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The Go was an American rock band from
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,
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, founded in 1996. The group released seven studio albums before splitting up in 2013.


History

The Go was established in Detroit in 1996 by Bobby Harlow, John Krautner, and Marc Fellis. Mentored by Los Angeles producer
Kim Fowley Kim Vincent Fowley (July 21, 1939 – January 15, 2015) was an American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed the Runaways in the 1970s. He has been ...
, the band signed a record deal with
Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...
in 1998. Their first album, ''Whatcha Doin'', featured Dave Buick on bass and
Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. As the White Stripes disbanded, he sought success with his solo career, subse ...
on guitar. The album was produced by Outrageous Cherry frontman Matthew Smith. The Go supported the release of ''Whatcha Doin'' with three national tours. After ''Whatcha Doin','' the band parted ways with White, returning to the studio in 2000 to record their sophomore album ''Free Electricity'' with Dion Fischer on lead guitar, John Olson (of
Wolf Eyes __NOTOC__ Wolf Eyes is an American experimental music group from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1996 by Nate Young. Currently a duo, Wolf Eyes are a prominent act within contemporary noise music. They have collaborated with a variety of artists fro ...
) on saxophone, and Cary Loren (of Destroy All Monsters) on tamboura. The sound of Free Electricity significantly differed from its predecessor and the album was never released by Sub Pop. Another round of personnel changes saw the departure of Buick and Fischer, along with the addition of guitarist Kenny Tudrick. Under the management of Howard Hertz, the band signed with Lizard King Records. The Go's self-titled third album was recorded in the UK and released in 2003. The band toured in support of the album with an opening slot on the White Stripes' "Elephant" tour. The Go received little promotion in the United States from Lizard King Records, parted ways with the label following the tour, and returned to Detroit with new
guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...
James McConnell. While in Detroit, The Go received word that Welsh singer Adele Nozedar had taken an interest in the band, securing funding for a new album. With Harlow serving as producer, The Go released ''Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride'' in 2007 to critical acclaim. It won Album of the Year at the Detroit Music Awards and received the approval of the Allen Ginsberg Foundation for Harlow's musical interpretation of the poem "Refrain". The Go promoted the release with extensive American touring in support of
Guided by Voices Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...
and were invited to perform at the Peace Jam Foundation Conference in
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in 2008. The conference earned the band a private audience with the 14th
Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama (, ; ) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The term is part of the full title "Holiness Knowing Everything Vajradhara Dalai Lama" (圣 识一切 瓦齐尔达喇 达赖 喇嘛) given by Altan Khan, the first Shu ...
. After further performances, a follow-up double LP was released jointly on Bellyache Records. The band also began collaborating with
Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was (), is an American musician, record producer, music director, film composer, documentary filmmaker and radio host. Since 2011, he has also served as president of the ...
, recording a song produced by Was and engineered by longtime friend Steve King. By 2007, The Go had begun working with Burger Records, whose owners Sean Bohrman and Lee Rickard had long been fans of the band. In 2010, Burger released an LP by The Go's alternate project, ''Conspiracy of Owls'', which featured songwriters Harlow, Krautner, and Fellis, along with a live lineup of fellow Detroit musicians (Steve Nawara, Johnny Lzr, and "Magic" Jake Culkowski). Singer Robert Pollard of
Guided By Voices Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band formed in 1983 in Dayton, Ohio. It has made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard. The most well-known lineup of the band consisted o ...
provided artwork for the LP, as well as inspiration for the name of the band. After supporting the Conspiracy of Owls record with shows at
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, Harlow and Culkowski formed a new band, Magic Jake & The Power Crystals, in which they shared songwriting duties. In 2012, Burger Records released a five-cassette box set of previously unheard and alternate Go tracks spanning 1996–2007. The Go followed this up with ''Fiesta,'' which was released on limited edition colored vinyl on Burger Records (US) and on black vinyl with alternate artwork by Mauvaise Foi Records (France). In 2016, The Go were included in Third Man Records' Live at the Gold Dollar Vault package, which released a live LP from the band's 1999 lineup featuring Jack White. The Go were also featured on
Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...
's satellite radio show. The Go's music has been included in commercials, television, and films, including ''
My Name Is Earl ''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia (producer), Greg Garcia for NBC. It aired for four seasons from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, with a total of List of My Name Is Earl episodes, 96 episodes. It wa ...
'', ''Entourage'' and ''The Hills Have Eyes''


Discography


References


External links


Band websiteBBC's review of ''Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride''
*https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3165020/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Go, The Sub Pop artists Musical groups from Detroit American garage punk groups 1996 establishments in Michigan Garage rock groups from Michigan Third Man Records artists Burger Records artists