Go Motion

The opening title track is an invitation to the next 11 songs and tells you all you need to know: catchy, high-energy, strong vocals, steady beat, solid harmonies. The guitar riffs are notable, and do their job in keeping the disc well above water. There's a smart, sexy bass line on "Dance," accented by a flirtatious tinkling of the keys; the lyrical repetition at the end only heightens the groove. "Different in Time" is driven by its drumbeats, while "Charm Is Harmless" reminds me of an old, obscure song by the tragically overlooked Wire Train; the vocals are more understated, the drum 'n' bass riff driving and alluring.

There's a hint of stellastarr* (the clever first album, not the flop of a follow-up) in "Regress"; "A Night in the Sea" showcases each of the band members' talents (Albert Kurniawn, James Luther, and David Luther) with its seductively strong rhythm section. "Diary" and "Dear, Love" kick off with some seriously catchy hooks, while final track "A Broken Argument" again happily recalls Wire Train, bringing the disc to a close with a slightly more serious tone.

Laura Hamlett - PLAYBACK: stl

The pressing beat and catchy vocals will be causing individuals to dance around in much of the same way as Franz Ferdinand had with their prior two albums. There seems to be a high amount of cohesion that the band achieves, even when all one has heard is “Kill The Love” and “Dance”.

The one thing that I could see going in Go Motion’s favor has to be the slightly harder edge that the band has compared to a number of other dance punk bands on the market. There are sounds present during “Kill The Love” that would make bands like Orgy and Deadsy drool. This similar sound should be enough to raise a few eyebrows, and maybe even will be the impetus behind getting individuals to pick up copies of the disc. Another thing that is a benefit for Go Motion has to be the short runtime of the songs on the album. The band is able to create smart compositions and has the presence of mind to cut things short, rather than run themselves into a rut. Thus, while the track “Charm is Harmless” is catchy, it would become a bane if allowed to move into the third and fourth minute. “Charm is Harmless” continues the trend of having a harder rock style present in Go Motion’s sound, but adds a little bit of early Killers to the mix.

This gives the track an eighties sheen and differentiates the output of Go Motion. This has the benefit of stirring things up and letting individuals stick with the disc for a longer period of time than if the band merely re-cut the track continually. Go Motion is even able to largely remove the dance influence from their music during “Somewhere Nowhere”. In this track, the band sounds much more like a Coldplay meets Keane type of act, which again re-invigorates and re-energizes fans. Go Motion has a tremendous ability to create radio-friendly and solid tracks; I have a feeling that they will be able to continually refine and expand their sound on subsequent albums. - Neufutur Magazine

On their MySpace page, Go Motion uniquely evades the ubiquitous "influences" query, listing New York and London instead of other acts. While the Omaha-based band's throbbing new-wave tunes certainly boast a cosmopolitan discotheque feel, it's possible to find a reasonable facsimile of their sonic arsenal (the Faint) without leaving their hometown. On their debut disc, Kill the Love, Go Motion maintain a brisk rhythmic pulse, with lush new-romantic ballads providing respite from the dance-party vibe. Albert Kurniawan's exotically accented vocals, the clearest manifestation of the quartet's Anglophilia, infuse these synthesizer-driven songs with dramatic passion. Live, Go Motion crank their grooves to club-DJ volume: The group recently became one of the few rock acts to headline Chicago's popular Dark Wave Disco night.

Andrew Miller - The Portland Mercury and The Seattle Stranger

The four-member group GO Motion has a lot to offer this alternative genre. The group’s debut album, “Kill the Love,” has already sold more than 3,000 albums. NUVO recently found out more about the group and its ideas about music, touring and the concept for their album.

“‘Kill The Love’ is about anger, jealousy, a man losing his faith and dealing with a broken heart … it’s about a girl being murdered by her man,” the group told us in an e-mailed interview. “Our debut album conjures dark imagery with energetic tempos and shows our progressive take on dance rock.”

It’s virtually impossible not to get up and move to tracks like “Different in Time,” which features a catchy guitar melody intertwining with mixed tonality and culminating with addictive electronic synthesizer loops.

Speaking of loops, GO Motion has seen a lot of the road lately, bringing their pulsing tempos and original take on indie alt-dance and rock to clubs and bars all over the map. But all that touring can take a toll. The group says that on tour, the members fight “lack of sleep, a poor diet, too little exercise and usually too much alcohol.” However, they also enjoy meeting new people, hearing “really great and really horrible bands” and visiting new places.

There are distinct advantages to making music, and Albert, James, David and Luke of GO Motion embrace “sharing the music that we make with all the people that come to our shows … and watching the crowds shake their booties to our set.”

The main idea the group wishes to convey is simple but important. “1,2,3,4 ... Get your booty on the dance floor.”

Kristin Riccardo - NUVO - Indy's Alternative Voice

Go Motion is four guys from Nebraska who just released their debut album (i think debut) Kill The Love. I’ve listened to it many a time and always all the way through. I can’t skip any of the tracks because they are all just that good. Reminds me heavily of The Cure both vocally and instrumentals which is cool by me… I mean who doesn’t like The Cure?

These guys have been touring the past couple months and just finished out yesterday here in LA. They have the potential and people are really into this style of music right now so we’ll see what happens next. - Music Glob

The work of “Kill the Love” is fast from the get-go. The usual new-wave influences can be cited here, but Go Motion has a thicker sound, layering heavy guitars over the drum machine setup. The song “Regress,” with a few tweaks, would be a good pop punk track, but the vox of Albert Kurniawan lay on the deep vocal tone thick, as required by The Cure’s formula for new wave, and the beats keep it pumping.

The rhythm continues into “Moonlight,” which overlays multiple synth tracks and spares the guitars for the chorus on this one. It’s bouncy, but thoughtful, and Go Motion puts all the types of emotions into quick tracks, giving the album no melancholy music, just morose communication.

The strategy is effective to keep the album from wallowing in its own ’80s nostalgia. Instead, it’s progressive and forward and constantly upbeat. Go Motion has some promise, but an audience may be more receptive to its sound in a few more years once the fashionistas have moved onto something new, and the real audience for this sound can emerge.

- Josh Spilker - Wonka Vision

Originally from Omaha, but sounding like they were birthed in Britain, Go Motion’s fidgety rhythms recall classic dance-rock combos like Duran Duran, Depeche Mode and the Cure, as well as the more modern breed personified by the Killers, Bloc Party and Interpol.

Singer Albert Kurniawan plays the effusive cheerleader; his kinetic croon makes him the perfect foil for James Luther’s edgy guitars and shimmering keyboards and the pumping, percolating undertow delivered by bassist Luke Mabie and drummer/percussionist David Luther. As their titles imply, “Dance” and “Charm Is Harmless” sidestep any cerebral sensibility, but a somewhat subdued “Dear Love” suggests Go Motion may be headed in the right direction. - Performing Songwriter Magazine

"Go Motion gives New York dance rock a dose of Midwestern bleakness"

Sadly, Omaha is not a haven for drunken alley fights between new wave dance bands. Members of The Faint do not roam the streets, shivs in hand, waiting to shank those who stumble on their turf. Conor Oberst does not lord over the rival gangs like some evil digital kingpin. And the guys in GO! Motion absolutely do not participate in breakdance battles -- though that might be cool. It's a civilized town, stuck in the middle of the Midwest. Rivalries don't exist, or if they do, no one talks about them; it's just not polite.

Which might explain why, at least in the case of GO! Motion, the band skews heavily to the dark side. The quartet is one of the few in Omaha that, for reasons only they know and don't talk about, looked beyond the local rock mafia -- i.e. Saddle Creek Records -- instead opting to go it alone. It was a bold choice. Saddle Creek brings instant fans and name recognition. It also brings a bit of baggage. "Some people love them (Saddle Creek), some people can't stand them," is all guitarist James Luther will say. Good Midwestern boys smile in public and vent on stage.

And that's something GO! Motion isn't shy about. Because, like a lot of their hometown cohorts, GO! Motion seems to have no problem scrapping with the seedier side of life. "Yeah, in the Northwest they're all confused about life. Here, we're just really angry," Luther says with a laugh. Most pick a target prone to oppression -- the government, parents and rural isolation are the big three -- and then get to work. The results can be more brutal than a grudge match between Cursive and Criteria.

Others like GO! Motion opt for a more subtle approach -- that agrarian ideal of planting everything deep underground. Its 2006 debut Kill the Love is, at first blush, just another jagged new wave record. Guitars clang and stutter. Synths swirl and swell. The beats are permanently set to hip-shake. And frontman Albert Kurniawan drenches his melodies in the moans of a thousand depressed teenagers. It makes tracks like "Dance" and "Different in Time" feel like Interpol after a Red Bull binge, detachedly sprinting toward depression.

But underneath things starts to peek out. Hints of murder, danger and derangement. It shows up in the lyrics of tracks like "Somewhere, Nowhere," where Kurniawan muses about a beautiful girl singing until he makes her stop -- how is unclear. And it pops up in the music, the band suddenly finding chilling moments in all the frenzy. Like the bridge of "Diary." The track struts along with full dance-floor momentum, then suddenly takes on the feel of a horror movie soundtrack, all eerie and ethereal. Kill the Love is littered with such moments, which Luther just loves.

"For the last couple years with this emo thing music has been really bulky," he says. "People want a change from that. They want to dance and move, especially considering that the political climate is so scary with everything going on. But the key is not to ignore that. There needs to be something more going on. For us, there needs to be a sense of darkness to the lyrics and the music."

- By Jeff Inman - Las Vegas City Life

Ready, Set, Go! Motion

The Omaha Nebraskan quartet Go! Motion, hearkens back to the early propulsive wailing of the Cure combined with the stop and go mayhem of Bloc Party's dance rock aesthetic. Fans of White Rose Movement, Editors, and Interpol will find something to like here. Their take on the whole atmospheric urgent dance music is more linear and they're not afraid to bust out homages to both The Smiths and The Cure in the same song, "Charm is Harmless", which sounds surprisingly fresh for all of it's Marr guitar and Cure plucks. The sustained notes of "Somewhere Nowhere" show that they didn't need to find inspiration from U2 on their second album, like Bloc Party, they were ready out of the gates to emulate the edge while still retaining their own sound. The influences are easily deciphered on each track of Go! Motions' debut "Kill the Love" but don't let that distract you from the raw energy and the passion of the music.

Go, Go Motion!

I am a sucker for electro/post-punk music when it's done well. Others may get tired of the trend and the new bands churning out every couple months, but as long as they remain as quality as White Rose Movement, Editors, and the Cinematics I say bring 'em on. One such band that I have been anxious to write about and have been listening to all day is Go! Motion. They may sound like they're from Manchester England but the jittery post-punk quartet are from Omaha Nebraska. So if a band is quality post-punk and is from the same home town as one of my favorite bands (The Faint) it seems like fate has decreed "Thou shalt like this band", and you know what? I do.

As for the actual sound of the band, you can hear clear influences from Bloc Party, The Smiths, The Cure, U2, and even a little Bauhaus. All chopped, minced and brought to a boil in songs that are urgent and contemporary as well as carrying an echo of the past. The beats are frantic, the guitars chime and churn and explode into contagious choruses. "Different in Time" utilizes enigmatic synths to build up a mountain of sound before shifting gears and jumping off, without a parachute. "Somewhere Nowhere" is a song reminiscent of U2's epic ballads mixed with the current dance-punk revival that creates a song that I would dance to at a wedding. Although I doubt anyone exists who would be hip enough to play this at their wedding. Perhaps the biggest standout would be the Cure-esque "Charm is Harmless" where Albert does his best to channel a snotty Robert Smith vocal to compliment the melodic plucks and swirling keyboards. Go! Motion doesn't revolutionize the post-punk genre, but they do have a solid album that hits the sweet spot for a devoted post-punker like myself.
- AZLTRON

Who? Like its Omaha, Nebraska brethren, Go Motion takes cue from the electro buzz pop of the Faint, but amps up the dual-guitars for spastic dance parties of one. Albert Kurniawan and James Luther trade off intricate guitar patterns, with Kurniawan applying metallic vocals and Luther doubling up on squealing synths. Luke Mabie aptly supplies the post-punk bass bounce, and drummer David Luther holds down a seemingly never-ending backbeat pulse. Self-released debut album Kill the Love dropped earlier this year.

What's the Deal? Kill the Love clocks in at 34 minutes across 11 tracks that sound like early Cure on HGH, though Kurniawan's deadpan vocals borrow more from Satisfact's Matthew Steinke than Robert Smith. "Difference in Time" pierces with incisor-like guitar cuts before dropping into a wash of no-wave analog loops without missing a dark disco beat. "Somewhere Nowhere" echoes the best of NYC art rock, and "Night at Sea" cops a night prowler vibe. The band's name salutes early '80s film technology, and this era is where Go Motion draws its most prevalent influence.

Fun Fact: When the Rapture dropped out of a Lollapalooza pre-party earlier this month, organizers turned to Go Motion to keep bodies moving. MICHAEL MAROTTA - SPIN.com