The Goodies!

Reviews


Metro Spirit - September 2004

Get Your Goodies at the Soul Bar
by Andy Stokes

Imagine that all major musical genres exist on a map, like the bodies of land from which they originated. All related subgenres exist within the same territorial boundaries, and related styles exist like states that are within a few hours, maybe even minutes, away from one another.

With this in mind, try now to imagine what the landscape would look like in this land if classic and alternative rock, Transylvanian folf and '30's era Parisian theatre music could merge. If you find a union, or even a treaty, between these otherwise inharmonious states inconceivable as well as superfluous, it's not that you've missed out on some acute movement; word of Atlanta, Ga's Goodies just hasn't reached you.

It's not that the multitasking trio prides itself just on its ability to pipe in several styles, shooting them out of one single portal. All 3 musicians (guitarist/vocalist Holiday Childress, bassist Patrick Kelly, and drummer Michael Allen) are anachronisms - they appropriately dress and act the part of the house band of both an old Jean Renoir or a later David Lynch film, and, as became apparent, this strange aura is no mere stage persona.

"We were going to make it out where it was this stereo that was like a 'Little Shop of Horrors,' meat-eating stereo," says Childress in a recent phone interview, explaining the inspiration behind "Big Dragon," a hard-driving proof of a past fascination with funky theme songs to '70's action films. "It would eat the people that listen to it to survive. It had the owner of the stereo really addicted to it and he had to play it all the time, but what the stereo neede to sustain itself was to have people come over and devour them with its speakers."

Contrasting themes and styles in this manner is just about the only constant of The Goodies, as the styles change not from one album to another, but with each song. A skim of the songs that the trio has been crafting over the past 11 years yields the anamolous topics of vampires, possessd, murdering automobiles and sexual deviance in an ice cream shoppe, to name a few.

"I like contrast, and I like to make things as interesting as possible and. for some reason, go to a tragic ending in a funny way," says Childress. Even as he speaks, you can almost hear the gears in his head at work on his next oddball creation. It's no stretch to think of Childress at one of those old-roll top desks, lit only by candlelight, drinking absinthe and scratching out the lyrics to his next song with a quill pen. As he handles the initial stages of the songwriting on his own, in his own way, this may very well be the case.

"I've tried to write with other people before, and I noticed that a lot of folks write in a cut-and-paste kind of way,"says Childress. "Like, 'Okay, we got this verse, now what's an idea for the chorus,' or 'I had this break up with this person, I was thinking we could throw that in there.' I've always not been interested in whether it had the catchy chorus or where it goes because I hear the song and let it go where it wnats to go."

Of course, Childress' fascination with vacuuming in every style and song topic could be written off simply playing "Mad Libs" with music instead of words if only The Goodies didn't display unnaturally savant-like abilities at every style they approach. Though their command of their respective instruments is nearly apparent, it's on choice live covers of Van Halen and Charlie Daniels Band where the chops really show.

So it seems that releasing a double CD set with an accompanying DVD would be the next logical step for the group. As a matter of fact, and as all who attended The Goodies opening set at the Hellblinki Sextet's Imperial Theatre show can attest, a live recording from the band is long overdue. The audience members, most of whom were undoubtedly hearing the band for the first time, were so wowed by The Goodies energetic performance that the band received a standing ovation.

"Usually, everybody's standing anyway," Childress says of the venue, which he rates as one of his all-time favorite shows. "So I've never played to a standing ovation because I've never played to a sit-down audience."
- Any Stokes

Southeast Performer Magazine - January 2003

The Goodies - Postcard e.p. Review
by Blair Barnhardt

Engineered by Bruce Butkovich/Michael Allen
Recorded at Gibson Studios
Mixed by Scott Eraas/Bruce Butkovich
Produced by The Goodies/Bruce Butkovich


Honestly, the first time i listened to this EP, I didn't know how to react. After about four or five spins though, I began to realize the genius begind this project. Musicians Michael Allen, Holiday Childress, and Patrick Kelly have put together a tasteful blend of soul, jazz, pop, and everything else under the sun.

Song #1, "Tango," immediately alerts the listener that this is something that he/she has likely never heard before. Huge vocals jump out on top of the mix of a syncopated type musical score. Well-written, great guitar tone and polished production make me think that this track belongs in a soundtrack somewhere.

"Madame Devilla" takes the second track into an era of vaudville-based ptp. If you liked the movie Moulin Rouge, then this CD belongs in your player.

"Panola" is a sweet, seductive piece with a wah wah axe and oozing falsetto vocals. This pieve drips like melted butter on movie popcorn. And of course, the first three songs have all come in at in and around three minutes, so this listener is impressed.

Song #4, "Walpurgis Night" allows Childress to loosen up a Billy Idonlish attack. Great snare production guys! While the end may have dragged a bit, this is a good number.

While the final track was long for my liking, I couldn't help but getting the "XTC-Nigel" vibe stuck in my brain. It never ceases to amaze me at how far we can get four notes on the guitar to go with the right song!

Superb work, Goodies. Looking forward to hearing the complete album! If the sounds are as diverse and imaginative as these five, you are going to attract a lot of listeners. Rating on this CD is 8/10.


- Southeast Performer Magazine