Go Time

Artist Information

Biography

Taking power pop to less-traveled latitudes - is Chicago-based band, GO TIME!

While the band has just finished its third CD, its four members are no strangers to the Chicago music scene. GO TIME! was initially comprised of former Prairie Town members Scott Niekelski (composer/lead guitar/vocals), Marko Marketti (bass) and Steve Grzenia (percussion). GO TIME! officially formed when Prairie Town disbanded after a two-decade run. In 2008, after a year-long painstaking search for a guitarist to complement Scott’s style, veteran musician Paul Schmidt answered an online ad seeking an experienced guitarist and the rest is history.

The band members have like-minded musical tastes and settled into a harder-edged, power pop groove. Scott is a prolific song writer, so having enough material for two recordings over two years was never an issue. The debut CD, "Speak" was released in May 2009 with the follow-up CD, "Hit It" being released in December 2010 and now January 2012 “Boneshaker”.

Deeply submerged in amped up jangle and buzz, along with a healthy dose of subtle pop riffs and stream-of-consciousness transitions GO TIME recorded in their home studio for Sound Gypsy Records and Mike Hagler at King Size Sound Labs mastered the CD. Mike is known for mixing and mastering bands such as Wilco, Neko Case, The New Pornographers, The Redwalls, John Langford, The Mekons, Billy Bragg, Ezra Furman and Caliphone, just to name a few.

GO TIME! plans to spend the first part of 2012 playing shows in support of "Boneshaker" and then heading back into the studio to work on CD number 4 at the end of 2012.


www.myspace.com/gotimeband1 www.gotimeband.com
gotimeband@gmail.com

Instrumentation

Scott Niekelski - Lead Guitar and Vocals
Paul Schmidt - Guitar
Steve Grzenia - Drums
Mark Marketti - Bass

Discography

Speak - 2009
Hit It - 2010
Boneshaker 2012


We are on several online sources for radio play.
Feel free to download at our my space:
http://www.myspace.com/gotimeband1

We are also on:
WLUW.org (Razor and Di Shows)
uicradio.org (Dj John Rose)
Lazlos Den
KTOH - 99.9 Kauai
KEAO - 91.5 Mana'o
KNOI - 104.7 Maui
KPMW - 105.5 Hawaii
WWW.BANANA PEEL RADIO.COM
orestoneradio.com
garageband.com
Artist Xite
Amazon
Itunes
http://www.harboroughfm.co.uk Harborough 102.3 Fm in England
www.indie104.com
www.iradiola.com
radiocrystalblue.com
earlcliftonradio.com (The Earl Clifton Show)
Podsafe Music Network
Manifest Media Artists
music.mevio.com/
tradebit.com
www.allmusic.com

Americana U.K 2009
GO TIME have produced an album chockfull of energetic songs embracing a power pop idiom with more than a nod to the grungier end of that style… there is no denying the quality of Scott Niekelski’s writing or the verve with which the band approach the songs. Go Time has kept a punk/garage/Americana sensibility alive.

July 7, 2009
Posted by Hubbub UK
GO TIME! are a group of musical nomads who have come together to produce a fantastic collection of melodic pop, which has more than a hint of retro rock to it. " For all those who claim that the age of rock and roll is overdue to the rise of manufactured groups and boy bands, give "Speak" a listen, it might just change your opinion.

August 18, 2009
The Essential Music Review
A friend of mine gave me this CD to listen to. I checked out their MySpace to see what was going on here. They are bringing some life back to rock. It is a mixture of all the things that I like (the Pixies, Big Star, The Replacements, and Husker Du). Mind you that they take all these things and blend them into a new sound that invites the listener in (or it did me). The band is tight – and the production gives an endearing live quality to the record.
Issue # 47 Rocktober Magazine
“GO TIME! indeed, as in "time to go to any bar these moody power poppers are rocking!" Great psychedelic-cloud production makes these straight-forward pop tunes sound extra awesome.

Caitlin Hotchkiss – Chart Attack
August 28, 2009
GO TIME! inhabit that same classic rock world of a younger Blue Rodeo or even Kim Mitchell. There's just no sense of pretention or tongue-in-cheek irony. This is four guys kicking out solid country-rock-ish jams. It's definitely enough to make the casual listener sit up and take notice.

2009, Wildy’s World
mixing a working-class vocal ethic with mildly crunchy rock tunes you can really dig into. This is bar rock at its most essential. Imagine if the Ramones and The Knickerbockers jammed together; it might sound something like this.
GO TIME! is a strong band with great material and a fun and frothy Garage aesthetic. " The melodies in here - above average, and there's a distinct emphasis on structure (thanks to the rhythm section of Marketti & Grzenia) that allows the band to stay tight.


Kevin Wallbank – Psychedelic Central
August 19, 2009
GO TIME! is a concoction of powerful sounding guitars that mix pop sensibilities with elements of rock and overtones of the best the guitar noise bands from down the years. The arrangements and playing throughout the album is tight and very well executed. Singer Scott Niekelski's vocals sit well over the top of the roaring guitars and have a slightly detached but authoritative tone which just adds to the whole sense of urgency that pervades the album from start to finish, even in their quieter moments. If you're into bands that just cut to the chase with their songwriting and get on with getting their message across with the minimum of fuss, but without dispensing with the necessary hooks needed to draw you in then Go Time will be right up your street. If this is a sign of the start of a trend towards this type of music, then I will be the first in the queue for more of it. Buy it!

Leicesterbangs.com
Carl J. October 12, 2009
The harmonies and intricate guitar parts underneath driving power pop. Highlights include the country pop of “Wait and See”, which has an early R.E.M. feel and the throbbing opener “You Know”. This might be one for friends and family but certainly warrants exploration on MySpace – just don't confuse them with The Go Team.
Earl Clifton Radio
GO TIME! these guys sent out a disc and I've got to say they grow on you like grass being well-watered during the summer - great garage rock sounds!
The Razor and Di Show WLUW 88.7 Chicago
"The Cheap Trick of the New Millennium!"

Andy Argyrakis – The Illinois Entertainer
January 1, 2010
"Loaded with crunchy guitars and hummable melodies, GO TIME! is a Chicago power pop surprise, thanks to some alt-country underpinnings."

By: Isaac Davis Jr.
Juniorscave.com - September 7, 2009
With a mixture of Power Pop, Garage Rock and Alternative, GO TIME! creates perfect harmonious melodic tunes that will get fans jamming to the band's music.


November 22, 2009
Bill’s Music Forum
GO TIME! is the brainchild of Chicago-based musician Scott Niekelski (formerly of Prairie Town). For those of you who've never heard him before, Niekelski is backed by a band rooted in no-nonsense, garage-jangle pop. As the name implies, GO TIME! is all about high energy and a Go(od) Time!
Forcing myself to listen to "Speak" more than once did allow me to begin to appreciate the smart power pop within. There is a certain charm about these guys, as their sincerity and attitude will remind you of that wide-eyed kid next door who wants nothing more than to have his garage band hit the big stage.
I recommend checking them out if you dug the early indie pop sounds of R.E.M., The Connells, or Hoodoo Gurus.


Bill Kopp
Musoscribe.com
The group isn't flashy; for the most part these guys are just rocking out. Pegging influences for a relatively unknown band is tricky, but this reviewer hears definite hints of 80s country-influenced rock: BoDeans, Jason and the Scorchers, Long Ryders, Green on Red, and R.E.M..

April 27, 2010 - David Bash
International Pop Overthrow
Some tried and true, dyed-in-the-wool Chicago power pop is a happenin' right now at IPO Chicago, with GO TIME! led by the affable Scott Niekelski, the band's harmonies and Rickenbacker-fueled melodies would please many a power pop fan!

Their sound is best categorized as power pop with a hard edge: a mix of The Who, Cheap Trick and various other artists with a contemporary twist. They travel the spectrum from melodic power pop to paint peeling hard rock rave outs. In a nutshell, a little something for all musical tastes … well most anyway.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - Rocktober Magazine
There it is! I was wondering where all the regular guy rock went. You know, rock n roll music for actual people who actually like to have a beer, have a good time, and hear some rock n roll. Hook-filled, driving, unpretentious, timeless stuff here.

Baby Sue (www.babysue.com) - February 2011
Go Time! play straightforward and exceedingly unpretentious pop/rock music. These guys aren't following trends...they don't wear stupid clothes...they don't have obnoxious haircuts...and they don't wear makeup. They consistently hit the target. These guitar-driven tracks are punchy, smart, and masculine...and ultimately effective. Good solid stuff with a defined backbone.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Terry Flamm – Broken Hearted Toy
Go Time! describes its musical approach as taking power pop to less-traveled latitudes, but after listening - more accurate to say the Chicago-based band brings power pop melodies to hard rock. Certainly, the inspiration for the songs comes from The Rolling Stones rather than The Beatles. The CD has a raw, live performance sound fueled by the twin guitars of vocalist-guitarist Scott Niekelski and guitarist-vocalist Paul Schmidt. The band never loses track of the melody while charging through songs that tap into catchy garage rock…this is a solid effort from a group that has pretty much staked out its own territory.



Andy Argyrakis - The Illinois Entertainer
October 1, 2011
Armed with just as much garage rock as power pop and psychedelia, Go Time could easily be a product of the late 1960s if it wasn’t for the sound quality. Mastered by Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case, The New Pornographers), the instruments pop in all the right places, while there’s plenty of contagious choruses that could’ve easily been in the company of The Zombies one minute and the 13th Floor Elevators the next.

Official Website

http://www.gotimeband.com

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Last.fm

Audio

• Broken Retrofit
  Listen   Download
• Give It A Chance
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• Residue
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• Straight & Narrow
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• One Less Story To Tell
  Listen   Download

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Go Time Psychedelic Central [+ Show ]
  

  Go Time hail from Chicago and their album 'Speak' is a concoction of powerful sounding guitars that ...Go Time hail from Chicago and their album 'Speak' is a concoction of powerful sounding guitars that mix pop sensibilities with elements of rock and overtones of the best the guitar noise bands from down the years. They have gone for a low-fi sound that allows the energy contained within each song to come across unencumbered by any glossy production values. The arrangements and playing throughout the album is tight and very well executed.
  
  'Rust to Rust' is a great burst of energy with controlled guitar screams underpinning thrashy punky guitar rythmns.'Hey Day' is full of drive that encompasses all the best elements of 60's garage rock and also has suggestions of band such as early 90's Brit noise merchants Ride. 'No Sense to Lend' is a slower paced number, but the guitars still bite like hell, whilst still being melodic and attractive.
  
  Singer Scott Niekelski's vocals sit well over the top of the roaring guitars and has a slightly detached but authoritative tone which just adds to the whole sense of urgency that pervades the album from start to finish, even in their quieter moments.
  
  If you're into bands that just cut to the chase with their songwriting and get on with getting their message across with the minimum of fuss, but without dispensing with the necessary hooks needed to draw you in then 'Speak' will be right up your street. If this is a sign of the start of a trend towards this type of music, then I will be the first in the queue for more of it. Buy it!
  
  

• Go Time Speak [+ Show ]
  

  Americana U.K. the UK home for Americana, alt-country and alternative Go Time! “Speak” (Independ...Americana U.K.
  the UK home for Americana, alt-country and alternative
  Go Time! “Speak” (Independent, 2009)
  
  
  Support a local indie band
  
  Go Time! are four fresh fellows from Chicago who have produced an album chockfull of energetic songs embracing a power pop idiom with more than a nod to the grungier end of that style.
  
  The ghosts of bands such as The Flamin’ Groovies and Australia’s The Scientists hover about as Go Time! thrash around. There are also intimations of the punkier side of the great Long Ryders and, at times, the Drive By Truckers. The guitars are upfront, slashing away while Scott Niekelski’s vocals fit the music perfectly. “Just Don’t Know Why” is almost a text book exercise in how to build up a great song, excellent guitar solos, & driving rhythm… That said there is no denying the quality of Scott Niekelski’s writing or the verve with which the band approach the songs.
  
  There are several other songs here such as “Too Far Gone” and the opener “You Know” that sound fabulous. Someone should give them a wad of money to go and re-record the album. In the meantime It’s well worth a listen especially if you have a place in your heart for all of those bands in the eighties who recorded for New Rose Records and kept a punk/garage/americana sensibility alive.
  

• Speak - Go Time! [+ Show ]
  

  Tuesday, 7 July 2009 Go Time! - Speak Speak is a thunderous 14 track rock-fest that shoots s...Tuesday, 7 July 2009
  Go Time! - Speak
  
  
  Speak is a thunderous 14 track rock-fest that shoots straight from the hip, well straight from Chicago actually in the form of four piece Go Time. Officially formed in 2007, though with a new line-up in 2008, Go Time are a group of musical nomads who have come together from various projects dating back almost ten years to produce a fantastic collection of melodic pop, which has more than a hint of retro rock to it. "Wait and See" combines machine gun like drums from Steve Grzenia sublimely with the lead guitar and vocals of Scott Niekelski, whilst "Cost" sounds like it could have been a hit of years gone by with its 60s back beat and whining guitar effects thanks to the guitar of Paul Schmidt and bass of Marko Marketti. For all those who claim that the age of rock and roll is over due to the rise of manufactured groups and boy bands, give Speak a listen, it might just change your opinion.
  Posted by Hubbub UK
  

• Tuesday, August 18, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Tuesday, August 18, 2009 The Essential Music Review Go Time! - Speak A friend of mine gave me...Tuesday, August 18, 2009
  The Essential Music Review
  Go Time! - Speak
  
  A friend of mine gave me this CD to listen to. I checked out their my space to see what was going on here.
  They are a Chicago band. They are bringing some life back to rock. It is a mixture of all the things that I like (the Pixies, Big Star, The Replacements, Husker Du). Very recognizable parts of many different kinds of music. Mind you that they takes all these things and blend them into a new sound that invites the listener in (or it did me).
  I read reviews of this album posted on their my space. The reviews were spot on – everything had a great hook – and a way to keep me into the album. I could see myself listening to this album again for sure. I found that they have received a lot of great reviews and radio, but are still flying under the radar.
  Songs like Broken Retro fit are catchy from beginning to end. Cost has a feel of the early 60’s. Hey Day starts out vibey and switches to a pop punk attack. There are moments of Americana as well. This band seems to take all I like and mix it up into one big package without being a copy of other artists. It is as if they were experimenting and made the perfect rock and roll monster.
  There is a lo fi quality of the record – but I think it pays homage to the lo fi alternative movement as started by Guided by Voices. The band is tight – and the production gives an endearing live quality to the record.
  

• Earl Clifton # 10 [+ Show ]
  

  Earl Clifton Radio Episode 10 of 2009 Podcast ID ECR-10-2009 Go Time! - "Rust to Rust" these guys...Earl Clifton Radio
  Episode 10 of 2009
  Podcast ID ECR-10-2009
  Go Time! - "Rust to Rust" these guys sent out a disc and I've got to say they grow on you like grass being well watered during the summer, great garage rock sounds!
  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/gotime
  

• WLUW.ORG [+ Show ]
  

  The Razor and Di Show WLUW.org Chicago Illinois Revolutionary …. The Cheap Trick of the New Millen...The Razor and Di Show
  WLUW.org Chicago Illinois
  Revolutionary …. The Cheap Trick of the New Millennium!
  
  

• Chart Attack [+ Show ]
  

  Go Time! — Speak Sound Gypsy Caitlin Hotchkiss (CHARTattack) 08/28/2009 11:36am The rock 'n' r...Go Time! — Speak
  Sound Gypsy
  Caitlin Hotchkiss (CHARTattack)
  08/28/2009 11:36am
  
  The rock 'n' roll world is one of those places where the adage "don't judge a book by its cover" (or rather, don't judge an album by its cover art") applies more than most, and a strong case for this would be Chicago quartet Go Time!.
  Go Time! inhabit that same classic rock world of a younger Blue Rodeo or even Kim Mitchell. There are no Cookie-it's straight-up blue collar American rock. There's just no sense of pretention or tongue-in-cheek irony.
  This is four guys kicking out solid country-rock-ish jams in tracks such as "Just Don't Know Why" and "Cost." Plus, the opening of "Hey Day" actually sounds a hell of a lot like Queens Of The Stone Age, and I mean that in a good way. It's definitely enough to make the casual listener sit up and take notice.
  
  All in all, though, Speak was a rather solid surprise find, and if this album is any indication, Go Time! would probably go over like gangbusters in bars down south. From here on, it's probably best not to judge these guys by their cover.
  

• Wildy's World [+ Show ]
  

  2009, Go Time! Chicago's Go Time! Go Time!; Speak draws from the same well as fellow Mid...2009, Go Time!
  
  Chicago's Go Time! Go Time!; Speak draws from the same well as fellow Mid-Westerners The Psychodots (aka The Bears); mixing a working-class vocal ethic with mildly crunchy rock tunes you can really dig into.
  
  Speak opens with You Know, a relatively monochromatic rocker with a Lowest Of The Low guitar style and a mildly catchy melody. This is bar rock at its most essential. Rust To Rust - a bit with an edgy guitar opening and a driving rhythm to kick things into high gear. This is an excellent tune, built on a melody you won't be able to shake and a compact, concise arrangement . My Suicide is a high-energy, upbeat song about giving up and walking away; more about change than death, the song is a thoughtful for a rock tune that features some killer guitar work.
  
  Hey Day breaks out the Rockin' Rhythm N Blues in a dark tune that sounds more like the Tragically Hip than anyone else I can think of. Just Don't Know Why, is highly danceable Rock N Roll that will have you up and moving before the intro's done. Cost lays it open with a bit of Guitar/Pop/Punk that's as fun to listen to as I'm sure it is to play. Imagine if the Ramones and The Knickerbockers jammed together; it might sound something like this.
  
  Go Time! is a strong band with great material and a fun and frothy Garage aesthetic. Speak is a fitting debut for a band that's steeped in the past but hasn't forsake the future. The melodies in here - above average, and there's a distinct emphasis on structure (thanks to the rhythm section of Marketti & Grzenia) that allows the band to stay tight. Speak is worth checking out.
  

• Go Time Rocktober [+ Show ]
  

  Issue # 47 Go Time Speak - “Go Time indeed, as in time to go to any bar these moody power poppers...Issue # 47
  Go Time Speak -
  “Go Time indeed, as in time to go to any bar these moody power poppers are rocking! Great psychedelic-cloud production makes these straight forward pop tunes sound extra awesome."
  

• Go Time Leicester Bangs [+ Show ]
  

  Leicesterbangs.com Carl J 10/12/09 Go Time – Speak (Sound Gypsy Records) I suspect that Chicago's...Leicesterbangs.com
  Carl J 10/12/09
  Go Time – Speak (Sound Gypsy Records)
  I suspect that Chicago's Go Time are a decent live outfit. They have a collection of well – crafted rock outs available and it will sell well at gigs as a slightly sanitised, rather polite version of what they should be. This CD serves well ... highlights - the harmonies and intricate guitar parts underneath the driving power pop. Highlights include the country pop of “Wait and See”, which has an early REM feel and the throbbing opener “You Know”. This might be one for friends and family but certainly warrants exploration on MySpace – just don't confuse them with The Go Team...
  

Setlist

We can play from 1 hour to 3 - we mix the album speak plus originals from a previous band - and popular cover songs.

Basic Requirements

Calendar