The Go

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  • Formed: Detroit, MI
  • Years Active: 1990s

Albums

Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia

All Music Guide:

Part of the emerging Detroit garage rock scene of the late '90s along with their more famous brethren, the White Stripes, the Go formed in 1998. Vocalist Bobby Harlow, guitarist John Krautner, and drummer Mark Fellis grew up together as kids -- the addition of guitarist Steve Nawara and bassist Dave Buick made the band complete and they began playing gigs in the Detroit area. An opening slot for fellow Detroiters ? & the Mysterians helped get them the attention of Sub Pop, which signed the band and issued their debut album, Whatcha Doin', in 1999. Featuring a little help from Jack White on guitar and vocals, the album had an aggressive, noisy sound that still managed to work in a lot of references to R&B and soul, providing a fun, stylish, messy romp. A self-titled effort appeared in the fall of 2003 via British imprint Lizard King; the Go followed up in April 2007 with Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride.

Wikipedia:

The Go is an American rock & roll band from Detroit, Michigan. Their sound has evolved from garage punk to a blend of 1960s and 1970s influences, most notably The Beatles.

The Go is composed primarily of Robert "Bobby" Harlow (vocals), John Krautner (guitar, bass), Marc Fellis (drums), James McConnell (lead guitar), and a rotating cast of other band members, including Jack White (later of The White Stripes, The Dead Weather and The Raconteurs), who was with the band from mid '98 to early '99.

In 2003, the U.K. based Lizard King Records label released the group's second official full-length release, self-titled The Go. Two cuts from their second album, namely, "Blue Eyes Woman" and "Summer's Gonna Be My Girl" are featured on the soundrack to the 2006 remake of Wes Craven's classic horror-thriller film The Hills Have Eyes. Additional tracks from their second album have been heard on the Emmy Award winning television sitcom My Name Is Earl.

Their third album, Howl On The Haunted Beat You Ride was released in the late-summer of 2007 by Ben Blackwell's Cass label to overwhelmingly positive initial reviews. The album's content marks a distinct contrast to their first two releases, adding a psychedelic vibe, lush vocal harmonies, intriguing lyrical imagery, great attention to instrumentation, and a decidedly mid- to late-1960s production sound. The album was produced and recorded by the group's main singer Bobby Harlow, who continues to share songwriting duties with bassist and co-vocalist John Krautner. The LP was also released on Compact Cassette in 2010 by Burger Records.

The band has given some flashes of new material on Don Was' and Harry Shearer's MyDamnChannel.com with the video of "It's Only In Your Mind," and in live performances in early 2008 with the songs "Puzzle People" and "Tower of Diamonds." As with their previous works, the next album is expected to be an eclectic mix of individual, stand-alone tracks, rather than being centered on a general theme or conveying a contiguous story.

In June 2008, The Go released a 7" vinyl single, "Knock Knock Banana!," on Bellyache Records. This limited-edition, yellow-vinyl record consists of three children's songs, "Knock Knock Banana!," "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," and "Grow a Moustache." In November of the same year, the band released Tracking the Trail of the Haunted Beat, a double-LP collection of demos and alternate versions of songs from Howl on the Haunted Beat You Ride.