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The Begowatts
Madison, Wisconsin, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
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âOnce in awhile, a band, a sound, comes along that smushes together the far corners of your musical tastes. For me, thatâs the retro sounds of the â60s/â70s and the music of my youth: the â90s. The Begowatts conjure these themes, maybe even without trying to. Their single âGrand Charade,â from their new LP of the same name, recalls â90s guitar bands like Polaris, while its vocals (courtesy of David French) are Bowie-esque in the best way.â - PopDose
âTheyâre the type of act which could play festivals and stadiums across the planet. Their sound is colossal enough to fit in, their blistering choruses and guitar solos are fundamental and compelling.â
âGrand Charade is special. Itâs different, conceptual, and daring. Itâs original, purposeful and edgy. You wonât find this music blared out in a club full of revelers, but youâll find it shot out of a speaker in those dingy rock clubs. Those bars where drinkers talk over their problems, where they discuss music in a more sophisticated manner. Itâs all great, itâs all worth it.â - New Noise Magazine
â4.6 / 5 - Being a big classic and progressive rock fan in times when quality artists of this musical current are scarce, The Begowattsâ Grand Charade is a true hidden gem hopefully many others will discover.â - Living Life Fearless
âWeâre pleased to bring you the premiere of The Begowattsâ new song âKids On Paroleâ (listen below). The track is taken from the bandâs forthcoming sophomore album Grand Charade, which is scheduled to be released on September 29th.â - New Noise Magazine
âThe Madison, Wisconsin band opens their six-track EP with a scintillating rocker, Why Donât We Dance that gives off The Killers vibes....throwback rock band with chutzpah to spare.â - Bearded Mag
"With their new EP Grand Charade [The Begowatts] find themselves embracing the chill waters of the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi Basin. Itâs just good rock n roll." - B-Sides TV âOn Radarâ
â4/5 - Kicky âKids On Paroleâ references The Clash and Queens Of The Stone Age, radiating a cool punk energy. Frenchâs potent exclamations of âBut weâre got ourselves to believe inâ renews hope in expression and protest. He emotes with a laid-back, tossed-off delivery akin to Josh Homme amid the kinetic drum beat and a late-in-the-game blazing guitar riff.â - Rebel Noise
âMidwestern masterpiece⌠The Begowattsâ EP has the potential to be a major voice of post-punk revival that could catalyze a new wave of originality in the alternative rock sceneâ - Noises & Nonsense
Madison, Wisconsin home of The Begowatts, a hard rocking four piece offering a blues/hard rock fusion in the spirit of Iggy Pop and a smattering of influences. Their newest recording, Photoelectric opens on a crunchy thrust with the track âIn The Nighttimeâ which sets the tone for much of the rest of the album: solid radio friendly songwriting and clean production on mid-tempo rock.
The guys offer satisfying songs that are not terribly fast, a menacing edge that eschews the urge to go too far over the top. Lyrically, Begowatts lead signer David French doesnât get too dark. He doesnât dig for cryptic hooks like his influences, more of a series of âcoming for youâ or âcoming for your girlâ songs (like the radio-tastic âRock Lustâ) more interested in filling the speaker with guitars than your head with big concept ideas. Theyâre about the driving, up front leads and memorable solos, as evidenced by âHard Timesâ and the stomping âEyes Of A Woman.â
An impressive debut, Photoelectric closes with âOnly Dreamingâ the most down tempo track on the album that shows a bit of range. Overall, there could be more variety here to augment the straightforward songwriting, studio touches, a few breaks and flourishes on the songs that take them out of bar band territory.
The Begowatts do not quite reach the depth of their influences, and one wonders what comes next on their follow up. Do they bring in some of Iggyâs drugged out urban darkness? Or perhaps itâs the spacious, mystic tones of Blue Oyster Cult? One thing is certain. The Begowatts earn enough of your interest on Photoelectric to check back in to answer that question. - Bearded Magazine
Alternative Performer of the Year finalist (final voting in progress) - Madison Area Music Awards
Finalist for Alternative Album of the Year (final voting in progress) - Madison Area Music Awards
The Begowatts' "Lawmaker" made it to #28 on Maximum Ink's Top 41 tracks of 2016 countdown. - Maximum Ink Magazine
The mild-mannered by day, but rock stars by night The Begowatts releases a bright to gritty rock 'n' roll album.
The guys who The Begowatts may appear to be mild-mannered, highly educated members of society, and while this is true, they also all have a secret identity â that of rock star. The band blazes like the sun on its traditional hard rock debut album Photoelectric, which was beamed out on June 17th.
The story of The Begowatts began a long time ago (Well, not that long; in 2012.) in a galaxy far, far away⌠at the University of Wisconsin to be exact, where David French (lead guitar, lead vocals), Benjamin Tofflemire (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Aaron Androsky (bass, backing vocals), and Arthur Eigenbrot (drums, percussion, backing vocals, occasional lead vocals) met up as graduate students of the Astronomy and Computer Science program.
They decided they wanted to rock out as âthe begowattsâ, a self-named, made-up unit of measurement that melds a Back To The Future quote about â1.21 gigawattsâ and âBeg Wotâ, an East African beef curry that they were fond of feasting upon as grad students. The Begowatts dropped its debut EP in April 2015, played a bunch of house parties, and became the house band of Bike Shop.
The next logical step was to record an album and the band members enlisted the aid of Greg Norman, cutting Photoelectric at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago. Itâs clear to hear on the new album that the guys are having serious fun performing as rawk ânâ roll dudes with a free and easy attitude. Lead single âLawmakerâ strolls along in the casual spirit of classic rock music with its bracingly sharp, twisting guitar lines, restless drum beat, and tossed-off declarations from French, like, âItâs my way or the highway / Take your pick.â
âDangerousâ treads with a more cautious step at its start as a muffled drum beat and lightly stroked guitar and bass lines mix before the guitars plunge into fiery, short-phrase riffs. The cymbal shimmer, steady drum beat, and cycling guitars churn for a while before French comes in, sing-talking in a deeper tone, bemoaning the fact that, âLove is a diseaseâŚâ Crusty âRock Lustâ blasts out with cranked-up guitar riffage, a cantering drum beat, requisite cowbell clanks, and French exclaiming in true (old-school, traditional, and maybe a bit moldy by nowâŚ) rock fashion, âSheâs got legs for miles.â
The guys speed and crunch through the highly amusing âRock The Bugs Outâ, which features Eigenbrot on hardcore-like shouted out vocals. Blistering guitars support his wild, faux-menacing vocals as he exclaims, âWe got too many bugs in this house / We gotta find some way to get them out / There are centipedes, creepy-crawliesâŚâ Anyone whoâs lived in a college dorm or shared a house with 4 or more other people in their early 20s will understand where The Begowatts is coming from on this number!
âDaydreamerâ lays it down with a chugging pace of pronounced drum hits, and fiery, fuzzed-up guitar lines. French calls out in a vinegary, heartfelt tone, âI am a daydreamer.â while backed by airier male vocal âAhhhâs. The band ends the album on a more reflective note, ââŚStill Daydreamingâ amid glisteningly liquid, picked guitar lines and Frenchâs starkly delivered words, âThe sunâs down / The lights are all dark / and I am still dreaming.â A subdued drum beat, cymbal tick, and short jags of distorted guitar rise in intensity as the song moves along, building up to a vivid finish of screaming guitar lines flying to the sky. - Rebel Noise
Madisonâs The Begowatts released their anticipated debut album Photoelectric today and we bring you the tough, riff ripping side of the law with âLawmakerâ. Itâs the kind of hip shaking swagger that reminds you of some of your favorite artists that you have seen in the smokiest, & dankest dives & pubs around. - Impose Magazine
Comprised of three astronomers and an urban planner, the Madison, WI-based rock group The Begowatts blend a litany of styles and influences into their special compound. With a self-titled EP and a number of packed out basement shows in their rear view, the quartet comprised of Benjamin Tofflemire (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Aaron Androsky (bass, backing vocals), Arthur Eigenbrot (drums, percussion, backing vocals) and David French (lead guitar, lead vocals) are stepping out with their most fully realized work to date.
The Begowattsâ debut LP, Photoelectric, is due out June 17th and Speak Into My Good Eye is happy to host the exclusive premiere of single âLawmakerâ today. On the track, The Begowatts turn up a classic honky tonk pace with a huge sound tailor made to burn up any bar room in the country.
âThis is one of the earliest songs I wrote for the band, sometime around early 2013, when I was overdosing on Rolling Stones records, shared French. âI wrote it in response to a news article I had read about someone hitting a crowd of protesters with their car, which inspired the first line ââŚhit and run as crowd control.â The theme of the song is summed up pretty well by a later verse, âIâm not a threat to you, I just have a different view.â We recorded it live as a full band and really quickly, in just a couple of takes.â
Listen to âLawmakerâ below and look for The Begowattsâ Photoelectric out next Friday. - Speak Into My Good Eye
Apparently there is a South Central Wisconsin⌠Iâm not being funny, I have just never really thought about that area of the country. I can imagine that itâs a beautiful place, home to The Dells, âThe Mad Cityâ of Madison, Wisconsin, and The Begowatts. The latter making the place stink with their no nonsense brand of rock. Their website boasts, and I love this, âOur hard-hitting Rock and Roll will embolden the weak, cure the sick, save the damned, soften the heat, and melt the face of all True Believersâ. Photoelectric just happens to also be the bandâs debut record.
Iâm soldâŚ.
Which is to say, that even if the song sucks, Iâm all in, I can still give the downer faced sneer and close my eyes while bobbing to the beat. Thereâs no contest, Iâve said this before, I miss a good band that provides us the opportunity to make an honest to goodness pouty face. What the Begowatts lack in diverse song-writing they make up with attitude, and sometimes thatâs all you need.
âIn the Nighttimeâ kicks off the album with wings and a killer guitar lick. âRock Lustâ could have been a B-side off an Urge Overkill record. âLawmakerâ is a swampy, bluesy stinger with a political bend. âEyes of a Womanâ peacock struts its way through a dirty opening riff. âNo Man Aboveâ is currently playing in a certain early 90âs Patrick Swayze movie about a bouncer in a bar⌠in my mind. âDaydreamerâ finds the right vibe to sing your head off, and I imagine would be killer live⌠and so onâŚ
Even when the band hits a low noteâŚ. âRock the Bugs OutââŚ.. they still do it without caring about othersâ opinions⌠They just want you to literally rock the bugs outâŚ. Not sure out of what, but just listen to them dammit.
All that to say, the Begowatts are really good, the record is hard-driving rock n roll, and they know that, and now so do you. - B-Sides
If youâre into Deep Purple, read on. The Begowatts are a four-piece rock outfit that have recently released Photoelectric, an album that will please fans of classic rock. This band from Madison, WI are gaining momentum and playing lots of shows, letâs check this album out.
The opener, âIn the Nighttime,â immediately sets the tone. It kicks off the album with a fuzzy, overdriven guitar riff followed by a solid, rock nâ roll rhythm section supporting the song while giving space for frontman David French to sing and growl his way through the track. The audio production on this record is already indicative of a professionalâs work, sounding balanced, clear, and punchy. Their second song, âRock Lust,â starts with a great, blues-based guitar solo, leading to a verse that showcases the great interplay between guitarists, David and Ben Tofflemire. One arpeggiates the chords while the other palm-mutes the respective power chord, creating a wide sonic spectrum and keeping the music lively. The choruses bring forth backup vocals, adding width to the musical hook. Another guitar solo, courtesy of David, showcases his song writing ability by performing a lyrical solo that tells a story within the song.
âClinically Coolâ sees the addition of a uni-vibe-type effect gracing the electric guitar tone, conjuring images of Jimi Hendrix, who was known to use this type of effect. Itâs a laid-back track that picks up in intensity for the choruses, which helps to make it dynamic and entertaining. âLawmakerâ reminds me a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd, with its feel-good vibes and open chords. The next track, âDangerous,â didnât do much for me. In my opinion, it sounded a lot like one of the previous ones and lacked the distinction to make it memorable. âHard Timesâ reminds me a lot of an ACDC track, with its post-chorus breakdowns letting the guitar riff take over while the band punches in on the count of four. Itâs a hard-hitting tune that Iâm sure makes the perfect soundtrack for drinks at the bar.
âEyes of a Womanâ brought me back to the sounds of Buckcherry, thanks to its mix of energetic rock and radio-friendly formula. Those looking to punch the air and rock out for two minutes should listen to âRock The Bugs Out.â Itâs a track that leans towards punkâs aptitude to deliver a quick dose of exuberance. It also showcases drummer Arthur Eigenbrotâs singing talents as he takes the lead and theatrically dishes out a ton of vigour and rock nâ roll spirit. âNo Man Aboveâ sees the band lay back a little as they play a slower rock groove. Unfortunately, I had trouble understanding the vocals at times on this track. Some words come through loud and clear; others sound buried. I think putting the vocals through a second compressor running at three to six decibels of gain reduction would have done the trick at fixing this problem. The song ends with a speedup and a guitar solo that I would love to see live someday. âDaydreamerâ is another radio-friendly track that reminds me of Thin Lizzy. Worth noting is Davidâs passionate singing, belting out high notes like his life depended on it. Photoelectric ends with â⌠Still Dreaming,â the slowest song on the album. Itâs an appropriate farewell from the band, culminating with an intense guitar solo halfway through.
The Begowatts know how to write a great blues-rock song. Theyâre talented musicians that know how to put on a show (check them out on their Youtube channel). The single caveat I see with this band is that their music doesnât bring anything new to the table. Yes, I know. Everythingâs already been done; everythingâs already been heard. I just wish these guys would stray a little farther from the blues-rock sound weâve heard since the sixties. Having said that, this band rocks out and has surely lit up quite a few rooms with their energetic, rock nâ roll grooves. - Bucketlist Music Reviews
Founded in 2012 by four graduate students studying astronomy and computer science at the University of Wisconsin, The Begowatts evoke classic rock tropes without succumbing to the numbing mimicry that so many artists fall back on when approaching these revered sounds. By taking our expectations and assumptions about the viability of this known noise and injecting a punk ferocity into its heart, the band cranks the amps up to 11 and careens forward like a runaway freight train. There's little time to think, only an instinct for classic rock that reveals just how well the group perceives and executes this electrifying and intoxicating sound.
On "Dangerous," they channel their inner Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy to fashion an ode to their influences that never feels strained or as if it's grasping for its own identity. The guitars kick you in the gut before crashing down on your head. It's a mass of thunderous licks, percussive implosions and howling vocals that remind you why rock music still feels so necessary after all these years. There's nothing particularly revelatory, but the band brings everything together in a way that conveys both their understanding of the source material and their ability to transform it from a familiar form to one that defies easy characterization. "Dangerous" is the sound of a band clearing the road, making way for a new sound that's indebted to the past but makes it own way toward the future. - Nooga
Hailing from Madison, WI, the Begowatts have a rockin' sound that mixes vintage classic rock with alternative. Formed in 2012 when the bandmembers were grad students at the University of Wisconsin, the band released their first full-length, Photoelectric, earlier this month. We're offering "Dangerous" from that album as today's Free Song of the Day. Sharp, stark and electric, "Dangerous" gives a good glimpse of what's to come from the band. Don't let the heavy instrumentation fool, lyrically, it's a dark song with a deep meaning.
âThis was the last song we wrote for this album, we finished it just in time to hit the studio," singer David French says. "It is emblematic of our future songwriting direction I think, fusing fuzzed out guitar riffs with a more bouncy, dance-like beat. The lyrics are dark, and were influence by the loss of my brother to brain cancer.â
The Begowatts' Photoelectricis out now. - PureVolume
On Photoelectric, The Begowattsâ debut album, you hear the group unleash some tight, fast, and impressive electric guitar work and drum action. With opener âIn the Nighttimeâ, the band jumps straight into it with relentless energy throughout. The guitar-led track featuring gritty vocals is plain old foot-stomping, frolicking, grunge-flavoured rock following a very familiar formula.
Other high-octane numbers include the slower but just as intense âRock Lustâ in which The Begowatts bring in a cowbell. The vocals in the rock and roller âHard Timesâ, another extremely fun contribution, clear up, interplaying with the electric guitar that leads the party.
âRock the Bugs Outâ is a particularly fun song that is quite literally about finding all the bugs stuck in oneâs house and getting rid of them. Anyone who has had to deal with any type of infestation will no doubt connect with the frustration in the voice of the bandâs lead singer (David French) as he threatens to squash every little insect he can find.
Some similar differences define the various mellower numbers on Photoelectric. âClinically Coolâ is slow, intense, Skynyrd-ish and steady, highlighted by a few electric guitar solos that pop up throughout. âDangerousâ has many of the same elements except that it is not steady; the melody swells and recedes throughout the trackâs run. The echoing backing vocals used during the chorus add a well-placed sense of confusion.
The call and response between vocals and electric guitar in âEyes of a Womanâ is an attention-grabber, as it is quite different from anything else on Photoelectric. The vocals are quite gritty, painfully so, as French talks about meeting a woman and understanding her true natureânot a good one according to himâthrough the look in her eyes.
Another one quite different from the rest is ââŚStill Dreamingâ. It is slow, calm, and mellow with every layerâvocals, electric guitar, and drumsâand yet, still intense. The song builds up from the beginning with backing vocals added at the halfway mark. Repeating over and over the line âstill dreamingâ, these extra vocals add, well, a dream-like quality to the listening experience.
Streaming is available at SoundCloud. More information about the band can be found on their official website and Facebook page. - Blogcritics
You never learned the prefix âbego-â in science class. Given how much we trust the music and measurement knowledge of Wisconsinâs The Begowatts, we feel pretty comfortable with their definition. In short, it amounts to an overwhelming amount of what youâre measuring â in this case, good ole rock ânâ roll. We recently asked the band about their name, other such measurements, and their new PledgeMusic campaign.
Is the Begowatt a new measurement of some kind? Where did the name come from?
The exact origin is a closely guarded secret in the annals of Begowatts lore. Suffice it to say, it involves drunkards, lambs, and curry. Weâve been given some flack for our name but haters gonna hate; itâs our name and we love it. Over the years a Begowatt has become a unit of measurement with 1 Begowatt = ârock so hard you pukeâ.
What story would best signify the hardest youâve rocked so far?
Last year we were opened for a band at a secret Madison punk venue whose name shall remain mysterious. The location was to be kept secret and could only be spread through word-of-mouth â to this day you cannot find the address online. After some extensive searches to make sure we werenât about to be mugged, we arrived at a warehouse next to a chop shop that looked like something from as Fast and Furious movie. It was right next to a train line so a lot of train punks showed up and were taking dumps in the bushes or whatever.
We played our set at approximately double speed and produced about four gallons of sweat in the process. The whole time there were two dogs in the back fucking each other. They were both dude dogs so maybe thatâs another unit of measurement: a Pegowatt = ârock so hard your dog turns gayâ. Anything else?
At another show Arthur, our drummer, sliced his hand open mid-set and was bleeding all over the drums and himself. Fortunately he kept rocking like a fucking champion, probably because we were at one Degowatt = ârock so hard youâre bleeding everywhere but donât careâ.
How is the music scene there in Madison, Wisconsin? Has it been a good base for the band?
The Madison music scene is great for a band starting out. For its size, Madison has a fair number of clubs and bars that host live, original music every night of the week. A lot of bands on regional tours stop into Madison looking for local openers, and weâve been happy to oblige. It has been a great way to get on stage frequently and really build up our chops. More recently, weâve been working on setting up our own gigs with bands in larger nearby cities â Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago â to swap shows and increase our exposure.
In terms of local acts, weâve found some great bands that are really a pleasure to play with. If itâs a cold Tuesday night youâre not going to get a lot of people just walking in, so itâs really great to be able to play with bands that pull a crowd and know how to party. Of course, Begofans are the best, but the other folks are pretty awesome too.
Do you guys have a lot of the pre-production done for the album? Or is there still quite a bit to do before you hit the studio?
Yeah, we have just about everything written and we are in final rehearsal mode. We have actually been playing a bunch of these songs live for a while now, but now we are just going to go over them again with a fine-tooth comb to get everything just right. A lot of it is going to be âso we end this song a certain way live, but how do we want it to end on the record?â and that sort of thing.
What else is on the horizon in addition to the album release in May?
We will also be putting together a Midwest tour this summer, but the details there are still pretty sparse. Generally, our plans are to play a ton of shows, but itâs all eyes on recording the album right now. - Pledgemusic
"Top 10 tracks of the week" - Mad Mackerel
âThe good news is, that Madison, Wisconsin rock and roll band The Begowatts...make some really, really groovy rock music â a combination of classic rock, funk and passion thatâs had us in the right state of mind to start off the week.â - Pens Eye View
"The blazing guitars and slick riffs all scream sleazy, dirty rock music, the way it should be." - Examiner
The Begowatts are lovably strange birds, indeed. Lead singer Benjamin Tofflemire sounds like Ian Astbury of The Cult, while being backed by a less bluesy ZZ Top at times. Band members met in the Astronomy and Computer Science program at the University of Wisconsin, but their sound has a loose, hedonistic vibe running through it. They sound like some mighty serious partiers.
It's uncertain if a song title like "Rock Lust" is cool AC/DC or dumb-funny Spinal Tap. You get the feeling that these smart guys aren't merely playing this music for the jokes, though. After a long day of studying the stars, perhaps a guy just wants to dream about the ultimate rock chick.
There are pundits today that claim classic rock is far better than most contemporary sounds. With Photoelectric, The Begowatts are keeping many of these classic sounds alive with a batch of brand new songs, while all the while proving a multitude of pundits right. - antiMusic
With only four tracks, The Begowattsâ self-titled EP is short yet sweet with a nice vintage sound to it as a whole â Iâd bust this out at BBQ kinda thing. Hailing from Madison, Wisconsin, they are composed of four elements: David French (vocals/lead guitar), Ben Tofflemire (rhythm guitar), Chris Lietz (Bass), and Arthur Eigenbrot (drums/vocals). They seem like a bunch of good-humored cats to boot.
On their site, this bit amused me:
âThe Begowatts began as an extremely clever way to piss off their first landlord and have since become one of Madisonâs premier rock & roll shows. What began as a rag-tag collection of very handsome men (and one drummer) just banging out a few covers to entertain friends has become, through sacrifice and hardship, a full-fledged, bowel-quivering rock nâ roll band.â
Well all right sirs, letâs see if my bowels quiver.
First up is a track called âPreacher Girl.â Itâs easy on the ears, and simply catchy. Once the singer opened his pipes, though, I couldnât help but think âDanzig does blues rock?! Sweeeeet!â Putting the image of Danzig out of my head, this track has some nice ebbs nâ flows to it, but my bowels remain âquiverlessâ.
With the second track, âWanderer,â I will admit I felt a slight purr amongst my bowel regionâŚagain, simple and catchy with a staple solo thrown in for good measure. I rather dug the hand-clappy vibe to it, and Iâm not a big hand-clappy music type, for the record. Titled âDevilâs got a Gun,â track threeâs a fun ride, man! I liked the broken-up vocal sound during some bits, and the way the drummer changes up the tempo in subtle smashing waysâ reckon this oneâs the standout track for me.
My bowels have yet to quiver, though.
Once I hit play on the last track, âSophisticated Lady,â (a case of better watching it live vs. listen) Iâm sorry to say my bowels ceased to move. I dug the solo towards the end, had some rockabilly vibe to it, but thatâs about it. This track made me think of George Thorogoodâs hit, âOne Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,â right off the bat, and after hearing his track more times than I care to count, I lost interest in this track as a result. Just a lilâ too uncanny in audio likeliness for me.
Overall, it is a fun listen; nice and raw, and Iâd say a great live act to enjoy some brews to. Given theyâre just warming up, I guess it is just a matter of time before they get real quivers outta bowels.
With the band listing influences such as âThe Rolling Stones, The Who, The Black Keys, Blue Oyster Cult, Talking Heads, and many more,â if you dig any of those bands (or say The Sheepdogs to give a recent comparison for vibeâs sake) then this EP will go down nicely. Also goes to show rock nâ roll will never die with new bands coming up like The Begowatts carrying on that good olâ vibe! - Bucketlist Music Reviews
In the northern city of Madison, Wisconsin, the band The Begowatts play raw blues-based rock and roll with a hard rock edge that is indicative of the late 60âs and early 70âs, when blues-influenced guitar rock ruled the universe. Think Deep Purple â thatâs who they remind us most of in terms of style and sound.
Merging blazing riffs, a heavy, thumping bass and smash-and-burn drumming techniques, The Begowatts have quietly become one of Madisonâs most promising rock bands.
Standout songs like âWandererâ and âPreacher Girlâ from the April release of their self-titled debut EP make this point better than words do. Members David French (lead guitar and vocals), Chris Lietz (bass), Ben Tofflemire (rhythm guitar), and Arthur Eigenbrot (drums, vocals) are all science graduate students who came together as a result of sharing a similar interest in bands like The Black Keys and The Who. Soon after discovering their mutual appreciation of rock, the quartet were jamming together and writing their own songs.
The band has opened for Annie B. & The Complication, Courtney Yasmineh, Angwish, The Sunpilots, and list among their favorite and most influential bands The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys, Jimi Hendrix, The War On Drugs, and Queen. The Begowatts, while perhaps not picking the best band name, are present-day examples that there is hope that there are millennials (as the media call them) who appreciate, and can play, rock and roll. Itâs too bad, however, that bands like The Begowatts will never be heard on radio. But who the fuck needs radio? Itâs a dying medium that deserves its fate. - Indie Rock Cafe
Wanderer - The Begowatts, EP - Indie Rock Cafe
Discography
Grand Charade - released September 29, 2017
Photoelectric - released June 17, 2016
The Begowatts EP - released April 9, 2015
Photos
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Bio
The Begowatts craft a distinctive blend of rock & roll, rooted in deep 70âs grooves with an ear toward modern atmospheric aesthetics. Formed in 2012 in Madison, Wisconsin, the band built buzz across the Midwest and honed their live presence through relentless touring and Pabst Blue Ribbon consumption. Along the way, the foursomeâs sound evolved. While the early Begowatts paid faithful homage to classic rock, the band has matured toward a tighter, more layered fusion of old and new which they christen, â21st century electric rock & roll.â
Within a short time they went from packing basement parties to being the house band at Madisonâs world famous Bike Shop and released their self-titled EP in 2015. The EPâs response gave the band the confidence they needed to pony up for a professionally recorded full length debut. They named their newest crop of songs âPhotoelectric" and recorded them at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago with renowned sound engineer Greg Norman. Photoelectric was released June 17, 2016 to glowing reviews, including earning them nominations for the Madison Area Music Awards âAlternative Albumâ and âAlternative Performer of the Year."
The groupâs sophomore effort, Grand Charade, was released September 2018. Written during the whirlwind of the 2016 election, their new tunes reflect the great division they bore witness to. Songs like the Clash-esque âKids On Paroleâ hark back to the politically-charged rock of the late 70âs, while the closing number "You & I" is drenched in dreamlike tension and disillusion, conjuring up a decidedly brooding Twin Peaks vibe. Yet throughout it all, the sound remains undeniably their own in its signature exuberant, carefree coolness. Begofans will find that the group has grown leaps and bounds on Grand Charade, refining their sound and emerging as new contender in the current post-punk scene.
Band Members
Links