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Karate

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In 2005 Karate announced their demise, quietly closing the door on a 12-year run that included 6 studio albums and almost 700 performances in 20 countries. They exited the indy rock world without much fanfare, except from the small enclaves of devout fans who have followed their music since Geoff Farina’s early 90’s work with Secret Stars. The band’s beginnings in the early-90’s Boston indie scene, their love for improvised music and classic rock, and their adherence to the DIY punk ethos of their youth made them freaks in any scene, defying classification with their strange fusion of punk, blues, jazz and rock.

Karate’s perfectionism and attention to detail belied the off-the-cuff ethos of the indie rock world, and some considered them to be as un-punk as it gets. But fans would say that their auto-didactic music studies, compulsive control of their song arrangements, ascetic studio values, and Geoff’s work modifying old tube amplifiers and creating original album artwork, was pure DIY. Karate was even compulsive about naming this recording, which was originally called “594” since it was believed to be a recording of their 594th show, according to “The Showlist.” Culled mostly from Jeff Goddard’s elephantine memory, The Showlist is a mammoth list of Karate’s 695 shows, complete with dates, venues, support bands, and even the specific tour vehicle used to get to each show. But when Gavin recently discovered a flyer for a forgotten early show that had somehow evaded Jeff’s memory, the band quickly changed the title to ‘595’.

Tagged as:

indie, indie rock, post-rock, jazz, rock
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2	The Roots and the Ruins	142
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Shwang_Shwinga wrote:
last month

Oh, Karate, there is no one like you. You'll always have a special place in my heart.

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heavyteeth wrote:
last month

dear sweet incredible karate, i miss you vehemently

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Valderhopsasa wrote:
last month

love it!

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slowriottt wrote:
last month

595 tops all studio albums

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lagginswag wrote:
last month

love this band. so fucking good. always have been... for those who might need it http://www.taringa.net/posts/musica/1269258/Discografía-Karate---todos-los-lp_'s,-ep_'s-y-splits.html also this band goes better with a significant other, a bottle of wine, some good food and dim lights... anyone mature will know what i mean

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oh_damn wrote:
last month

the lyrics are not fucked up. they seem to match everything i do or experience. it's as if they're singing about my life. i love this band. an all-time favorite!

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ninjablaster wrote:
October 2009

http://www.last.fm/music/Karate/+images/2801105 vote up

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ninjablaster wrote:
October 2009

these guys lyrics are fucked up. makes no sense at all.

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Megrahi wrote:
October 2009

Really poor

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gbmeira wrote:
October 2009

underrated as fuck [3] best band i've heard in a while, surely.

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r0flmywaffles wrote:
October 2009

Every fucking album is pure gold.

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TxusMx wrote:
October 2009

Amazing <3

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these_hands wrote:
October 2009

underrated as balls

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Knorxel wrote:
October 2009

love them

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ToastAndWater wrote:
October 2009

Amazing Band

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korzhik-by wrote:
September 2009

аааа ещё 8 скроблов и 1 111 111 !!! 8 more song to 1 111 111! :)

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strawberry_meth wrote:
September 2009

underrated as fuck [2]

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KNIFE_ME_IN wrote:
September 2009

look out for guns look out for girls

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korzhik-by wrote:
August 2009

somewhere in Belgium :)

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stretts wrote:
August 2009

595 is where its at

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Recent Activity

choice-pookie and Fellony added Karate to their libraries. yesterday evening
francisuicide tagged Karate with ‘indie rock’. yesterday afternoon
Andorraz, anasoman, empoe and 3 other people added Karate to their libraries. yesterday afternoon
alexandros1515 tagged Karate with ‘indie rock’. Sunday afternoon
rannyakuza, krjohnst, namsuk and 2 other people added Karate to their libraries. Sunday afternoon
Pooeblos tagged Karate with ‘post-rock’. Friday morning
airnaud, toniokruger77, alkal1100 and 4 other people added Karate to their libraries. Thursday afternoon
caboosev tagged Karate with slowcore and blues. last week
rfontalvo, pinkelbows, misspule and 8 other people added Karate to their libraries. last week
un5ane added Karate to the lineup of Karate at Kafe Kult. last month