KARATE SEVER
(1993-2005)
Karate is a band unlike anything you've ever heard. That, actually, was what made a small number of people praise their unique sound but also the curse which kept them from having the success they deserved.
Hastily labeled slocore, emo or indie jazz/blues they were their own breed with Geoff Farina's awesome guitar playing (reminescent of jazz and blues but not just that) and his clear vocals. These two elements, coupled with a precise and skilled rhythm section, defined Karate's sonic identity, one that will evolve throughout their career while still remaining true to their roots. Not the kind of band to use sonic fireworks, Karate is, above everything else, a songwriting marvel.
6 studio albums, a live album and a bunch of Ep's and split singles later, Karate called it quits probably because too few people cared. A real shame if you ask me. Fortunately, the music remains.
Initially, I wanted to do a double disc before changing my mind and packing a 79 minutes set that will either serve as an introduction for those who don't know them yet or a reminder for the others.
Be curious, embarck on the Karate baistophe, I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
Hastily labeled slocore, emo or indie jazz/blues they were their own breed with Geoff Farina's awesome guitar playing (reminescent of jazz and blues but not just that) and his clear vocals. These two elements, coupled with a precise and skilled rhythm section, defined Karate's sonic identity, one that will evolve throughout their career while still remaining true to their roots. Not the kind of band to use sonic fireworks, Karate is, above everything else, a songwriting marvel.
6 studio albums, a live album and a bunch of Ep's and split singles later, Karate called it quits probably because too few people cared. A real shame if you ask me. Fortunately, the music remains.
Initially, I wanted to do a double disc before changing my mind and packing a 79 minutes set that will either serve as an introduction for those who don't know them yet or a reminder for the others.
Be curious, embarck on the Karate baistophe, I'm sure you will not be disappointed.
My KARATE List
(full length studio albums only)
1 - Some Boots (2002)
2 - The Bed Is the Ocean (1998)
3 - Unsolved (2000)
4 - In Place of Real Insight (1997)
5 - Pockets (2004)
6 - Karate (1996)
Other releases worth trying: "595 (Live)" (2007), "In the Fishtank EP" (2005), "Cancel/Sing EP" (2003), Concerte Al Barchessone Vecchio (2002).
RIYL:
Faraquet, Pele, The Dismemberment Plan
(though Karate is hardly comparable to any other band)
2 comments:
Thanks a lot for this one, it's a really overlooked band that could have been much more famous had they appeared ten years later !
Or twenty years earlier...
But you're right, really overlooked and that's a shame.
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