Posts Tagged ‘Cool Ghouls’

COOL GHOULS – ” The Way I Made You Cry “

Posted: March 28, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , , ,
1

Cool Ghouls, the San Francisco-based band that once lived on house gigs and barbeques in Golden Gate Park, is going on their tenth year together and in lieu of this decennial celebration, they are releasing their fourth album, “At George’s Zoo”. They shared “The Way I Made You Cry,” the second single off this album. At George’s Zoo is set to be released on March 12th via Empty Cellar (and Melodic in the UK). The song has a bit of a retro Foxygen and The Lemon Twigs vibe. 

The band shared the album’s first single, “Helpless Circumstance,” last month, which set the tone of the rest of their upcoming album. The group aims to capture the romantic essence of the city, as well as the historical psychedelia that once dominated the music scene in San Francisco. “At George’s Zoo” will be a reminder of the before times when gigs took place in a friend’s living room rather than on stage or now—through a screen.

http://

Their third and previous album, Gord’s House, was released in 2017.

Cool Ghouls are a band fledged in San Francisco on house shows, minimum wage jobs, BBQ’s in Golden Gate Park and the romance of a city’s psychedelic history turns 10 this year. What better a decennial celebration than the release of their fourth album, At George’s Zoo!

How did this San Francisco’s fab four arrive at George’s Zoo? The teenage friendship of complimentary spirits Pat McDonald (Guitar/Vox) and Pat Thomas (Bass/Vox) serves as square one. The Patricks were munching on Eggo-waffle-sandwiches and downing warm Taaka in suburban Benicia years before McDonald would hear George Clinton address his fans as “Cool Ghouls”. The boys played their debut gig as Cool Ghouls at San Francisco’s legendary The Stud in 2011, but there’s no doubt the musical moment cementing the band’s trajectory was much earlier at the 18th birthday party for boy-wonder Ryan Wong (Guitar/Vox) – at the Wong household.

You might remember the Ghouls’ earliest days… McDonald’s hair hung luxuriously past his waist, Thomas dreamt of no longer having to crash on friends’ couches to call SF home and Wong looked forward to turning 21. Cool Ghouls’ Pete Best, Cody Voorhees, thrashed wildly – but briefly – on the drums and Alex Fleshman (Drums), who still claims he’s not really “a drummer”, turned out to be a really good drummer.

It’s been 2 years since the last time Cool Ghouls have even played. The STUD is gone, The Eagle Tavern is for sale and The Hemlock has been demolished for condos. 

Fortunately for us, the ghouls got an album in before it all went to shit, and they made it count. At George’s Zoo includes 15 of the 27 tunes they managed to eke out while simultaneously working through major life moves. It was a 5-month, all out, final sprint down the homestretch (to Ryan’s moving day) with affable engineer Robby Joseph, at his makeshift garage studio in the Outer Sunset (pictured on the cover). Instead of recording the entire album over a few consecutive days – like they’d done with Tim Cohen, Sonny Smith and Kelley Stoltz for the first three LPs – the band took it slow by working through a few songs each weekend after rehearsing them the week before. 

These guys have a real commitment to elevating as songwriters, musicians and ensemble players. It’s always been for the music with Cool Ghouls and this long-awaited self-produced outing is a track by track display of the ground they’ve covered and heights they can achieve. Their vocals and trademark harmonies are front and center and out-of-control-good. Ryan’s guitar solos are incredible. The horns by Danny Brown (sax) and Andrew Stephens (trumpet) hit in all the right places. Maestro, Henry Baker (Pat Thomas Band / Tino Drima), plays keys throughout. 

The song writing, harmony and playing are nothing if not solid. The lyrics are keen. Robby’s recording and mixing sound great start to finish and even better after mastering by Mikey Young. It’s a triumphant addition to their catalogue. Recommended for Stooges and Beach Boys fans alike. Listen and see!

Empty Cellar Records and Melodic Records worldwide. 
releases March 12, 2021

COOL GHOULS – ” At George’s Zoo “

Posted: February 25, 2021 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Cool Ghouls – a band fledged in San Francisco on house shows, minimum wage jobs, BBQ’s in Golden Gate Park and the romance of a city’s psychedelic history turns 10 this year. What better a decennial celebration than the release of their fourth album, At George’s Zoo!

How did this San Francisco’s fab four arrive at George’s Zoo? The teenage friendship of complimentary spirits Pat McDonald (Guitar/Vox) and Pat Thomas (Bass/Vox) serves as square one. The Pat’s were munching on Eggo-waffle-sandwiches and downing warm Taaka in suburban Benicia years before McDonald would hear George Clinton address his fans as “Cool Ghouls”. The boys played their debut gig as Cool Ghouls at San Francisco’s legendary The Stud in 2011, but there’s no doubt the musical moment cementing the band’s trajectory was much earlier at the 18th birthday party for boy-wonder Ryan Wong (Guitar/Vox) – at the Wong household.

The Ghouls’ earliest days… McDonald’s hair hung luxuriously past his waist, Thomas dreamt of no longer having to crash on friends’ couches to call SF home and Wong looked forward to turning 21. Cool Ghouls’ Cody Voorhees, thrashed wildly – but briefly – on the drums and Alex Fleshman (Drums), who still claims he’s not really “a drummer”, turned out to be a really good drummer.

Flash forward to today and everything is up in flames. No shows, parties or bars. Cool people are streaming out of SF. It’s been 2 years since the last time Cool Ghouls have even played. 

Fortunately for us, the ghouls got an album in before it all went to shit, and they made it count. At George’s Zoo includes 15 of the 27 tunes they managed to eke out while simultaneously working through major life moves. It was a 5-month, all out, final sprint down the homestretch (to Ryan’s moving day) with affable engineer Robby Joseph, at his makeshift garage studio in the Outer Sunset (pictured on the cover). Instead of recording the entire album over a few consecutive days – like they’d done with Tim Cohen, Sonny Smith and Kelley Stoltz for the first three LPs – the band took it slow by working through a few songs each weekend after rehearsing them the week before. 

http://

These guys have a real commitment to elevating as songwriters, musicians and ensemble players. It’s always been for the music with Cool Ghouls and this long-awaited self-produced outing is a track by track display of the ground they’ve covered and heights they can achieve. Their vocals and trademark harmonies are front and center and out-of-control-good. Ryan’s guitar solos are incredible. The horns by Danny Brown (sax) and Andrew Stephens (trumpet) hit in all the right places. Maestro, Henry Baker (Pat Thomas Band / Tino Drima), plays keys throughout. There’s even a mesmerizing string section (“Land Song”) by sonic polyglot, Dylan Edrich.

This is a fully realized Cool Ghouls album. It paints a remarkable portrait of SF’s homegrown heroes and the many corners they’ve explored over the last decade. The song writing, harmony and playing are nothing if not solid. The lyrics are keen. Robby’s recording and mixing sound great start to finish and even better after mastering by Mikey Young. It’s a triumphant addition to their catalogue. Recommended for Stooges and Beach Boys fans alike. We at least know that 2021 has At George’s Zoo for us, a beautiful keepsake from the Before Times when we used to stand in living rooms together while bands played.

Available March 12th on LP / CD / Digital via Empty Cellar Records and Melodic Records worldwide. 

COOL GHOULS – ” CCR Bootleg “

Posted: January 28, 2018 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

coolghouls_0

Have you Listened to the propulsive indie-rock of Cool Ghouls, and their wonderfully wholesome Animal Races LP (Melodic Records). It’s actually been eighteen months since its summer 2016 release, and, as such, the band have a new track “CCR Bootleg” is both a perfectly-timed return, and an energetic reminder of their craft.

Taken from a new Post Trash’s new compilation – Volume 3 – this gleaming new cut will sit alongside tracks from the likes of Pardoner, Christina Schneider, Bad History Month, and many others, while all benefits will be donated to Puerto Rico hurricane relief. Rowdy and rambunctious, CCR Bootleg is a skittering four-minutes, showcasing the punkier side of the band, that boisterous lead-vocal backing up a suitably solid-but-slack backline that adds a distinct and palpable air of city living, from the he daily clamour, to the surrounding hedonism of such a thing.

Listen to the track below right now; it precedes a full European tour which starts in mid-February

http://

 

COOL GHOULS – ” Gord’s Horse “

Posted: January 1, 2018 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: ,
0

Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling, glasses, beard, indoor and close-up

All the analog equipment, expensive amps, vintage clothing and rare guitars in the world will never take the place of quality songwriting. Take “Gord’s Horse,” for instance, which is the sort of track that the world would hand over their 401Ks for if it was on some obscuro lathe cut available to 10 people in S.F. in the early ’70s. Instead, it’s a new jam from Cool Ghouls, using a stomp, tone and timbre that is throwback in the best of ways, combining harmonized vocals with a swagger and twang ready to blare out of a protest bus. By nailing that retro approach with a hummable and killer melody, “Gord’s Horse” sounds like it’s built for singing around a campfire.

“Gords Horse” comes from the band’s tour-only cassette of the same name, available on the road at the dates below. Mikey Young (Total Control, ECSR, etc.) mastered the damn thing, too. Scoop one up before those collector douches get the chance to gouge you. Woozy, harmony filled, vintage tinged rock’n’roll with just the right amount of twang gives Gord’s Horse the perfect laid back slacker vibe. One to kick back and fire up a big one for…

Lead track from Gord’s Horse – a tour-only cassette album – by Cool Ghouls.

http://

COOL GHOULS – ” A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye “

Posted: September 24, 2016 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , ,
0

Featured Image

Cool Ghouls is the rock’n’roll project of four lifelong Bay Area residents, weaving together cosmic influences from the future, past and present. By utilising traditional garage rock rhythms and tones in their music, the band manage to create dexterous, Cali-bred psych-rock in a similar vein to such bands as The Troggs.

Mastered by fellow Bay Area maestro Kelley Stoltz, Cool Ghouls release their third full-length in 2016 through Empty Cellar Records.

http://

COOL GHOULS – ” Days “

Posted: July 17, 2016 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , ,
0

Empty Cellar Records is stoked to announce the third full-length release by San Francisco’s Cool Ghouls, Animal Races. Fans of their self-titled debut and 2014’s A Swirling Fire Burning Through the Rye will be similarly stoked to hear how this band has continued to evolve. If the first album was a celebratory debut, and the second an earnest venture into deeper waters, this third album is like the crystal born of the murky womb that was the second record, fertilized by the initial intention of the first. Not only have the Cool Ghouls reaped the crop they sowed; they’ve baked it into some new kind of bread.

For the uninitiated – Cool Ghouls play rock’n’roll. That’s about all there is to it. They’re California natives. They try to do a good job. They like to try to elevate and get far out. They also like to keep it real. They like to make friends and have a good time. They don’t like bullshit. They want to keep growing and learning how to become more powerful musicians. This record reflects the discoveries they’ve made over the last five years about live performance, themselves, and each other.

The eleven tracks, recorded to tape by Kelley Stoltz in his backyard studio and mixed by Mikey Young (Total Control etc.), are first and foremost documents of the four-piece’s live performance of the tunes. Many of the songs were road-tested, but – unlike the prior records – a few of them were not. This opened the door for some new looks: an acoustic guitar, some synth, upright piano, a little pedal steel wizardry from Tom Heyman, etc. It’s Cool Ghouls doing what they’ve always done, but in more ways and better.

Animal Races will be available on LP/CD (8/19) in the US via Empty Cellar Records and the EU/UK via Melodic Records; and also, on cassette via Burger Records. All versions feature full-color artwork painted by Shannon Shaw (Shannon and The Clams).

http://