind that fills the speakers, ears, and hearts with warmth and happiness. Since Thunder, Lightning, Strike is an absolute classic, The Scene Between isnt the Go! Teams best, but it is an impressive new start that consolidates most of their strengths in a bright shiny ball and sends the band shooting off in a brilliant new-ish direction. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 7 Title: Semicircle Released: 2018-01-19 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mayday (03:57) 2 Chain Link Fence (03:41) 3 Semicircle Song (03:29) 4 Hey! (02:54) 5 The Answers No - Now What’s the Question? (04:27) 6 Chico’s Radical Decade (02:42) 7 All the Way Live (03:34) 8 If There’s One Thing You Should Know (03:26) 9 Tangerine / Satsuma / Clementine (01:23) 10 She’s Got Guns (03:30) 11 Plans are Like a Dream U Organise (03:45) 12 Getting Back Up (04:01) |
| Semicircle : Allmusic album Review : Since they burst onto the scene with Thunder, Lightning, Strike in 2004, everything released by the Go! Team has been an exuberant blast of life-affirming, heartwarming fun. The players may change and the stylistic mix may vary, but one thing remains constant, and thats founder Ian Partons knack for crafting genius pop songs out of obscure samples and picking the perfect people to sing and/or rap over them. After 2015s song-oriented The Scene Between, where Parton rebooted the band and populated the album with vocalists found on the Internet, 2018s Semicircle returns to the classic Go! Team approach with a few nifty alterations. To make the music, Parton dipped into his record collection to find samples as usual, but also asked original guitarist Sam Dook and touring drummer Simone Odaranile to help out. After The Scene Betweens indie pop leanings, Semicircle shifts back to the classic GT sound with equal parts funk, hip-hop, shoegaze, indie pop, and schoolyard chants represented. To this Parton adds some marching band swagger, with many songs boasting mighty horn sections and stomping beats. Next, he whipped up his usual blend of offbeat and unexpected singers, traveling to Detroit to record vocals by the Detroit Youth Choir and area high-school kids, finding Texas mod rocker Darenda Weaver on Bandcamp, and adding Annelotte de Graaf (aka Amber Arcades) to the mix. He also utilized Angela "Maki" Won-Yin Mak, who sings in the live band, and called in original member Ninja. Its a typically interesting mix of voices, and Parton matches them up with the songs perfectly. The kids have just the right amount of sweetness and swagger on their songs; "Chain Link Fence" is a dreamy R&B; confection that floats on air effortlessly, their massed vocals fill the whomping soul jam "Mayday" with soulful intensity, and their innocence gives the title track a lighthearted bounce. Elsewhere, Ninja shows she hasnt lost a step in the sass department on the fiery "Shes Got Guns," Julie Margats breathy French intonations lend "Hey!" some continental charm, Weavers girlish voice has just the right amount of toughness for the girl group-inspired "The Answers No - Now Whats the Question?," Maki handles the steel drum-heavy "If Theres One Thing You Should Know" with a light touch, and de Graafs feature "Plans Are Like a Dream U Organise" is a mind-bending blend of sunshine pop, hip-hop, and shoegaze that she helms in just the right understated fashion. Add in a couple of witty instrumentals and a strutting hip-hop-meets-marching-band jam that samples a 1981 record made by a class of Chicago high-schoolers ("All the Way Live"), and the result is another eclectic, iconoclastic record that doesnt sound like anything else happening in the world. That the Go! Team can sound as fresh and inventive on Semicircle as they did when they started is an impressive, almost miraculous, feat that defies nature and defines triumphant joy. | ||