Karate (band)
Encyclopedia
Karate was an American band, formed in Boston, Massachusetts
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.
The band was characterised by their love for improvised music and classic rock and their adherence to the DIY punk ethos of their youth, which made them difficult to classify, being a strange fusion of indie rock
, punk
, blues
, jazz
and post-rock
.
Farina developed hearing problems due to twelve years of performance with Karate and was forced to disband the group in July 2005, quietly closing the door on a 12-year run that included 6 studio albums and almost 700 performances in 20 countries. Their final show was played in Rome
, Italy
, on July 10, 2005. Their music was primarily released on Southern Records
.
Karate’s perfectionism and attention to detail is well known among the music scene. Their compulsive behaviour manifested also in naming their last recording, which was originally called “594” since it was believed to be a recording of their 594th show. When Gavin discovered a flyer for a forgotten early show that had somehow evaded Jeff’s memory, the band quickly changed the title to ‘595’. Finally, In 2007, the former band members decided to release the live album 595
. Often, Karate was sent live material from their own performances (often from sound technicians). This happened also after their performance on May 5 at Stuk, Leuven, Belgium. Karate was so astonished by the quality of the recording they decided to release this "posthumous" live album of their 595th live performance.
On his own, Geoff Farina has also developed a solo career with three albums and a handful of EPs over the years, some released while the band was still around, and thus far one since Karate disbanded.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
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.
The band was characterised by their love for improvised music and classic rock and their adherence to the DIY punk ethos of their youth, which made them difficult to classify, being a strange fusion of indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
.
Farina developed hearing problems due to twelve years of performance with Karate and was forced to disband the group in July 2005, quietly closing the door on a 12-year run that included 6 studio albums and almost 700 performances in 20 countries. Their final show was played in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, on July 10, 2005. Their music was primarily released on Southern Records
Southern Records
Southern Records is an independent record label closely associated with Crass Records, Corpus Christi Records and Dischord Records. It is based in London and previously had offices in Chicago , Le Havre and Berlin .Southern was originally a recording studio owned and operated by John Loder...
.
Karate’s perfectionism and attention to detail is well known among the music scene. Their compulsive behaviour manifested also in naming their last recording, which was originally called “594” since it was believed to be a recording of their 594th show. When Gavin discovered a flyer for a forgotten early show that had somehow evaded Jeff’s memory, the band quickly changed the title to ‘595’. Finally, In 2007, the former band members decided to release the live album 595
595 (album)
595 is a live album by Karate, released on Southern Records on October 8, 2007. The album is so named because this is a recording of their 595th live show. All told, 695 shows were performed over the band's 12 year career....
. Often, Karate was sent live material from their own performances (often from sound technicians). This happened also after their performance on May 5 at Stuk, Leuven, Belgium. Karate was so astonished by the quality of the recording they decided to release this "posthumous" live album of their 595th live performance.
On his own, Geoff Farina has also developed a solo career with three albums and a handful of EPs over the years, some released while the band was still around, and thus far one since Karate disbanded.
Discography
- KarateKarate (album)Karate is the self-titled debut album by Boston band Karate.-Track listing:#"Gasoline"#"If You Can Hold Your Breath"#"Trophy"#"What Is Sleep?"#"–" – 4:29#"Bad Tattoo"#"Every Sister" - 4:36#"Bodies" - 4:41#"Caffeine or Me?"...
LPLP albumThe LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
/CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
(19961996 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
, Southern RecordsSouthern RecordsSouthern Records is an independent record label closely associated with Crass Records, Corpus Christi Records and Dischord Records. It is based in London and previously had offices in Chicago , Le Havre and Berlin .Southern was originally a recording studio owned and operated by John Loder...
18534) - In Place of Real InsightIn Place Of Real Insight-Track listing:#"This, Plus Slow Song"#"New Martini"#"Wake Up, Decide"#"It's 98 Stop"#"New New"#"The New Hangout Condition"#"On Cutting"#"Die Die"#"Today or Tomorrow"...
LP/CD (19971997 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
, Southern Records 18543) - The Bed is in the OceanThe Bed is in the OceanThe Bed is in the Ocean is the third album by Boston indie rock band Karate.- Track listing :# "There Are Ghosts" – 3:39# "The Same Stars" – 6:20# "Diazapam" – 3:23# "The Last Wars" – 3:37# "Bass Sounds" – 2:14# "Up Nights" – 6:21...
LP/CD (19981998 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
, Southern Records 18554) - Unsolved CD/2xLPDouble albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
(October 20002000 in musicSee also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
/March 20012001 in musicSee also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
, Southern Records 18584) - Some BootsSome BootsSome Boots is the fifth studio album by Karate, released by Southern Records on October 8, 2002. Following the release of the Cancel/Sing EP earlier in the year, the band began recording material featuring longer songs and jazz and more active post-rock influences...
LP/CD (October 20022002 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, Southern Records 18599) - PocketsPockets (album)Pockets is an album by Karate. Their jazz influences can be heard more so on than on any other Karate album.-Track listing:# With Age - 3:45# Water - 5:21# "The State I'm In" AKA "Goode Buy from Cobbs Creek Park" - 2:39# Cacophony - 4:21...
CD/LP (August 20042004 in musicSee also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol....
, Southern Records 28114) - 595595 (album)595 is a live album by Karate, released on Southern Records on October 8, 2007. The album is so named because this is a recording of their 595th live show. All told, 695 shows were performed over the band's 12 year career....
CD/2xLPDouble albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
(October 20072007 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
, Southern Records)
EPs and 7-inch records
- Death Kit/Nerve 7" single (19941994 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
, The Self Starter Foundation PSP1) - Karate/The Lune splitSplit albumA split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
7" with The Lune (19951995 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
, Lonesone Pine Records LPR1)- song - "The Schwinn"
- The Crownhate Ruin/Karate split 7" with The Crownhate RuinThe Crownhate RuinThe Crownhate Ruin was a short-lived post-hardcore band from Washington, D.C.. Formed by ex-Hoover members Fred Erskine and Joe McRedmond, the band also featured Vin Novara on drums.-History:Hoover disbanded after a 1994 US tour...
(19951995 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- January–February :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
, Art Monk ConstructionArt Monk ConstructionArt Monk Construction was founded by Eric Astor and Garrett Rothman in State College, Pennsylvania in 1993. When Rothman left State College to study abroad, Astor was joined in managing the label by Rich Kraemer, a childhood friend from Tempe, Arizona, and the two additionally formed Lumberjack...
ART11)- song - "Cherry Coke"
- Operation: Sand/Empty There (19981998 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:*January 28 – "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
, Southern Records 18553) - Cancel/SingCancel/SingCancel/Sing is a two-song EP released by the indie rock band Karate in the spring of 2002; the album was produced with Karate's usual label, Southern Records....
EP CD (20022002 in musicThis is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*February 3 – U2 perform during the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVI...
, Southern Records 18594) - Concerto al Barchessone Vecchio EP (2003, Fooltribe http://www.fooltribe.com FT02)
- In the Fishtank 12In The Fishtank 12In the Fishtank 12 is an EP released in 2005 and recorded by the Boston-based band Karate. Part of the In the Fishtank series released by Dutch music distributor Konkurrent, it would prove to be Karate's last studio recording. Karate broke up later that year due to frontman Geoff Farina's...
EP (February 20052005 in music-Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996.-January:...
, Konkurrent Records - NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
)
Related bands
- Apology - Jeff Goddard
- Jones Very - Jeff Goddard
- The Lune - Jeff Goddard
- The Secret Stars - Geoff Farina
- Ardecore - Geoff Farina
- Glorytellers - Geoff Farina
- Geoff Farina & Chris Brokaw
External links
- Karate at the Southern RecordsSouthern RecordsSouthern Records is an independent record label closely associated with Crass Records, Corpus Christi Records and Dischord Records. It is based in London and previously had offices in Chicago , Le Havre and Berlin .Southern was originally a recording studio owned and operated by John Loder...
website - Geoff Farina's official website
- Gavin McCarthy's official website
- Lazy-i Karate interview from October 2002
- Interview with Geoff Farina at Talk of the Nation from November 2, 2004.