GoGoGo Airheart was a post-punk

Post-punk

Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...

 band from San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, that was active from 1996 to 2006.

Career

The band started out by local independent label, Vinyl Communications, and released their self-titled debut in 1997. By that time drummer Andy Robillard and violinist Teri Hoefer joined the group. In 1998 the band released their second album, love my life...hate my friends, which increased their popularity in the local music scene. They followed up with their 1999 release, Things we Need (EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

), on the Touch & Go

Touch and Go Records

Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...

 subsidiary Overcoat Recordings.

In 1999 the band also underwent personnel changes. Jimmy LaValle temporarily replaced Robillard on drums, while Hoefer left the band permanently, to start a band with her fiance Chris Relyea, formerly of The Rapture

The Rapture (band)

The Rapture is an Indie rock band based in New York City. The band mixes influences from many genres including post-punk, acid house, disco, electronica and rock, pioneering the post-punk revival genre...

. Ben White assumed the lead guitar role. By the turn of the century, the band went on various national tours, and brought in drummer Jay Hough in place of Lavalle.

By this time, GoGoGo Airheart had switched to the Sonny Kay and Mars Volta co-owned record label, GSL

Gold Standard Laboratories

Gold Standard Laboratories or GSL was an independent record label which was founded in 1993 in Boulder, Colorado by Sonny Kay. In 2000, it was relocated to San Diego, California, USA, and two years later, to Los Angeles. It was headquartered in L.A...

, and the band issued their third album, Out Every Window The Snap Of Envy And Greed, in 2000. In 2001 the band toured the states and worked on their next album, ExitheUXA, which was released in June 2002. GoGoGo Airheart also embarked on a national tour in 2002, and later in the year a European tour, supported by fellow indie rock artists such as Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand (band)

Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...

 and The Futureheads

The Futureheads

The Futureheads are an English post-punk band from Sunderland. consisting of Ross Millard , Barry Hyde and David "Jaff" Craig...

,http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/18131-gogogo-airheart-and-love-my-life-hate-my-friends followed by another national tour on their way back to California.

In 2003 White left the band, and Robillard was invited back to double-drum with Jay, who ended up parting ways with the band in July 2003, thus stripping the band down to a three-piece. In 2004 the band recorded demos of new material with Rocket From The Crypt

Rocket from the Crypt

Rocket from the Crypt was an American rock band led by John Reis, formed in 1989 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 2005.The band gained critical praise and the attention of major record labels after the release of their 1992 album Circa: Now!, leading to a recording contract with Interscope...

/Pitchfork

Pitchfork (band)

Pitchfork was an American post-hardcore band formed in 1986 in San Diego, California and disbanded in 1990. They are most well known as the first "real" band of guitarist John Reis, who would later gain fame as the frontman in Rocket from the Crypt, and as the first collaboration between Reis and...

/Drive Like Jehu

Drive Like Jehu

Drive Like Jehu was an American post-hardcore and alternative rock band from San Diego active from 1990 to 1995. Formed by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Froberg and lead guitarist John Reis following the breakup of their band Pitchfork, the band's lineup also included bassist Mike Kennedy and...

 founder John Reis

John Reis

John Reis is an American musician, singer, guitarist, record label owner, and disc jockey. He is best known as the singer and guitarist for the rock band Rocket from the Crypt, which he formed and fronted for the entirety of its career from 1990 to 2005...

, but material from these sessions has yet to be released.

By 2005, Ben White was back in the band, and the group released their final album, Rats! Sing! Sing!

Rats! Sing! Sing!

Rats! Sing! Sing! is the name of the latest album by California post-punk band, GoGoGo Airheart. It was released November 15, 2005 on Gold Standard Laboratories.-Track listing:# "Rats"# "Lie with the Lamb"# "Burn it Down"# "So Good"# "Love is..."...

, which followed both national and international tours. In early 2006, the band decided to call quits. Their final show was played at The Casbah on May 22. On one of their blog sites, Andy Robillard told fans, "After almost ten years of doing GGGAH we just can't keep living on the cheap ... I'm a little sad but also relieved that the band is done, end of an era and all that, but at least I can say without any reservations whatsoever that we never put out a shitty record, and we never sold out to The Man."

Band members

• Mike Vermillion
• Ashish Vyas
• Ben White
• Andy Robillard
• Teri Hoefer
• Michael Henning
• Jimi Hey
• James Lavalle
• Jay Hough
• M Frederick "Dekes"
• Carlos De La Garza
• David Bowie

Albums

• GoGoGo Airheart (1997 - Vinyl Communications)
• Love My Life...Hate My Friends (1998 - Vinyl Communications)
• Out Every Window the Snap of Envy & Greed (2000)
• Love My Life...Hate My Friends re-release (2001)
• GoGoGo Airheart (2001 - Gold Standard Laboratories
  Gold Standard Laboratories
  Gold Standard Laboratories or GSL was an independent record label which was founded in 1993 in Boulder, Colorado by Sonny Kay. In 2000, it was relocated to San Diego, California, USA, and two years later, to Los Angeles. It was headquartered in L.A...
  
  )
• ExitheUXA (2002 - Gold Standard Laboratories)
• GoGoGo Airheart (1997) re-release (2003)
• Rats! Sing! Sing!
  Rats! Sing! Sing!
  Rats! Sing! Sing! is the name of the latest album by California post-punk band, GoGoGo Airheart. It was released November 15, 2005 on Gold Standard Laboratories.-Track listing:# "Rats"# "Lie with the Lamb"# "Burn it Down"# "So Good"# "Love is..."...
  
  (2005 - Gold Standard Laboratories)

Singles and EPs

• "Judgement" (1997)
• "Things We Need EP" (1999 - Overcoat Recordings
  Overcoat Recordings
  Overcoat Recordings is an American record label specializing in alt country and indie rock music. It is based out of Chicago, Illinois, and its owner is Howard Greynolds, who was formerly an employee of Thrill Jockey....
  
  )
• "Song for Video" (1999)
• "The Beauty of Appetite" + "Teri and Julie" (split LP with Syncopation)
• Split CD with the 90 Day Men (2000)
• "Real Live Kill" (2002)

External links

• GoGoGo Airheart official website
• GoGoGo Airheart on MySpace
• Piece on the breakup of GoGoGo Airheart from NewYorkNightTrain.com]