GoGoGo Airheart
San Diego, CA’s GoGoGo Airheart began writing in 1996 at the hands of core members Mike Vermillion and Ashish Vyas. After two years of relentless basement rehearsals and a string of homemade cassettes, GGGAH were picked up by local indie label, Vinyl Communication. Augmented by drummer Andy Robillard and violinist Teri Hoefer, the group recorded their self-titled debut LP in 1997. Combining virulent dub inflected rhythms, spasms of skittish, wirey guitar and Vermillion's signature breathless vocals, "GoGoGo Airheart" stands as a distinct blueprint of post-punk’s progressive ideals and dub reggae’s elastic studio wizardry (due largely to experimental producer/ collaborator, Spacewurm).
Following shortly thereafter, 1998’s superb "Love My Life, Hate My Friends" LP emerged to meet the group’s increasing word of mouth popularity. "Love My Life" finds GGGAH in darker spirits, a hybrid of late-seventies post-punk (The Pop Group and Public Image Ltd. in particular) and homegrown American art-rock (Pere Ubu, Rocket From The Tombs) are channeled through Vyas’ mutated funk bass lines, Hoefer’s twisted yet sublime saw-like violin and Vermillion’s intensely oblique and personal lyrics. 1999 caught GGGAH at a crucial point; both with Touch & Go subsidiary Overcoat releasing the highly regarded The Things We Need EP to significant critical acclaim and boasting the introduction of guitarist Ben White and temporary drummer Jimmy Lavalle (Tristeza/The Album Leaf) in wake of the departure of Hoefer and Robillard. Presenting a subtle nod to the early-70ís glam rockers Roxy Music and the skewed art pop of Brian Eno, The Things We Need stands as an eclectic portend of future recordings.
Soon thereafter the group turned the tables with another unique release, this time for West Coast indie, Sympathy For The Record Industry, a split album with Los Cincos’ side project The Syncopation. The krautrock influenced jam, The Beauty of Appetite and the prickly pop of Teri and Julie marked GGGAH as cultural auteurs, bearing their varied influences with virtually every new release.
With consistently favorable national press, rabid college airplay and daringly original material GGGAH were picked up by the estimable So-Cal indie, GSL. The third LP, also self-titled, showcases a striking version of The Pop Group’s Trap and further provides the group’s trademark hyperactive mettle. A more streamlined affair, GGGAH comes across as the band’s punk record, though acutely subversive and deeply textured. Vyas contributes vocal duties for "The Prince" and "Glad To See You", while White’s ominous organ bolsters Vermillion’s haunting Peter Laughner-esque guitar lines with drummer Jay Hough suitably complimenting the trio.
After a superlative 45 single, the dance-punk homage Real Live Kill/Ripe From The Vine, GGGAH unleashed their most revered LP to date. 2002’s Exit The UXA combines the diverse territories of disco, post-punk and the art-rock glam classicism of The Stooges in a stunning display of slippery funk bass lines, jagged guitar cuts, scathing vocals and polyrhythmic drumming. The completion of a successful European tour saw the departure of White and Hough pairing the group down once again to core members Vermillion and Vyas, and the return of Robillard on percussion.
Fall of 2004 saw the return of guitarist Benjamin White and the writing/recording of latest album Rats! Sing! Sing!, released late 2005 on GSL once again. The 4-piece line-up toured North America in Novemeber of that year and prepared for extensive touring in 2006, which took them through the states, to Europe and Australia.
GGGAH broke up after the "Rats! Sing! Sing!" album, apparently decideding they had contributed enough to the universal song.
Mike Vermillion has formed a new band called The Deadly Fins. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
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