Karate
In 2005, Karate announced their demise, quietly closing the door on a 12-ye… Read Full Bio ↴In 2005, Karate announced their demise, quietly closing the door on a 12-year run that included 6 studio albums and almost 700 performances in 20 countries. They exited the indie rock world without much fanfare, except from the small enclaves of devout fans who have followed their music since Geoff Farina's early 90's work with The Secret Stars. The band’s beginnings in the early '90s Boston indie scene, their love for improvised music and classic rock, and their adherence to the DIY punk ethos of their youth made them freaks in any scene, defying classification with their strange fusion of punk, blues, jazz and rock.
The band was formed in 1993 by Geoff Farina, Eamonn Vitt and Gavin McCarthy. In 1995, Jeff Goddard joined the band as bass player, and Vitt moved to second guitar. Vitt departed Karate to pursue a medical career in 1997.
Karate’s perfectionism and attention to detail belied the off-the-cuff ethos of the indie rock world, and some considered them to be as un-punk as it gets. But fans would say that their auto-didactic music studies, compulsive control of their song arrangements, ascetic studio values, and Geoff’s work modifying old tube amplifiers and creating original album artwork, was pure DIY. Karate was even compulsive about naming this recording, which was originally called "594” since it was believed to be a recording of their 594th show, according to “The Showlist.” Culled mostly from Jeff Goddard’s elephantine memory, The Showlist is a mammoth list of Karate’s 695 shows, complete with dates, venues, support bands, and even the specific tour vehicle used to get to each show. But when Gavin recently discovered a flyer for a forgotten early show that had somehow evaded Jeff’s memory, the band quickly changed the title to '595'.
The early incarnation of Karate included Eamonn Vitt on bass and guitar, and when Jeff Goddard joined early on, they recorded In Place of Real Insight as a four-piece. When Eamonn left to pursue medical school, the lineup stabilized and remained a trio until their 2005 demise. Karate also built up a close-knit community of collaborators who shared their same no-nonsense values, including Tape Op tech guru Andy Hong who engineered most of their studio albums, Flower Booking’s Mahmood Shaikh who booked the band for over a decade, and tour manager / live sound engineer Greet Vyvey who traveled with the band on all their European tours.
Since the band's breakup, Jeff and Gavin recorded a bass/drums project called Possible Path, and Gavin began drumming for the legendary Boston psych-rock band Cul De Sac. Geoff and Gavin have a new band called Glorytellers that also features Josh Larue (Mice Parade, Him, The Sorts ) on electric guitar. Geoff started work on a new solo release for Southern Records, a recording of pre-War blues songs with Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Pullman, The New Year), and recently appeared on an all-covers record called Guilt by Association with Devendra Banhart, Mike Watt, Will Oldham, Petra Haden, Mark Mulcahy, Jim O'Rourke, and other great performers.
The band was formed in 1993 by Geoff Farina, Eamonn Vitt and Gavin McCarthy. In 1995, Jeff Goddard joined the band as bass player, and Vitt moved to second guitar. Vitt departed Karate to pursue a medical career in 1997.
Karate’s perfectionism and attention to detail belied the off-the-cuff ethos of the indie rock world, and some considered them to be as un-punk as it gets. But fans would say that their auto-didactic music studies, compulsive control of their song arrangements, ascetic studio values, and Geoff’s work modifying old tube amplifiers and creating original album artwork, was pure DIY. Karate was even compulsive about naming this recording, which was originally called "594” since it was believed to be a recording of their 594th show, according to “The Showlist.” Culled mostly from Jeff Goddard’s elephantine memory, The Showlist is a mammoth list of Karate’s 695 shows, complete with dates, venues, support bands, and even the specific tour vehicle used to get to each show. But when Gavin recently discovered a flyer for a forgotten early show that had somehow evaded Jeff’s memory, the band quickly changed the title to '595'.
The early incarnation of Karate included Eamonn Vitt on bass and guitar, and when Jeff Goddard joined early on, they recorded In Place of Real Insight as a four-piece. When Eamonn left to pursue medical school, the lineup stabilized and remained a trio until their 2005 demise. Karate also built up a close-knit community of collaborators who shared their same no-nonsense values, including Tape Op tech guru Andy Hong who engineered most of their studio albums, Flower Booking’s Mahmood Shaikh who booked the band for over a decade, and tour manager / live sound engineer Greet Vyvey who traveled with the band on all their European tours.
Since the band's breakup, Jeff and Gavin recorded a bass/drums project called Possible Path, and Gavin began drumming for the legendary Boston psych-rock band Cul De Sac. Geoff and Gavin have a new band called Glorytellers that also features Josh Larue (Mice Parade, Him, The Sorts ) on electric guitar. Geoff started work on a new solo release for Southern Records, a recording of pre-War blues songs with Chris Brokaw (Codeine, Pullman, The New Year), and recently appeared on an all-covers record called Guilt by Association with Devendra Banhart, Mike Watt, Will Oldham, Petra Haden, Mark Mulcahy, Jim O'Rourke, and other great performers.
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Karate Lyrics
- Milmea Cass I've got my wheels on you, so narrow…
01 original spies A stand, a wall, a fiat in us all, Something…
02 first release I knew a love that could scare all the wings…
03 ice or ground They used to throw some fists but now they fuck…
Airport Today the grass is like another green, Straight from heaven…
Alingual May as well be on the stretcher Black & bruises…
Baby Teeth Make yourself ready and it will come, Like baby teeth…
Bad Tattoo Bad tattoo on every boy you see This ones for you,…
Bass Sounds I'm here in a room and i have things arranged. I…
bob dylan wrote propaganda songs I laid on a dune, I looked at the sky, When…
Bodies Sometimes style just blurs the line Between what's real and…
Cacophony Don't say a word Not because I know what you mean Not…
Caffeine or Me? Brave, brave is a meaningless word, in the 20th century Sav…
Cancel Part of this safety is some routine locked in code, Predicta…
Concrete Reticent she returns to the streets Where she once floated…
Corduroy The fire is already out When the rain comes The nucleus of…
Diazapam Just ignore the red phone bill Just put it up on…
Die Die All the girls and all my friends and all the…
Empty There I trust her anywhere If only for a day We're up til…
Every Sister Maybe, things are harder when you try And I can brag…
Fatal Strategies If fear comes from children and muffled conversations behind…
First Release I knew a love that could scare all the wings…
Gasoline Hey sugar, hey sugar, hey sugar, sugar Just to watch you…
Ice or Ground They used to throw some fists but now they fuck…
If You Can Hold Your Breath This beer is wine when you've got to have a…
In Hundreds Part nonsense, part lung test, sickness loved in these hands…
It's 98 Stop It's 98, it's 99. I've got some. I've got mine. I'll…
New Martini I used to know this boredom Potentially asleep I can't fee…
New New She likes my amplifier loud. What goes in must come…
Not to Call the Police In the summer it's all bad, but in the winter…
Number Six If we are Nature's detour to get to five great…
On Cutting So many years, so many fears. That much time spent standing…
One Less Blues Confidence-it drops like filth in bathroom stalls. Privacy-…
Original Spies A stand, a wall, a fiat in us all, Something…
Outside Is the Drama I don't want the promise, I want the guarantee Of loose…
Pines Down the street I'll park the car You go ahead…
Remain Relaxed Stay out with me tonight. There's some blankets in the…
Sever Your eyes, they made lies true. Say anything and I would…
Sing This advice is outdated, This news is overrated. Sanctuary…
Small Fires Within the influence of innocence You were dressed to kill …
South How many times have I heard, "In the South they…
The Angels Just Have to Show Choked today on blank Tudor boldness as broken neighbours su…
The Halo of the Strange So much simple summer strives to convince us of its…
The Last Wars Wet, cold, late. Let me leave the key because I cannot…
The Lived-But-Yet-Named From hotels in the middle of the night I'm calling you…
The New Hangout Condition Time, as if I had some I could come on Time is…
The Roots and the Ruins They estimate the falling sun and the Orphists Plight stimu…
The Same Stars There's a literal way that you can take everything I…
There Are Ghosts So quiet I can hear that the refrigerator is on. I…
This Day Next Year Words are the worst way to say what I have…
This Plus Slow Song Imagine yourself young With pockets full of water You haven′…
Today or Tomorrow "It's all a part of winter" she said "That's just the…
Tow Truck I'm at a stand still It's 98 degrees Can't put…
Trophy Cause I said so, cause I said so, cause I…
Up Nights I make some enemies. I try to find shit that will…
Water Gloves hold you in. Accessorize. Corners of sin, and potenti…
what is sleep For 2 hours before I sleep. I make my problems…
What Is Sleep? For 2 hours before I sleep I make my problems come…
With Age Careful when you crank that last one down Because the…