BoomBox (American Band)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

BoomBox is an American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
and
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
duo formed in 2004 by singer-songwriter Zion Godchaux and producer Russ Randolph, both of whom have backgrounds as DJs. Originating in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...
, BoomBox has released numerous studio albums, starting in 2005 with ''Visions of Backbeat.'' Their second album, ''Downriverelectric,'' was released in June 2010, followed by ''Filling in the Color'' (2014) and'' Bits & Pieces'' (2016). Their newest album, ''Western Voodoo'', was released on October 19, 2018. Their newest single released in June 2017 is titled "''Right Around Two (Feat. Donna Jean)".'' They tour frequently, and have appeared at festivals such as Wakarusa and the
Hangout Music Festival The Hangout Music Festival (commonly referred to as Hangout Fest or Hangout) is an annual three-day music festival held on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The main stages are the Hangout Stage and the Surf Stage (located on opposit ...
. The band is known for not using setlists, instead improvising and changing their set's direction based on the crowd's energy. According to '' NUVO'', "BoomBox plays a unique blend of
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
," and also incorporates elements of
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, R&B, and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
. On November 17, 2016, BoomBox announced via their Facebook page that Russ Randolph would be leaving the group to pursue a solo DJ project. Randolph’s last show was in Denver, Colorado, at The Gothic Theatre on December 31, 2016


History


Member background

BoomBox was formed in 2004 by singer-songwriter Zion Godchaux on
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
/
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
and producer Russ Randolph on sequencers, groove boxes and turn-tables. Both members, who first met in 2004, had long careers as
music producers A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
, musicians and DJs. Russ Randolph had been raised in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...
, and picked up drums at an early age. Muscle Shoals is known for its music scene, and early on Randolph was exposed to R&B, including artists such as
Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...
,
Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...
, and
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
. After graduating from the
University of North Alabama The University of North Alabama (UNA) is a public university in Florence, Alabama, United States. It is the state's oldest university. Occupying a campus in a residential section of Florence, UNA is located within a four-city area that also ...
's School of Commercial Music, Randolph went on to work as a drummer, an engineer, a music producer, and a DJ. Zion Godchaux was born and raised in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
. He started playing drums at age two and owned his first drum set at age four, and around age 7 was drumming on stage with his mother, soul vocalist
Donna Jean Godchaux Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux-MacKay (born August 22, 1947) is an American singer best known as a member of the rock band the Grateful Dead from 1972 to 1979. In addition to the Dead, she performed with the Jerry Garcia Band and the short-lived ...
. Godchaux listened avidly to
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
in his childhood, and as a teen he picked up guitar and began writing his own songs. Among his cited musical influences are
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, and
rap Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
groups like
A Tribe Called Quest A Tribe Called Quest was an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip< ...
and
De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...
. He also cites rock and soul influences like
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
, and
The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, folk, country, bluegrass, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, and world music with psyc ...
. He has stated that both his parents, Keith and Donna Jean of the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
and the 1980s
Heart of Gold Band The Heart of Gold Band is an American rock band formed by Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux in 1980 following their departure from the Grateful Dead. The band took its name from a line in the Dead song " Scarlet Begonias". Original Run The Heart of ...
, were strong influences as well. After serving as the rhythm guitarist in his mother's band for several years, Godchaux went on to become a vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and music producer. During the 1990s he toured as a DJ in the San Francisco area. Both Randolph and Godchaux state that
house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
was an early influence on their musical taste; while Godchaux was exposed to house in San Francisco, Randolph listened to the genre while growing up in
Muscle Shoals, Alabama Muscle Shoals is the largest city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. It is located on the left bank of the Tennessee River in the northern part of the state and, as of the 2010 census, its population was 13,146. The estimated popula ...
, stating "I grew up influenced by that early house stuff. That heavy, full on the floor, hypnotic, minimal just tracks that made you groove."


Founding

In 2004 Zion Godchaux and Russ Randolph met while recording the
Heart of Gold Band The Heart of Gold Band is an American rock band formed by Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux in 1980 following their departure from the Grateful Dead. The band took its name from a line in the Dead song " Scarlet Begonias". Original Run The Heart of ...
album ''At The Table.'' The Heart of Gold Band was a group started by Godchaux's parents after their time with the
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
. Randolph had been hired by Godchaux's parents to help them upgrade their Muscle Shoals studio, as well as engineer and record the album. Godchaux was living in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
in 2004, but he traveled to Muscle Shoals to help with the recording process. Randolph and Godchaux collaborated on the title track to provide drum programming. According to Randolph, they "understood almost immediately" that they worked well together, and "One hundred doors opened at the same time." States Godchaux, "we both thought the same way about rhythm and about ways that we could layer stuff, ways that we could create songs." The recording process for ''At The Table'' took around six months, with the duo often working on music together in their free time. After a trip to
Burning Man Burning Man is a week-long large-scale desert event focused on "community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance" held annually in the Western United States. The event's name comes from its ceremony on the penultimate night of the event: the ...
, where Godchaux pitched to Randolph the idea of working with electronic music again, they formulated the idea for the band. Godchaux moved more permanently to Muscle Shoals, which the band now considers their town of origin, despite Godchaux's California background. Muscle Shoals is a historical hot spot for recording studios and musicians in
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
and
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
, and BoomBox has incorporated some of this history into their sound, allowing for a contemporary style and coupling of rock 'n' roll, vintage psychedelic and
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
. Early on BoomBox toured with the
Heart of Gold Band The Heart of Gold Band is an American rock band formed by Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux in 1980 following their departure from the Grateful Dead. The band took its name from a line in the Dead song " Scarlet Begonias". Original Run The Heart of ...
, and by their third or fourth gig were opening for
Dark Star Orchestra Dark Star Orchestra is a Grateful Dead cover band formed in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. They serve now as an tribute band, international touring tribute band to the rock group the Grateful Dead. Since 1997, the band has been "celebrating the Gra ...
, which they continued to do for some time. They also toured with jam band
Particle In the physical sciences, a particle (or corpuscle in older texts) is a small localized object which can be described by several physical or chemical properties, such as volume, density, or mass. They vary greatly in size or quantity, from s ...
.


Releases

On December 2, 2005, BoomBox released their debut album ''Visions of BackBeat'' on the Heart of Gold label. According to '' Examiner.com'', "Their debut album is a heady brew of psychedelic, beat-infused, funky house music that is nearly impossible not to dance to." Their second album, ''Downriverelectric'', was released on June 30, 2010, also on Heart of Gold. Unlike their previous album, where tracks were largely layered via
drum machines A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
, their sophomore album had a more organic recording process. According to Randolph, "With the new record we started from scratch. We went back into the studio, analog tape, set up a drum set, mic’ed it, very old school, minimal miking, like
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
old-school miking. Then we set up a real bass rig, real keys, real guitar amps...I think this the closest thing we’ve done that’s sounds like what we have in our heads." The album was given away for free to the first 1,000 fans who visited the band's website. As with their debut, the band toured heavily in support of the album, performing at venues such as the 2010 Mile High Music Festival. By February 2012 the band was using a
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light commercial vehicle (van) built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a large van, chassis cab, minibus, and pickup truck. In the past, the Sprinter had been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, ...
as a tour van, with only Todd Jones, who handles their visuals and projections, and their tour manager Heath Bennett, and Keith Stevenson traveling with them. Mastering for their third album was finished in September 2013, with most of the tracks recorded at Randolph's house. ''Filling in the Color'' officially released on January 14, 2014, on House of Gold Records. Stated Godchaux, “We have been splicing live instrumentation with produced material to create what we view as ‘studio quality with a live sound.'” Funding for the album came from a
Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...
campaign, and within a week of the album's release the band was already touring in support.


Live performances

Since their first tours the band hasn't used set lists, instead changing their set's direction based on the crowd's energy. According to the band in 2008, "we want to build an arsenal so that when we come out to rock a party, at anytime of the day, we can still connect with people." The band typically performs with Randolph in a top hat, and Godchaux with a pink boa and furry hat. Though only the two founding members remain constant, at live performances the band does occasionally have guest musicians join them on sets. The band toured heavily during the summer of 2007, including a June gig at the Wakarusa Music & Camping Festival in
Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70 in Kansas, Interstate 70, between the Kansas River ...
. In November of that year they debuted at
Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 73,598. It is the principal city of the Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan are ...
. Their first time performing as BoomBox outside of the United States was in New Zealand in 2012. As of January 2013 they were touring
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
, performing a number of dates in
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
. For most of their 2013 US summer tour they were supported by European house DJ Ramona. As of 2014 the band has played notable concerts and venues such as the Oregon Country Fair, The Echo Project,
Rothbury Music Festival Electric Forest is a multi-genre music festival produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events, with a focus on electronic music and jam band genres. Originally named Rothbury Festival in 2008, it is held in Rothbury, Michigan at ...
, Electric Forest, Summer Camp Music Festival, Mile High Music Festival, Hoxeyville Music Festival, Camp Bisco, IMPULSE Music & Arts Festival, French Broad River Festival, Bele Chere, The Bounce Festival,
Hangout Music Festival The Hangout Music Festival (commonly referred to as Hangout Fest or Hangout) is an annual three-day music festival held on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The main stages are the Hangout Stage and the Surf Stage (located on opposit ...
, and the Wanee Music Festival in Florida. They performed at the February 2014 Tucson Gem and Jam Festival after starting a winter tour a few weeks earlier in Frisco, and in May 2014 they performed at the Euphoria Music and Camping Festival at Carsons Creek Ranch in Texas.


Style, equipment

According to '' NUVO'', "BoomBox plays a unique blend of
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
; think of a guitar-centric, slightly-relaxed Garganta or a less-spacey, more-groovy Papadosio." Early in their career a number of reviewers dubbed their sound "jamtronic" for its blend of jam and electronic music, but the band rejected the label for being inaccurate. According to Godchaux, "Jamtronic, to me, is jam bands trying to sound like a DJ. We think of ourselves as just one DJ. Bands already have their songs, they have their sets. A DJ is trying to make the party happen." For songwriting inspiration, in 2011 the members pointed to old albums, with Randolph stating they listen to "really, really old stuff.
Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...
demos.
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
demos from a hotel room with just a small recorder going. We listen to
Townes Van Zandt John Townes Van Zandt (March 7, 1944 – January 1, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter.
and other singer-songwriters." About their sound in 2012, Randolph stated, "We think of ourselves as a rock band, first and foremost, that happens to use electronic devices to create our music." Also, states Godchaux, "We’re real rooted in
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
. But at the same time house falls into a sub-category of our rock ‘n’ roll approach." They've mentioned both
Chicago house Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the original house music of DJs and producers from the area, such as Ron Hardy and Phuture History and origins D ...
and
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
house as influences, with producers such as Johnny Fiasco and Miguel Migs. ;Instrumentation As of 2008, the band used two
drum machines A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
when mixing live, which Randolph would use to blend tracks together much as a DJ uses vinyl turntables. According to Randolph, "I'm kind of weaving the song in to a kind of fabric. We're not locked in the way a DJ would be. We're not locked into song structure, a song arrangement or tempo and anything like that. We're pretty free to explore live." As of 2011, when mixing live Randolph uses
Ableton Live Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation for macOS and Windows developed by the German company Ableton. In contrast to many other software sequencers, Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for compos ...
or
Logic Pro Logic Pro is a proprietary digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer software application for the macOS platform developed by Apple Inc. It was originally created in the early 1990s as Notator Logic, or Logic, by German software devel ...
. On top of that, Godchaux adds live instrumentation with guitar and vocals, often improvising.


Members

;Current *Zion Godchaux -
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
/
lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...
*Kinsman MacKay (brother) - Machines ;Past *Russ Randolph - sequencers, groove boxes, turn-tables (parted ways with the band on 12/31/16)


Discography


Solo albums


Singles


Further reading

;Reviews * * ;Interviews * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


See also

*
Heart of Gold Band The Heart of Gold Band is an American rock band formed by Keith and Donna Jean Godchaux in 1980 following their departure from the Grateful Dead. The band took its name from a line in the Dead song " Scarlet Begonias". Original Run The Heart of ...


References


External links


Official BoomBox WebsiteBoomBox
on
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

BoomBox
on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
;Media
BoomBox collection
at the
Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...
's live music archive
BoomBox
on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

BoomBox
on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:BoomBox American musical duos Rock music groups from Alabama Musical groups established in 2004 Jam bands 2004 establishments in Alabama American rock music duos American electronic music duos