Goon
Los Angeles, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | SELF
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The L.A. band’s killer debut EP, Dusk Of Punk, is due out September 16.
By LEAH MANDEL
Goon Makes Obsession Sound Sweet On “Green Peppers”
L.A. band Goon's EP, Dusk Of Punk, is due out September 16. Today we're premiering "Green Peppers," a weird and charming new track that sums up what's exciting about Goon's pop-tinged grunge. Everybody wants to be like you/ everyone that knows you/ really wants to be just like you, sings lead singer Kenny Becker in a sweet, warbled tone. Turns out he's specifically singing about Taylor Swift, but "Green Peppers" manifests as a reflection on manic infatuation in general.
"I wrote this song during a weirdly intense phase of obsession with Taylor Swift," Becker told The FADER over email. "It started off being about her and ended up being about desire in general and how it can easily get to a place where it doesn’t align with reality at all." - The FADER
The alt-rock project premieres the first single from their debut EP 'Dusk of Punk'
What started as a way for Kenny Becker to express and accept the symptoms of a condition that left him periodically unable to hear or smell soon became alt-rock outfit Goon. Gearing up to drop their debut EP Dusk of Punk, Goon is premiering the first single “Dizzy” – a gently lo-fi wall of warped, syrupy grunge riffs anchored by Becker’s croons of love lost. “I hate to be so dramatic but it’s very true that this song was born out of emotions of regret and the fear of unrequited love,” Becker tells SPIN over email. “Basically I wish I had asked out this one girl while I was in college but never did because I was too scared. Haha.”
Maybe she’ll hear this song and be inspired to call him up. - Spin Magazine
Smart, grungy track is worth picking at.
By Jamie Milton on 17th August 2016
There’s something disarming about ‘Scab’, a new song from LA grungers Goon. On the one hand, it’s a doomy track made from dark, distorted parts. On the other, it comes off as oddly beautiful.
Kenny Becker, the visual artist who fronts the project, has vocals that could lend themselves to any environment. Goon can go hard. Not much material is out there, but of the songs DIY’s been sent, they can morph into a vicious, Big Ups-style juggernaut.
What’s remarkable about the suitably titled ‘Scab’ is that the more you peel off, the more it reveals. Like a low-strung Pixies song or an early Wolf Alice number, stark beauty shares space with gloomy feedback. It’s a fascinating introduction, and we’re premiering the track below.
“I wanted the song to be heavy without actually being heavy in a traditional sense,” says Kenny. “I was trying to capture the feeling you get when you are just ruminating on regrets. It’s not exactly the healthiest thing, but sometimes I think you ought to face your sadness and experience it in its fullness and not feel guilty about it. Writing this song ended up being pretty cathartic in that way.” - DIY Mag
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Goon is the project of LA-based musician and visual artist Kenny Becker. With a medical condition that periodically deadens his sense of smell and hearing, Becker began writing songs as a means of making the most of his life when those symptoms were absent. The results, Dusk of Punk, are a murky blend of smoldering guitars, melodic hooks, and batter-ram rhythms that serve as the musical translations of a mind that's routinely betrayed by its own body.
Their debut EP Dusk of Punk pushes the boundaries of standard "lo-fi" music with both it's diversity in songwriting and it's somehow incredibly layered composition. The production is lo-fi but incredibly full and lush sounding. Their songs are loud and fuzzed out but are anchored down by beautiful harmonies. Even acoustic based songs are rounded out by delicate synths, drum machines or the occasional radio sample. The end result is a diverse and incredibly complex record that evolves with each listen.
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