Pittsburgh is the perfect home for a band like the Gotobeds. Too noisy and aggressive for the dripping sop that passes as “indie” today, too idiosyncratic and tuneful for punk orthodoxy, and too damn smart for most anything else, they’re a band with a certain appeal, much like Pittsburgh itself. Their new album, “Debt Begins at 30”, would’ve been a college radio smash back before colleges sold their stations to NPR.
Like their two previous records, it could’ve existed at almost any time since the end of the ‘70s, indebted equally to Wire’s Chairs Missing and the general attitude of the Fall without specifically sounding like either. The Gotobeds have nothing to hide, but again, that doesn’t mean they don’t have any depth to ‘em.
“If you’ve ever toured or spent long stretches of time with the same folks you know nerves can fray,” Gotobeds frontman Eli Kasan says of their new video. “We found a way to release that tension by macing each other for the video. Ever seen The Purge? Me neither, but it’s the same idea.” Don’t try this at home, but do dig Pavement-y vibes of this one which features backing vocals by Tracy Wilson of Positive No, Dahlia Seed and Ringfinger. The Gotobeds new album is out in May.
The Gotobeds return to the fray with their third full lengther, Debt Begins at 30. The esprit de corps and anxiety-free joy that permeates their other LPs and EPs remains intact. The octane is high-test, the engine still has knocks and pings and the battery is overcharged. The Gotobeds are as Pittsburgh as it gets, the folk music of the Steel City – have more tar for us to swallow. Debt Begins at 30 is an old-fashioned blast furnace and the liquid iron flows. The album’s first single, Calquer the Hound, features guest performances by Kim Phuc singer Rob Henry, and Evan Richards of The City Buses. (The album has guests on all eleven tracks. The song has euphony, a sly bridge, plenty of trademark bash, and a spacey outro.
On May 31st, The Gotobeds – Cary, TFP, Eli and Gavin – return to the fray with their third full length album.
The Fat Angel Sings 