Gold and the Rush

The Never Records jewel-tipped record lathe has been steadily etching the analog soundwaves of New Orleans musicians for the last 5 weeks. I reviewed 65 of the tracks to see how many gems I could find. While all of the in-store recorded singles reviewed are rare (physical edition of 2), some had the cut, clarity, color and carat that gives reason to head to the online music mine and dig them up.

Gold and the Rush
A boozy, end-of-rope declaration that puts destruction at the top of the to-do list. The guitar solo on the back end gives a little hint of promise to try and rise above the smoke and debris. - Antigravity Magazine

The Never Records jewel-tipped record lathe has been steadily etching the analog soundwaves of New Orleans musicians for the last 5 weeks. I reviewed 65 of the tracks to see how many gems I could find. While all of the in-store recorded singles reviewed are rare (physical edition of 2), some had the cut, clarity, color and carat that gives reason to head to the online music mine and dig them up.

Gold and the Rush
A boozy, end-of-rope declaration that puts destruction at the top of the to-do list. The guitar solo on the back end gives a little hint of promise to try and rise above the smoke and debris. - Antigravity Magazine

Gold And The Rush front man Jake McGregor is hung up on the assertive nature of a good night. He's also hung up on the same qualities of a bad night, or a bruised one. He's able to attribute this wide-reaching set of nights similar characteristics and therefore, every goddamned one of these experiments is inconclusive. They're just the kinds of inconclusive swirls and quagmires that make you want to keep kicking the tires and giving them more chances. Nothing's for sure and it could just be the way it will stay, but there needs to be more evidence.

McGregor and his New Orleans band of garage rockers are surely going to try to pin some of these times down, just for their own good. They dip their toes into their crazy loves and into these loud and squirmy, ink-black nights and there's no telling what's supposed to come of any of it, much less what actually might. They know that they're poking a beehive and they're dealing with one of the most unpredictable enigmas: a night without a framework and a couple people who don't want one. McGregor sings about a morning coming on like a rock and one that comes along in the exact opposite manner, like the blooming of a plant. In either case, it might mean that you're too hung over to function, so you might just go back to sleep. Or, you might just deal with what's on your doorstep, with that ringing phone, with that new person you've got sharing the space beside you.

You might wake up to that bland dust rising to meet the sun beans ripping through the blinds, or there could be the scent of hot bacon and butter floating pungently through the air, raising all kinds of questions. It all might have led from a situation where you were thinking, as McGregor sings, "Running out of breath to ask you your name/I was running through the cues/The right thing to say/The same subtle line I used in the past/The morning came soon the night went fast/And I can't help feeling all alone, like the room's in a broken home/Won't you love me further along/Someday I'll be gone." Sometimes you feel that desperate and those nights could end all kinds of different ways. - Daytrotter

Gold And The Rush front man Jake McGregor is hung up on the assertive nature of a good night. He's also hung up on the same qualities of a bad night, or a bruised one. He's able to attribute this wide-reaching set of nights similar characteristics and therefore, every goddamned one of these experiments is inconclusive. They're just the kinds of inconclusive swirls and quagmires that make you want to keep kicking the tires and giving them more chances. Nothing's for sure and it could just be the way it will stay, but there needs to be more evidence.

McGregor and his New Orleans band of garage rockers are surely going to try to pin some of these times down, just for their own good. They dip their toes into their crazy loves and into these loud and squirmy, ink-black nights and there's no telling what's supposed to come of any of it, much less what actually might. They know that they're poking a beehive and they're dealing with one of the most unpredictable enigmas: a night without a framework and a couple people who don't want one. McGregor sings about a morning coming on like a rock and one that comes along in the exact opposite manner, like the blooming of a plant. In either case, it might mean that you're too hung over to function, so you might just go back to sleep. Or, you might just deal with what's on your doorstep, with that ringing phone, with that new person you've got sharing the space beside you.

You might wake up to that bland dust rising to meet the sun beans ripping through the blinds, or there could be the scent of hot bacon and butter floating pungently through the air, raising all kinds of questions. It all might have led from a situation where you were thinking, as McGregor sings, "Running out of breath to ask you your name/I was running through the cues/The right thing to say/The same subtle line I used in the past/The morning came soon the night went fast/And I can't help feeling all alone, like the room's in a broken home/Won't you love me further along/Someday I'll be gone." Sometimes you feel that desperate and those nights could end all kinds of different ways. - Daytrotter

Local Americana all-stars Gold and the Rush recently ventured up north to Chicago and recorded a live set with the folks at Daytrotter. If you listened to the live stream, you already know they straight killed it. But if you didn’t, worry not, because today the session has been posted for stream and download. You’ll have to sign up for a free trial membership in order to hear the tracks, but honestly who wouldn’t want 14 days of unlimited access to the wealth of musical greatness that exists on Daytrotter? If you like what you hear, be sure to catch them live at The Howlin’ Wolf on March 7th with Wheeler Brothers and Wild Child. - Chinquapin Records

Local Americana all-stars Gold and the Rush recently ventured up north to Chicago and recorded a live set with the folks at Daytrotter. If you listened to the live stream, you already know they straight killed it. But if you didn’t, worry not, because today the session has been posted for stream and download. You’ll have to sign up for a free trial membership in order to hear the tracks, but honestly who wouldn’t want 14 days of unlimited access to the wealth of musical greatness that exists on Daytrotter? If you like what you hear, be sure to catch them live at The Howlin’ Wolf on March 7th with Wheeler Brothers and Wild Child. - Chinquapin Records

Shreveport, home of the Louisiana Hayride, is well known as a historic hub for the country sound. But though obviously more renowned for more cosmopolitan styles, New Orleans has pretty much consistently had a small but energetic roots-music scene.

In the fifties, guitarist Joe Clay played country and rockabilly at West Bank lounges five nights a week. More recently, acts like Spencer Bohren, Lynn Drury, the Happy Talk Band and Anders Osborne have drawn from folk, roots and country blues – and the years since Hurricane Katrina have delivered even more local twang, with new bands like Hurray for the Riff Raff, Sam Doores and the Tumbleweeds, the swamp-pop-tinged Michael Hurtt’s Haunted Hearts, and Gal Holiday’s Honky Tonk Revue. Monday night’s acoustic bluegrass jam is a popular draw at the Hi Ho Lounge; square dancing occurs monthly at the All Ways.

On the national level, Americana seems to get rediscovered and reimagined each decade or so, at least for the past few – from Gram Parsons and the Band to the Blasters to Jason and the Scorchers and Neko Case, among legions of others that crop up in clusters every few years. This most recent revival seems to have more juice than usual; in 2009, the Recording Academy separated the Americana category from contemporary folk, to make more room for Grammy-worthy projects employing electric instruments. The British folk-rockers Mumford & Sons nabbed the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 with Babel, its second full-length studio album released September 25 in the U.S.

The current apparent trend didn’t much influence the New Orleans act Gold & the Rush, though, band members say. (Gold & the Rush perform Friday, October 12 at One Eyed Jacks, along with Southern rockers the Kopecky Family Band and local electric folk trio Coyotes.)

The members of Gold and the Rush are all either current Tulane students or recent grads; they formed the band at school during the spring of 2011. Guitarist Jake McGregor, who does a large part of the songwriting, says his musical tastes were formed by listening to old country songs with his father while growing up in Los Angeles.

“On road trips, we’d all listen to old Hank Williams, old Merle Haggard,” he said.

“We’re not really that conscious of a new movement,” said drummer Chris Littlejohn, “but it’s certainly kind of been a convenient coincidence. And also knowing that bands like Mumford and Sons are out there and so big, it really pushes us to find our own niche.”

“I was coming of age in the mid-2000s, and that was kind of a weak period for pop music. So that kind of drove me to look back to find my influences,” guitarist Mark Strella said. The easy availability of music in abundance online, the band agreed, contributed to their vintage tastes.

“Now that Spotify’s out, I listen to so many old bands that I never would have heard,” said bassist Sam Ferguson. “If you look at the ‘related artists,” a feature that most streaming music services offer, “after you search for Gram Parsons or the Flying Buritos Brothers, you find a whole scene you didn’t even know existed.”

In any case, the coming week is an overflowing hayride of high-lonesome, honky-tonk and holler. See below:

Friday, October 12: The Kopecky Family Band, with Gold & the Rush plus Coyotes

Gold and the Rush, the Tulane-university formed quartet, released its first EP of hard, electric indie-rock Americana, Burn, earlier this year. Like the touring act the Kopecky Family Band, they incorporate a bit of ambient drone, repetition and effects to update more traditional country, rockabilly and Southern rock sounds. Coyotes, another relatively new local act, borrow language from the Flying Burrito Brothers’ book by calling their sound Cosmic Americana; the trio’s wired folk-rock evokes the recent sounds of Voodoo headliners the Avett Brothers. Coyotes’ third EP, Good Times Old, is due out November 16. One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St. 10 p.m. Tickets $8. - The Times-Picayune

Shreveport, home of the Louisiana Hayride, is well known as a historic hub for the country sound. But though obviously more renowned for more cosmopolitan styles, New Orleans has pretty much consistently had a small but energetic roots-music scene.

In the fifties, guitarist Joe Clay played country and rockabilly at West Bank lounges five nights a week. More recently, acts like Spencer Bohren, Lynn Drury, the Happy Talk Band and Anders Osborne have drawn from folk, roots and country blues – and the years since Hurricane Katrina have delivered even more local twang, with new bands like Hurray for the Riff Raff, Sam Doores and the Tumbleweeds, the swamp-pop-tinged Michael Hurtt’s Haunted Hearts, and Gal Holiday’s Honky Tonk Revue. Monday night’s acoustic bluegrass jam is a popular draw at the Hi Ho Lounge; square dancing occurs monthly at the All Ways.

On the national level, Americana seems to get rediscovered and reimagined each decade or so, at least for the past few – from Gram Parsons and the Band to the Blasters to Jason and the Scorchers and Neko Case, among legions of others that crop up in clusters every few years. This most recent revival seems to have more juice than usual; in 2009, the Recording Academy separated the Americana category from contemporary folk, to make more room for Grammy-worthy projects employing electric instruments. The British folk-rockers Mumford & Sons nabbed the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 with Babel, its second full-length studio album released September 25 in the U.S.

The current apparent trend didn’t much influence the New Orleans act Gold & the Rush, though, band members say. (Gold & the Rush perform Friday, October 12 at One Eyed Jacks, along with Southern rockers the Kopecky Family Band and local electric folk trio Coyotes.)

The members of Gold and the Rush are all either current Tulane students or recent grads; they formed the band at school during the spring of 2011. Guitarist Jake McGregor, who does a large part of the songwriting, says his musical tastes were formed by listening to old country songs with his father while growing up in Los Angeles.

“On road trips, we’d all listen to old Hank Williams, old Merle Haggard,” he said.

“We’re not really that conscious of a new movement,” said drummer Chris Littlejohn, “but it’s certainly kind of been a convenient coincidence. And also knowing that bands like Mumford and Sons are out there and so big, it really pushes us to find our own niche.”

“I was coming of age in the mid-2000s, and that was kind of a weak period for pop music. So that kind of drove me to look back to find my influences,” guitarist Mark Strella said. The easy availability of music in abundance online, the band agreed, contributed to their vintage tastes.

“Now that Spotify’s out, I listen to so many old bands that I never would have heard,” said bassist Sam Ferguson. “If you look at the ‘related artists,” a feature that most streaming music services offer, “after you search for Gram Parsons or the Flying Buritos Brothers, you find a whole scene you didn’t even know existed.”

In any case, the coming week is an overflowing hayride of high-lonesome, honky-tonk and holler. See below:

Friday, October 12: The Kopecky Family Band, with Gold & the Rush plus Coyotes

Gold and the Rush, the Tulane-university formed quartet, released its first EP of hard, electric indie-rock Americana, Burn, earlier this year. Like the touring act the Kopecky Family Band, they incorporate a bit of ambient drone, repetition and effects to update more traditional country, rockabilly and Southern rock sounds. Coyotes, another relatively new local act, borrow language from the Flying Burrito Brothers’ book by calling their sound Cosmic Americana; the trio’s wired folk-rock evokes the recent sounds of Voodoo headliners the Avett Brothers. Coyotes’ third EP, Good Times Old, is due out November 16. One Eyed Jacks, 615 Toulouse St. 10 p.m. Tickets $8. - The Times-Picayune

With the infl ux of indie rock bands in NOLA in recent years, I feel tempted to add Gold and the Rush to the list. But after listening to their EP Burn, which is a tour of Americana country rock, I think rock ‘n’ roll is an appropriate category. Jake McGregor, Chris Littlejohn, Mark Strella, and Sam Ferguson have put together fi ve tracks of love and longing with country guitar tricks and strong voice, and some crunchy distortion that gets you excited. “Cruisin’” is a song that reminds you of walking into the basement of your nearby pub to attend your fi rst night at fi ght club; it has a real badass mood that’s heavy with some great slide guitar. My personal favorite is “If you were Mine, I’d be Someone Else,” a love song with such pretty, bluesy guitar, it not only gave me hope in old-fashioned guitar playing, but made me want to ask my neighbor on a date. Nah. “Crazy Love,” in spite of being the opening song of the EP, sums up the overall sound of the band. I really love the vocals on this EP: a sway of low and high notes that complements the rest of the band with a country-rock tone. –Brian Serpas - Where Y'at

With the infl ux of indie rock bands in NOLA in recent years, I feel tempted to add Gold and the Rush to the list. But after listening to their EP Burn, which is a tour of Americana country rock, I think rock ‘n’ roll is an appropriate category. Jake McGregor, Chris Littlejohn, Mark Strella, and Sam Ferguson have put together fi ve tracks of love and longing with country guitar tricks and strong voice, and some crunchy distortion that gets you excited. “Cruisin’” is a song that reminds you of walking into the basement of your nearby pub to attend your fi rst night at fi ght club; it has a real badass mood that’s heavy with some great slide guitar. My personal favorite is “If you were Mine, I’d be Someone Else,” a love song with such pretty, bluesy guitar, it not only gave me hope in old-fashioned guitar playing, but made me want to ask my neighbor on a date. Nah. “Crazy Love,” in spite of being the opening song of the EP, sums up the overall sound of the band. I really love the vocals on this EP: a sway of low and high notes that complements the rest of the band with a country-rock tone. –Brian Serpas - Where Y'at

Low-key but with a sinister edge at times, Gold and the Rush’s brand of roots-based, alt-country rock is a hypnotic hybrid of old and new. Supported by a tight rhythm section, augmented by some expert guitar noodling and spearheaded by McGregor’s shaky, yet haunting voice, Gold and the Rush are the kind of band that can soundtrack both the fun night out on the town and the inevitable despairing morning hangover (sometimes in the same song, in fact). - PASTE Magazine

Low-key but with a sinister edge at times, Gold and the Rush’s brand of roots-based, alt-country rock is a hypnotic hybrid of old and new. Supported by a tight rhythm section, augmented by some expert guitar noodling and spearheaded by McGregor’s shaky, yet haunting voice, Gold and the Rush are the kind of band that can soundtrack both the fun night out on the town and the inevitable despairing morning hangover (sometimes in the same song, in fact). - PASTE Magazine

By the time we got back, Gold and The Rush had ridden in to save the night with their gorgeous, multi-layered rock riffs that echoed early Kings of Leon. While the vocals weren’t as strong as the instrumentals, their set was infinitely more enjoyable than Chilldren. Plus, none of them were wearing sparkly stretch-pants, and thus could be taken more seriously. At this point, the crowd of polished young adults, who had been skittishly wandering about the venue just hours earlier with doe-eyes and perfect coifs, was now a hyperbolic mass of inebriation. And somehow, my curmudgeon self felt more at home. Sure, we had a few years between us, but after a few drinks we’re all just a bunch of free-wheeling humans, looking for a groove to dance to.
- Invade Nola

By the time we got back, Gold and The Rush had ridden in to save the night with their gorgeous, multi-layered rock riffs that echoed early Kings of Leon. While the vocals weren’t as strong as the instrumentals, their set was infinitely more enjoyable than Chilldren. Plus, none of them were wearing sparkly stretch-pants, and thus could be taken more seriously. At this point, the crowd of polished young adults, who had been skittishly wandering about the venue just hours earlier with doe-eyes and perfect coifs, was now a hyperbolic mass of inebriation. And somehow, my curmudgeon self felt more at home. Sure, we had a few years between us, but after a few drinks we’re all just a bunch of free-wheeling humans, looking for a groove to dance to.
- Invade Nola

It’s always awesome seeing (or stealing) a Tiptina’s poster advertising a great concert. This past Thursday, Tip’s and WTUL put on an amazing show featuring four incredible local bands.

Next on stage was Americana band Gold and the Rush. If you haven’t heard these guys yet, go to a show—now. Formed last summer, this quartet of Jake McGregor, Mark Strella, Sam Ferguson, and Chris Littlejohn has some of the best talent and charisma in the Nola scene right now. The instruments are beautiful, and so are the boys—you’ll find yourself grooving along to the dirty guitar licks. Jake McGregor led things off with “Older, Smarter” later leading into “You’re So Wrong,” and the ballad “If You Were Mine, I’d Be Someone Else,” which may be one of their most universally relatable songs. Everyone’s experienced heartbreak, and from it Jake wrote one of the most poetic songs GATR has. These guys are so fluid with their music, and it’s impossible not to notice that they’re having as much fun on stage as everyone else in the audience. Things finished up with their newest single “Cruisin’,” (also featuring a guest rapper), and “Crazy Love.” Gold and the Rush is getting all the hype lately, and this show proved why these guys are so damn good. - ARTofcl

It’s always awesome seeing (or stealing) a Tiptina’s poster advertising a great concert. This past Thursday, Tip’s and WTUL put on an amazing show featuring four incredible local bands.

Next on stage was Americana band Gold and the Rush. If you haven’t heard these guys yet, go to a show—now. Formed last summer, this quartet of Jake McGregor, Mark Strella, Sam Ferguson, and Chris Littlejohn has some of the best talent and charisma in the Nola scene right now. The instruments are beautiful, and so are the boys—you’ll find yourself grooving along to the dirty guitar licks. Jake McGregor led things off with “Older, Smarter” later leading into “You’re So Wrong,” and the ballad “If You Were Mine, I’d Be Someone Else,” which may be one of their most universally relatable songs. Everyone’s experienced heartbreak, and from it Jake wrote one of the most poetic songs GATR has. These guys are so fluid with their music, and it’s impossible not to notice that they’re having as much fun on stage as everyone else in the audience. Things finished up with their newest single “Cruisin’,” (also featuring a guest rapper), and “Crazy Love.” Gold and the Rush is getting all the hype lately, and this show proved why these guys are so damn good. - ARTofcl

Gold and the Rush is another ultra-local band, fronted and managed by Tulane students. Lead singer Jake McGregor's woozy falsetto vocals complement the band's rockabilly sensibilities wonderfully. On homegrown jam "Crazy Love," McGregor wails, "When the bedroom's on fire and smoke comes through the floor, I'll knock on the windows and spit on the flame for you." The simplicity and guitar-led rock of the band's tone is actually a little reminiscent of another Room On Fire. - The Hullabaloo

Gold and the Rush is another ultra-local band, fronted and managed by Tulane students. Lead singer Jake McGregor's woozy falsetto vocals complement the band's rockabilly sensibilities wonderfully. On homegrown jam "Crazy Love," McGregor wails, "When the bedroom's on fire and smoke comes through the floor, I'll knock on the windows and spit on the flame for you." The simplicity and guitar-led rock of the band's tone is actually a little reminiscent of another Room On Fire. - The Hullabaloo

The combined age of the two last bands featured at WTUL’s Back To School Bash at Tipitina’s would make them barely old enough to walk and somewhere deep into the Terrible Two’s. Having not heard of Gold and the Rush until yesterday afternoon, I was completely in the dark as to their sound and although they described one of their tunes written four months ago as “old”, they came off as road-tested, having already jelled into a well-formed Americana-tinged rock band, representing an amalgamation of too many rough-and-tumble outfits to name, but with an entirely unique vocal presence from bands prior. There were a couple moments of unexpected transcendence towards the end, delivering a revelatory set that’ll undoubtedly help build their following via word-of-mouth from those in attendance. Despite a rough vocal mix for the early portion of the set and an assumedly small catalog, Gold and Rush put together nearly an hour’s worth of new, impressive material that teetered between pure-bred rock-and-roll, and country-infused punk-a-billy.


- Live Music Blog : NOLA

The combined age of the two last bands featured at WTUL’s Back To School Bash at Tipitina’s would make them barely old enough to walk and somewhere deep into the Terrible Two’s. Having not heard of Gold and the Rush until yesterday afternoon, I was completely in the dark as to their sound and although they described one of their tunes written four months ago as “old”, they came off as road-tested, having already jelled into a well-formed Americana-tinged rock band, representing an amalgamation of too many rough-and-tumble outfits to name, but with an entirely unique vocal presence from bands prior. There were a couple moments of unexpected transcendence towards the end, delivering a revelatory set that’ll undoubtedly help build their following via word-of-mouth from those in attendance. Despite a rough vocal mix for the early portion of the set and an assumedly small catalog, Gold and Rush put together nearly an hour’s worth of new, impressive material that teetered between pure-bred rock-and-roll, and country-infused punk-a-billy.


- Live Music Blog : NOLA