Goldfinger (band)
Goldfinger | |
|---|---|
 Goldfinger live in 2006. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Pop punk, ska punk, punk rock |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Universal, Mojo, Jive, Maverick, Side One Dummy |
| Members | John Feldmann Kelly LeMieux Darrin Pfeiffer Charlie Paulson |
| Past members | Simon Williams Brian Arthur |
| Website | goldfingermusic |
Goldfinger is a Los Angeles pop punk/ska punk band that formed in 1994. Currently, the band is composed of vocalist/guitarist John Feldmann, guitarist Charlie Paulson, bassist Kelly LeMieux, and drummer Darrin Pfeiffer. The band is widely considered have been a contributor to the movement of third-wave ska,[1][2] a revitalization in the popularity of ska music which occurred during the mid-1990s. However, the releases of Open Your Eyes and Disconnection Notice, have been more commonly placed in the pop-punk genre. Apart from the band's music, Goldfinger is also noted for their political activism, particularly in the area of animal rights.[3]
History
Formation and early success
Goldfinger was formed by former Electric Love Hogs member John Feldmann on vocals and guitar, Simon Williams on bass, Darrin Pfeiffer on drums, and Charlie Paulson on guitar. At the time the band was formed, Feldmann and Williams were working at the same shoe store.[4] Before they were signed to a major label, they released an EP titled Richter, which received favorable reviews and a substantial amount of airplay on college radio, leading to Goldfinger signing a major-label contract with Universal Records.[4] Many of the songs on Richter are demo versions of songs on their full length debut, Goldfinger, which was released on February 29, 1996. The song "Here in Your Bedroom" from the album was especially popular and helped the band gain a solid fanbase. In 2006, Alternative Press listed the self titled Goldfinger album as one of the "10 Albums That Shaped 1996" alongside No Doubt, Weezer and others.
Hang-Ups, Stomping Ground, and Open Your Eyes
The band released their second album, Hang-Ups, on September 9, 1997. Although the album was less successful than the band's debut, the band still maintained a devoted fan base in the hardcore community. During this time, the band released a popular cover of the song "More Today Than Yesterday" by Spiral Starecase, which also helped the band stay out of obscurity.[2] Their third studio LP was Stomping Ground, which was released on March 28, 2000. The album sold poorly in the US but was a modest hit in some European countries, thanks to their cover of Nena's "99 Luftballons" sung partly in German. In 2000, during their tour of England, Goldfinger recorded one of their sets, issuing the live Foot in Mouth, available only at shows and through the band's official website.[2] Their next album, Open Your Eyes (2002), was the first for their new record label, Jive/Zomba. On this album, the band abandoned much of their reggae influences in favor of a more heavy sound. Furthermore, the some of the lyrics discussed animal rights, a subject which had not been touched upon in earlier albums. The band recorded a music video for the title track of the album, which was also focused on animal rights.
Disconnection Notice and return of Charlie Paulson
In early 2005, they released their first album for their new label, Maverick Records, titled Disconnection Notice. The song "Wasted" from the album was released as a single. The CD was less well received compared to former Goldfinger albums. Former band members include founding bassist Simon Williams, who left the band following Hang-Ups, and former Unloco guitarist Brian Arthur, who was fired by Feldmann because Feldmann "did not want to work with him anymore".[citation needed]
Also in 2005, Goldfinger announced that their old guitarist Charlie Paulson would return. Charlie's return to the band was on stage playing 3 songs at the Key Club in LA when the band finished a Western USA tour.
Hello Destiny, 2007-current
Goldfinger signed to the independent record label Side One Dummy in 2007. On April 22, 2008, the band released a new record called Hello Destiny. To promote the album, the band embarked on a successful North American tour with Less Than Jake in summer of 2008. They also played in the UK at the Reading and Leeds Festivals on 22–23 August 2008.
Recently, frontman John Feldmann has produced records for Mest, The Used (whose vocalist Bert McCracken sang some guest vocals on "Open Your Eyes", "Woodchuck", "Ocean Size", and "Handjobs for Jesus"), Hilary Duff and Story of the Year. He also produced Good Charlotte's single "The Anthem" (whose guitarist Benji Madden provides guest vocals on "January", which was originally named "Oracle of Elcaro"). He also signed the band Unloco with Maverick Records.
In November, 2010, Goldfinger played a handful of shows on a small, west coast tour with Reel Big Fish. These shows are notable for a couple of reasons: these are the first shows performed without Darrin Pfeiffer on drums. Drumming duties were handled by Branden Steineckert of Rancid. Also, on the Los Angeles show at the House of Blues, original bassist, Simon Williams came out to perform several songs off their classic first album. This was the first time Williams had performed with the band in over a decade.
In the November/December 2010 issue #43 of SMASH magazine, Feldmann stated that a new EP or a possible full-length album was "in the works" with Feldmann having penned 4/5 new tracks, and Pfeiffer having recorded the drum tracks. Feldmann also states in the article that with the release of any new material would be supported with an extended tour.[5]
Animal rights
Since the band began, Feldmann has become a vegan and animal rights supporter, as can be seen briefly in the music video for "Open Your Eyes". They also donated the song "What Gives You The Right" to the Southern Animal Rights Coalition benefit CD, "Until Every Cage Is Empty",[6] as well as writing the song "Free Kevin Kjonaas", an animal rights prisoner, known as the most involved individual in the SHAC 7.[7][8] He also advocates and supports the Animal Liberation Front.[9] For the song "Behind the Mask" from the album Disconnection Notice, Feldmann convinced PETA president and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk to allow him to sample one of her speeches on animal cruelty.[10]
In film and video games
Goldfinger songs have made several appearances in motion pictures. "99 Red Balloons" is featured in the movies, Not Another Teen Movie, Eurotrip, and Rocket Power: Race Across New Zealand. Their cover of "More Today Than Yesterday" by Spiral Starecase is featured during the ending credits of The Waterboy. "Superman" is featured in the Disney film, Meet the Deedles and the comedy, Kingpin. "Walking in the Dark" is featured in the movie Dead Man on Campus.
The band's video game debut was in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater with the song "Superman". "99 Red Balloons" is also featured in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. Goldfinger's song "I Want" from Disconnection Notice is featured in Burnout Revenge on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360, and is also featured in Burnout Legends on the PlayStation Portable."My Everything" is featured on SSX On Tour also by Electronic Arts. The single, "Spokesman", is featured on Activision's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. Goldfinger also appeared in the Reel Big Fish video "Sell Out" for a couple of seconds.
Discography
Studio albums
- Goldfinger (1996)
- Hang-Ups (1997)
- Stomping Ground (2000)
- Open Your Eyes (2002)
- Disconnection Notice (2005)
- Hello Destiny (2008)
Live albums
| Date of release | Title | Label | Billboard 200 | US sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 9, 1999 | Darrin's Coconut Ass | Mojo Records | - | - |
| 2001 | Foot in Mouth | Mojo Records | - | - |
| March 23, 2004 | Live at the House of Blues | Kung Fu Records | - | - |
EPs
| Date of release | Title | Label | Billboard 200 | US sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Richter | Mojo Records | - | - |
| 1996 | Tiger Meat/Teen Beef | Mojo Records | - | - |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart peak | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Mod[2] |
CAN Alt [11] | |||||||||
| 1996 | "Here in Your Bedroom" | 5 | 11 | Goldfinger | ||||||
| "Mable" | — | — | ||||||||
| 1997 | "This Lonely Place" | 14 | — | Hang-Ups | ||||||
| "My Head | — | — | ||||||||
| 1998 | "Seems Like Yesterday" | — | — | Meet the Deedles | ||||||
| "More Today Than Yesterday" | — | — | The Waterboy | |||||||
| 2000 | "Counting the Days" | — | — | Stomping Ground | ||||||
| "99 Red Balloons" | — | — | ||||||||
| 2002 | "Tell Me" | — | — | Open Your Eyes | ||||||
| "Open Your Eyes" | 37 | — | ||||||||
| "Spokesman" | — | — | ||||||||
| 2005 | "Wasted" | — | — | Disconnection Notice | ||||||
| "I Want" | — | — | ||||||||
| "Stalker" | — | — | ||||||||
| 2008 | "One More Time" | — | — | Hello Destiny | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
Compilation appearances
| Year | Album B | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Violent World: Misfits Tribute | "Ghoul's Night Out" |
| 1997 | Duran Duran Tribute Album | "Rio" |
| 2000 | Sleighed: Other Side of Christmas | "White Christmas" |
| 2005 | The Best of Goldfinger |
Soundtrack appearances
| Year | Movie | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Kingpin | "Superman" |
| 1998 | Baseketball | "Hopeless" |
| 1998 | Meet the Deedles | "Seems Like Yesterday" |
| 1998 | Dead Man On Campus | "Walking in the Dark" |
| 1998 | The Waterboy | "More Today Than Yesterday" |
| 1999 | American Pie | "Vintage Queen" |
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie | "99 Red Balloons" |
| 2004 | EuroTrip | "99 Red Balloons" |
Video game appearances
| Song | Game | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Superman" | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater | PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast |
| "99 Red Balloons" | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 |
| "Spokesman" | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox, Windows PC, Mac |
| "I Want" | Burnout Revenge | PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360 |
| "I Want" | Burnout Legends | PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS |
| "I'm Down" | Andy McDonald's Skateboarding | PlayStation, Dreamcast |
| "I'm Down" | ESPN X-Games Snowboarding | PlayStation 2 |
| "My Everything" | SSX On Tour | Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation Portable |
| "Counting the Days" | Shaun White Snowboarding | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii |
References
- ^ "Third Wave Ska Revival: Artists - BlueBeat.com: Play Free Music". BlueBeat.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ a b c d Prato, Greg. "Goldfinger". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ "PETA2 // Out There // PETA2 agents talk about Goldfinger's new album and concert tour". Peta2.com. 2002-06-02. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ a b "Goldfinger | Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates, Ringtones, and Lyrics". MTV. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ "Issue 43 Cover Story - Goldfinger". SMASH Magazine. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ Until Every Cage Is Empty - £5.00 : Animal Rights Merchandise, The SARCshop
- ^ "Support Kevin Kjonaas and the SHAC 7". Supportkevin.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ "Goldfinger4Kevin - 27 - Garçon - US - www.myspace.com/goldfinger4kevin". MySpace.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
- ^ Keith, Shannon. Behind the Mask, Uncaged Films, 2006.
- ^ http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/goldfinger/bio.jhtml
- ^ "Rock/Alternative - Volume 63, No. 14, May 20, 1996". RPM. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
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External links
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| Studio albums | |
| Singles | |
| Related articles | |
