reCognition

"The Soapbox, Wilmington's resting place for the independent traveling band, will host a show on Nov. 19 featuring Sheerwater, Marstellar, and Chapel Hill uber-bands Go Machine and The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers.

Go Machine and The Prayers, both artists under the Bu Hanan record label (run by the members of Go Machine), have long been known in the area for their unique blend of sound, musical styles and performers. The two bands share between them more raw talent than half of the musicians riding in the mainstream today.

Unlike the level of competition that exists between most musicians, the members of Go Machine and The Prayers rotate in and out of each other's recordings, working together to create a streamlined sound that is both beautiful and engaging. David Daniels of Go Machine believes that the concept of recording with other musicians has made them stronger as a group.

"Everyone in Go Machine has always simultaneously worked on other projects. Bands with monarchs aren't always uniformly committed or even happy. Not wanting to stifle each other, we are currently taking the approach of simply writing/recording music (sometimes alone or in twos), and then, only after it's finished, deciding under what moniker it needs to be released," said Daniels.

Perry Wright, founder and life force of The Prayers, shares a similar view on the concept of rotating musicians through a band.

"Go Machine and I are coming off of a tour across the Southeast. We traveled in one van, with basically one set of equipment, and played two sets every night. So we got to be environmentally friendly and cost-effective at the same time. And I got to have three of the most accomplished musicians I have ever met as my band every night. I can't think of better reasons to do things any other way," said Wright.

While both bands have a complicated sound on their recordings, the most amazing attribute of the groups is that they are able to re-create it at each of their shows.

"Recording is fulfillment for my brain; I like working out the mystery of how we're going to make this song into something that sounds good on a car stereo. Live performance is fulfillment for my heart: to be sharing with other people, to embrace the spontaneity and electricity of music in the moment. At its worst, live performance is a good learning experience. At its best, live performance is true, intangible beauty," said Daniel Hart of Go Machine.

Without overstepping any boundaries, the members of Go Machine and The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers could easily be called brilliant. Anyone looking for a reminder of a time when music meant something should head to The Soapbox on Nov. 19" LinnieSarah Helpern, the Seahawk - (11/04)

"Perry Wright of The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers and Go Machine's Alex Lazara, who produced Wright's new album, The Mother of Love Emulates the Shapes of Cynthia, are sitting in the coffee shop of Barnes & Noble, fresh from a 12-date tour of the Southeast. They're members of the Bu Hanan Records collective, and their back and forth banter is that of two people who know each other well. Perhaps even too well. "We just finished the album. It's 12 tracks, 50 minutes long," says Wright, who looks like he could be Opie's taller, older brother.

"That's a meaty album," I offer.

"I told you, everyone is 35 now," Lazara comments.

"It's two Weezer albums for the price of one," Wright suggests.

"You need 50 minutes when you have seven syllable words in your songs like Perry does," Lazara gibes.

Of course, it's all good-natured. During the tour, Go Machine served as Wright's backing band.

"It worked pretty well because we got to share gear and the van at $2-a-gallon. It was the only way to conceive of a tour that could break even," Wright says.

The new album (which will be available in February or March) was recorded at Bu Hanan's in-house (literally) studio. It's a vast leap forward from the last Prayers and Tears album, Psalterie, not just because of new equipment purchases, but because they finished the last one in a mere seven days.

"Perry had finished his master's degree and I was unemployed," Lazara explains. "We were hanging out one Saturday night and we knew we had nothing to do the next week. So we started it Sunday night and we released the album at our show the next Saturday night."

For this album, Wright worked with Lazara and fellow Go Machine member Daniel Hart (who arranged the string parts) between their tours, and finished up this summer. Wright sent it to Chris Colbert in Indiana to master it.

"He mastered the last Pedro the Lion, Elf Power and Summer Hymns," Wright says. "The stuff he's done has a lot of nice play between acoustic tracks and electric, so I thought he would do a nice, thoughtful job of not over-compressing."

"The album was mastered analog for the sort of purists who want analog warmth," pipes in Lazara. "The guy who mastered it, he goes out of a digital source through analog mastering equipment back into a digital source, so it has an analog master on it, which warms it up."

"I'm not a songwriter," Lazara explains a moment later. "I have to do something to justify my existence."

Since he seems to know so much about these kinds of things, I offered former music composition major Lazara a chance to describe Wright's sound.

"Perry doesn't really write traditionally structured songs, verse-chorus-verse-chorus, a bridge and a double chorus at the end," he explains. "Perry's music sort of thrives on this polarization of this super-intimate and this cathartic release. Sometimes you have an entire song of this intimate thing and an entire song of these explosions. One of the things that attracted me to Perry's work is he plays with dynamics, and I don't think enough bands out there do." Chris Parker, the Independent Weekly - (11/04)

"There's a mess of bands comin' atcha on Saturday at the New Brookland Tavern. Noth Carolina's Bu Hanan Records is routing its first collaborative tour, featuring Go Machine and The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, through these parts to hook up witht he kittery blues-rock of The South Holes, the indie crank of Vinyl are My Pants and The Sharpest Knives in the Drawer. Big Lebowski fans will recall that Arthur Digby Sellers wrote 156 episodes of Branded: "The Bulk of the series... not exactly a lightweight... and yet his sun is a f!#cking dunce." The group features members of Sixpence None the Richer and, fittingly enough, Go Machine, whose own sound has been pegged as "sad-eyed country-electro-rock-fusion." KFL, the Free Times - (10/04)

"Chapel Hill's self-declared "only sad-eyed country-electro-rock-fusion" trio begins a two week southeastern tour with this date. Go Machine's eclectic sound is built around theremin and violin and it includes a good bit of laptop as well, meaning this won't be your standard power trio or country crooning. More like (mellower) Radiohead meets Whiskeytown. With co-Bu Hanan Records artists The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers - easily one of the best band names out there. SK Net Cafe." John Schacht, Creative Loafing Charlotte - (10/04)

"Led by a pair of eclectic songwriting talents (David Karsten Daniels, Daniel Hart) and multi-instrumentalist/programmer Alex Lazara, Go Machine has a number of aesthetics that co-exist like James Carville and Marlee Matlin--at odds yet somehow united. There's rustic moments alongside electro-pop, eerie theremin-driven spaciness abutting bustling indie rock. Hart and Daniels' writing ensures the introspective pop aspect underlying it all. NYC's Barbez has a similarly disparate sound and features one of the world's best theremin players, Pamela Kurstin, adding an unearthly tone to their post-cabaret folk-punk pastiche." Grayson Currin, The Independent Weekly - 10/04

"Desert Island Discs - Daniel Hart of Go Machine
Which albums would you take to a desert island?

Daniel Hart is a singer/guitarist in the Chapel Hill eclectic electro-art-pop act Go Machine, a violinist in symphonic popsters Polyphonic Spree, as well as occasionally playing solo shows. Creating a range of atmospheres from rustic folk to percolating electronic pop to spacey, experimental mood pieces and rumbling indie rock, Go Machine's aesthetic defies easy categorization.

1. Mos Def-- Black on Both Sides: "My first exposure to the social relevance and beauty of the modern NYC underground hip hop scene; it hit me like a ton of bricks. The record is passionate and raw, the lyrics political and personal, the music appropriate and original."

2. The Beatles--Revolver: "The record from which I've learned the most about how to create good music without fear. Listening to Revolver would help me write better songs (which is one of the only things I expect I'd do on a desert island)."

3. The Teeth--Send My Regards to the Sunshine: "Total crap production value, but the music has a combination of spirit, intensity and joy that I've found rare."

4. Ticonderoga--The Ticonderoga LP: "Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Plus, it'd remind me of home on those lonely desert island nights."

5. Soundtrack to Caravan (1970s Hindi film): "The sexiest moment in recorded history happens on "Piya Tu", when Asha Bhosle (who has one of the world's sexiest voices) breathes heavily, in rhythm with the music. It shouldn't even be legal to be that sexy."

Go Machine plays Friday, Oct. 8 at Bickett Gallery in Raleigh with Barbez and Phon; and Monday, Oct. 11 at Local 506 with VHS or Beta, Heartwood and The Bravery." The Independent Weekly - 10/04

"Music lessons Musicians learn that small, nurturing community can have big effect on performers.

With its bounty of beer, clubs and receptive music fans, Chapel Hill is still a band-friendly town.

But how easy is it to break out of Chapel Hill’s orbit — away from the 50 faithful we’re-at-every-show fans — and compel listeners nationwide?

“When it comes to this crazy business, there are absolutely no rules,” said singer/guitarist Thad Cockrell, who moved from Chapel Hill to Nashville two months ago.

For Cockrell, who occupies a niche of country music that’s traditionalist yet purposefully left of Top 40, relocating brought a torrent of career-boosting opportunities.

Since the move, he’s linked up with The Mavericks, a Grammy-winning quartet, which backs up Cockrell once a week at a Nashville club. Major label representatives are prowling around at shows and at his publisher’s office. His songs are being considered for national ad campaigns.

“All this stuff, it’s a Nashville thing,” Cockrell said. “But if I had come here four years ago — maybe even one year ago — it would have been really hard to develop a name.

“That’s what Chapel Hill has been for me,” he said. “An amazing hometown where you can learn your craft.”

Cockrell’s proving grounds still hold enough musical magnetism to attract out-of-state bands. It’s been two years since members of the indie-rock trio Go Machine, all high-school friends from Dallas, Texas, made Chapel Hill their headquarters.

“I did a lot of research on music scenes across the country,” said multi-instrumentalist Daniel Hart. “I was looking at bands that weren’t straight-ahead rock ’n’ roll that had success.”

Chapel Hill’s draw was twofold. Though venue-heavy, it’s not metropolitan enough to saturate the gig circuit. And its location in the middle of the Eastern Seaboard makes it geographically attractive for touring. Florida and Georgia can be reached in a weekend, as can cities in the Northeast.

Other perks: It’s comparatively cheap to live here and “it seems like everyone you meet is a musician,” Hart said.

“That was our theory,” he said, “and it’s turned out to be right.”

There’s also a natural camaraderie among local bands, Hart said, as opposed to the more competitive edge of the metro scenes. Though the number of bands per-capita is comparable, Chapel Hill feels more like a “large musical community.”

A bus driver for Chapel Hill Transit, Hart eventually hopes to survive off Go Machine alone. He tasted that success earlier this year when Dallas symphonic pop band Polyphonic Spree recruited him as a violinist for its tour with David Bowie. Now he’s back in Chapel Hill, putting together Go Machine’s second release.

“It took us a while to get established,” Hart said. “But we’ve made a lot of progress here ... and I feel like we could do this professionally.”

It’s certainly been done. The short list of breakout Chapel Hill musicians would include: Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Southern Culture on the Skids and, most recently, Tift Merritt.

Major recognition was the goal of The Scaries, whose seven-year run as Chapel Hill’s most prominent pop-punk band ended in December when the band broke up. Though only nominally successful nationwide, they often filled up local clubs and released an album on a respected independent label.

But in the end, the search for a more powerful deal proved “disheartening,” said guitarist Bill Fischer.

“We went to a lot of trouble, driving to L.A. where all the labels are,” he said. “We called ahead of time and set things up and they said, ‘Oh, OK, we’ll check you out.’

“But they were all so weird, asking us what our five-year plan was,” said Fischer of label representatives, the ones that actually showed up to their gigs. “What do you mean what’s our five-year plan? It was more business than we guessed.”

Relentlessly on cross-country tours, The Scaries did catch flashes of we-made-it success. Out-of-town concerts, “where shows are more of a happening than in Chapel Hill,” were often well-attended, Fischer said. A tour of Japan brought them scenester clout.

“It was a total Jedi mind-trick,” Fischer said. “Everyone from Japan thought we were hot sh— because we were from America. Everyone here thought we were hot sh— because we went to Japan.”

Fischer, who makes a living from home repairs, has stepped up his all-instrumental punk band, Amish Jihad, since The Scaries’ finale. He’s also planning to open a bar in the former Go! Room 4 club, a mid-tier venue that recently closed down.

“Chapel Hill does have a certain reputation, though I’m not sure exactly what it is,” said Fischer, 31. “I don’t know why (The Scaries) would have ever moved.”

It’s certainly provided a workable home base for Roman Candle, a 7-year-old band signed to Hollywood Records last spring. Though a major label contract sounds like major success to many — the band can count teenage mega-star Hilary Duff among its labelmates — that’s “the greatest myth that ever existed,” said guitarist Skip Matheny.

In fact, Matheny and his six-months-pregnant wife and bandmate, Timshel, are writing a book about that myth to support their income.

“It will be advice to folks that suffer from that idea, that getting a record deal is the end to all your problems,” Matheny said.

Unless they’re at the top of the pile, big-label artists aren’t paid all that well. “Yet your calendar is so screwed up that it’s hard to have a real sit-down job,” he said.

Like Cockrell, Matheny described a Chapel Hill that’s kind to up-and-comers, a place where both fans and club owners respond to good music more than money or trends. Although it tempted label reps in the grunge-era 1990s, the local scene hasn’t yet been fingered as a wellspring of buzz bands, he said.

One of Chapel Hill’s few major-label acts, even Roman Candle is not living out the cliché of slick success. They work day jobs, lead unassuming lives and play more clubs than coliseums.

Their sound, which meanders between country, pop and rock, has the same can’t-put-your-finger-on-it feel of Chapel Hill’s music scene. In the limbo between artless towns and overrun urban scenes, Chapel Hill has yet to produce a distinct sound.

“I would say, if anything, it’s a sound by negation,” Matheny said. “It attracts music that’s odd and unclassifiable.”

Likewise, bands won’t find one beaten path to success leading to or from Chapel Hill.

“There’s no right or wrong way to write a song,” Cockrell said. “I guess it’s that way with the music business in general.” Patrick Winn, Chapel Hill News - 8/04

"Go Machine's Daniel Hart will be pulling out some of his solo material at Blue Coffee Company in downtown Durham today. But "solo" might be a bit of a misnomer, because Hart will be joined on stage by a six-piece ensemble that includes accordion, violin, viola and cello. If Go Machine might be described as an experimental pop outfit with flashes of everything including rock, bluegrass, electro-pop and space rock (especially on their Theremin-based tracks), then you can imagine the eclecticism that informs Hart's solo work.

A transplant from Texas, Hart released a solo album before moving here, and the set will include selections from that release as well as new compositions. Hart is just returning from a tour, where he played violin for several weeks in the Dallas rock symphony Polyphonic Spree. He's joined by Sleepsound and Amanda Wholhouser, performing what would appear to be one of the first shows at the Durham coffee shop since it was one of the hosts of last year's Durham Music Festival." Chris Parker, The Herald Sun - 9/04

"Given the recent release of their sophomore Together We're Heavy, a handful of appearances on national television and a funny little incident in which a percussion microphone was mistaken for a bomb, most people with as much as an ear to the indie rock world would know the 24 piece, Dallas-rooted Polyphonic Spree.

They probably don't know Go Machine, though.

Go Machine is another Dallas-borne rock oddity, a three-piece who - by way of members Alex Lazara, Daniel Hart and David Karsten Daniels and their disparate, sprawling collective influences - prove that little things can come in small packages. [webmaster's note: We think he meant to say big things?] Together, they carve a Modest Mouse-meets-Air-remixed by Prefuse 73 aesthetic from a spacey, heady amalgamate of heartbreak and breakbeats.

And the Spree connection isn't simply geographical. Turntablist/vocalist/violinist/bassist/guitarist Daniel Hart served as the Spree's violinist, and Ryan Fitzgerald - now the big band's guitarist - was part of the Go Machine's seven piece configuration years ago back in Dallas. [webmaster's note: actually, the name of the old band was Fool's Cap] After that unit disbanded, the band's principals headed to different parts of the West Coast, with Lazara returning to Los Angeles and Daniels heading north to Portland. Hart eventually found himself in Durham, pleading with his former bandmates to join him in the east and give the band another go.

They obliged, returning to spearhead Bu Hanan Records, issuing look to the as Bu Hanan 003 (Daniels had previously issued two solo albums on the label), booking a handful of local shows, and quickly gaining substantial local affection. Bu Hanan continued to grow, releasing a full-length from charged singer-songwriter Perry Wright as The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, followed by New Frontiers, a late 2003 compilation of local bands. Hart spent five weeks opening for David Bowie with The Polyphonic Spree in early 2004, but the band has spent the last few months building and rehearsing material for a long overdue, highly anticipated follow-up." Grayson Currin, The Independent Weekly - 8/04

"Go Machine formed in 2003 led by solo artist David Karsten Daniels and Daniel Hart, who was among the score of musicians comprising Austin's symphonic popsters Polyphonic Spree. Employing an equally adventurous approach, they build gently pulsing tracks from an exotic mix of samples, loops, violin and Theremin in addition to the standard guitar/bass/keyboards/drums set-up. Their experimental pop sound covers a wide territory with plenty of bleed and overlap--from parched country dirges to rumbling bluegrass and bubbling electro-pop, all infused with a majestic grace. Their debut EP, Look To The (Bu Hanan), came out early this year [sic]. Similar to: Crooked Fingers, Four Tet, Varnaline" Grayson Currin, The Independent Weekly - 8/04

"It will be worth your time to help welcome Go Machine back to the Triangle from its most recent half-national run, which took the band from its current Chapel Hill hideout to its former Dallas epicenter by way of David Daniel's childhood haunts and treehouses deep down in Alabama. Expect the trio--rendering its highly accessible, hip-hop-to-post-rock experimentally eclectic pop--to be in high form on the heels of its first tour since Daniel Hart returned from a month of opening for David Bowie as The Polyphonic Spree's violinist. Locals Eyes to Space open, along with members of Maserati in the newfangled, up-from-Athens outfit, Who Is Myrtle Malloy?" Grayson Currin, The Independent Weekly - 6/04

"For the last two years Go Machine has been reaching out from the hills of the East Coast into the wide expanse of the US in search of making a name for themselves. This talented trio from North Carolina’s Chapel Hill has been termed “country-electro-rock fusion.” Which, once you’ve heard them, pretty much makes sense. Their unique style seems sporadic at times and a bit improvised but, as the melodies continue it becomes clear that much thought and coordination have been put into their songs. As Go Machine seems to be in a constant state of evolution and improvement their music documents their changes. The trio never fails to impress and awe as they transform and morph through folk inspired tunes into a raw a raucous indie band with the scratch and beat of turntables. Go Machine has much to offer to the soul seekers of music out their, and much can be learned from this all together genius composite of a band.

Baton Rouge will have its very own chance to take part in this lesson learning experience at Red Star, June 15th. So, if you don’t want to be left in the dark about the magical essence of good music you should find yourself there." Jetbunny Magazine - 6/04

"Go Machine from Chapel Hill melted all of our brains last year, came back and did it again. The three piece plays a mind-boggling blend of country and electronic music, with members constantly switching instruments. Alex Lazara mans a synthesizer, a drum machine, and a theremin, lanky Daniel Hart switches between guitar, violin, bass, and drums, and bald, bearded David Daniels starts out as the drummer and eventually switches over to guitar, bass, and keyboards. And they all sing. It’s a sonic kick to the head that leaves you dazzled and enchanted - three amazing musicians making music that manages to sound improvised while nailing tricky rhythm changes and mood swings with intense precision." Jim Testa, JerseyBeat - 6/04

"Go Machine Much as digital video is making real filmmakers out of amateurs, so the recent wave of home studio software is putting professional-sounding rock 'n' roll production into the hands of people willing to tinker with conventional formulas. Look to the, the debut EP from this North Carolina band, makes a good case for the trend. While their stitched-up indie-pop sometimes falls apart at the slightest tug, Go Machine work a lot of emotional range into a set of genre-slamming songs. Acoustic folk weaves through glitch-tronica, dotted with arena-rock punches and overlaid with strings that pulse slowly and quietly. It sounds at once familiar and odd--and deeply personal." Noel Murray, Nashville Scene - 6/04

"Ready Steady Go Machine:

Chapel Hill's Go Machine blend a variety of instruments in their music, including turntable samples, violin and theremin. Their style, featured on their first release look to the veers slightly to the left of a typical pop.

The band has been keeping a busy schedule and doesn't look to be slowing down. They've started work on their second full-length and member Daniel Hart recently returned from a stint on tour with the large ensemble Polyphonic Spree, which opened several dates for David Bowie. After a set of Triangle-area dates, the band is headed east for Wilmington's WE FEST, then off for a three week Southeastern tour in June, taking them through Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and points nearby. You can keep up with their activities through the band's website: www.gomachinemusic.com"
-Chris Toenes, the Independent Weekly - 5/04

"Go Machine's Daniel Hart was originally among the score [sic] of musicians comprising Austin's [sic] symphonic pop legion Polyphonic Spree. His quartet (then a threesome) [sic] left Texas for Chapel Hill, but brought that same adventurous attitude with them. Their debut release, "Look To The," features gently pulsing tracks built on an exotic mix of loops, samples, violins, and Theremin, in addition to the standard guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. Their experimental pop sound covers a lot of territory with plenty of bleed and overlap, from parched country dirges to rumbling electro-pop, all infused with a majestic grace."
-Chris Parker, the Herald Sun - 4/04

translated from the portuguese by K. Watanabe:
"Like many American indie acts, go*machine was formed in the Texas of 2000 by college friends. After scattering for others projects (Oversexed Astronauts, the Polyphonic Spree and Jagstar), they reunited in the summer of 2002 in North Carolina's one and only Chapel Hill. The rich musical backgrounds of the different members caused a sort of multiple-personality syndrome for the band, opening a fan of possibilities that triggered their first EP entitles "look to the". The group experiments with styles, with timbres and harmonies utilizing violins, Theremin and subtle drum programming. They are the quintessential modern rock group, simultaneously embracing the esoteric and the plebian. It is no surprise the group merits comparisons to acts like Radiohead, Wilco, Grandaddy, The New Pornographers or Broken Social Scene who have paved the way for music such as this.

This excellent self-released premiere from the band has six tracks set to music produced and thrown by the own stamp. Simple yet efficient, "Great Northwest" opens the disc with a twngy violin line, deteriorating into for a festive funk jam. "Many Times" is a wailing male-vocal led ballad, Radiohead-style, while "Doppelganger" is a sort of synthesis of the best of the two previous songs. "Ghost in the Machine" is slow and deliberate, full of electronic noises and contemplative tones. The dics highlight, "Red Ballon" invokes some Spanish-speaking groups indie pop (Ellos, I Read Habitacion Roja, Nosotrash, etc), and it is no accident that sections of the song are sung in that language. Closing with "What Can You Do?", the final prayer suggest that all will continue as it has, yet begs for the possibility for anything to happen. Finally, an unpretentious work from first sight with a delightful surprise at the end. Highly recommended!"
Jesuino Andre, Junkmail (Brazil) - 4/04

"...Not quite as sprawling, but close: Chapel Hill's Go Machine, which incorporates fiddle-driven twang into electronic rock in an amazing fusion on its debut album, "look to the" (Bu Hanan Records). It's futuristic dance music for back porches, and you can catch it live Saturday at De La Luz. Annie Clark, Project Mastana and Sedona are also on the bill."
-David Menconi, the News and Observer - 2/04

"The Girls and Boys tour, featuring Chapel Hill band Go Machine, and Boston songbird Annie Clark, will reach Wilmington in The Soapbox on Feb. 20, at 9:30 p.m.

Along with Wilmington band The Jackson Hives, Go Machine and Annie Clark are sure to offer an unusual and amazing show.

Boston native Annie Clark manages to combine the vocal styling of both Bjork and Nico on her record, Ratsliveonnoevilstar. Clark's completely original sound and poetry infused lyrics help to push her to the brink of profundity. Both thought provoking and heart wrenching, Annie Clark alone is worth the price of admission.

Still, Chapel Hill's Go Machine is worth all of that and more. Featuring Daniel Hart, originally of The Polyphonic Spree, the four-man band has a truly progressive and inherently beautiful sound. The only word to describe Go Machine is brilliant. Not only are they intelligent, but their music is also electronically and musically perfect.

Their first EP, Look to The, has been compared to the likes of Radiohead, The Beatles and Beck, and rightly so. The six-song EP feels like more of a grand epic than a short-form record. Each song is different, with a certain distinction wiping the musical slate clean of whatever came before.

Hart, along with band-mates David Daniels, Jeremy Portwood and Alex Lazara, combine violin, guitar, theremin, turntables and vocals to create an electronica sound fused with country and pop. The music is almost impossible to explain, mostly because it leaves the listener in a state of complete and utter astonishment.

Perhaps the best example of Go Machine's completely indescribable sound is track five, "Red Balloon." Not only are the lyrics completely brilliant, but they also sing them in three different languages. The words shift from English, to Spanish, to French and back again with a fluidity that is almost impossible to notice.

The Girls and Boys Tour, featuring Annie Clark and Go Machine, is sure to advance the careers of these truly deserving musicians. Chapel Hill band Go Machine is destined for stardom and the notoriety they have earned."
-LinnieSarah Helpern, the Seahawk - 2/04

"By mixing the backwoods dialogue of some mountaineer and the psycho-semantics of a therapist at the beginning of "Great Northwest," the bluegrass pickings of go [machine] will engross your ears from the start. David Daniels, Daniel Hart, Jeremy Portwood and Alex Lazara have comprised a band that showcases the beauty of bluegrass tonalities set in Americana rock with electronica beats.

Fusing such musical stylings makes go [machine]'s look to the one of the most original six-song cds I can honestly say I have heard in quite a long time. It has experimental intelligence, low-country vibes and acoustical genius running through its entirety.

Expect to hear Neil Young meet up with Thom York on "Many Times." And when the electricity cranks up from the acoustic subduedness of the song, you?ll be jolted into realizing this music will move you in all sorts of directions. Likewise, as "Doppelganger" begins, prepared to be swooned into an '80s electronic jig, topped off with an electric violin that simply traps you into bliss. The main vocals in this song are mumbled, rather than annunciated, making it seem misunderstood, while being completely coherent altogether.

As for the other three songs on look to the, they?re just as ambiguously enticing as the first three. It only happens once on the cd (during "Ghost in the Machine") that you may say: "Enough! No more squeaks, static and looped talking; it's driving me crazy!" But sometimes crazy is great. go [machine] will make you feel insane in a normality that's forgiving. See them with the Jackson Hives and Annie Clark on February 20th at the Soapbox."
-Shea Carver, Encore - 2/04

"Hats off to Texas for sending the four Dallas boys that form GO MACHINE, one of the area's most creative indie rock acts by a mile, our way. Imagine Roger Miller collaborating with Johnny Greenwood, The Dust Brothers and Beck Hansen. Daniel Hart, former violinist for The Polyphonic Spree, is an instrumental wizard, shifting seamlessly from the violin to turntables to the guitar in a few numbers, and Alex Lazara perpetually wows virgin ears with his world of Theremin and keyboards. With tunes that indicate scholarly attention to The Beatles' "White Album," 80's pop, and fundamental hip-hop, these guys are on the vanguard of the local eclectic."
-Grayson Currin, The NCSU Technician - 9/03

"A Radiohead comparison means about as much as a Beatles comparison (i.e. not a lot), and as lazy as it is to issue one, I'm going to have to go ahead and liken GO MACHINE to the world's most critically acclaimed rock band. Now let's remember, a Radiohead comparison can embody one of a number of things, so don't put GO MACHINE in your little box just yet. It could signal a moody, studio programming happy modern rock band, it might mean we've got a bunch of Bends-era soaring Brit-rockers on our hands, and there's also a strong possibility we'd be talking about an intriguing electronic act. GO MACHINE is in fact none of those, though at their core they remain, like Radiohead, an experimental pop group. Sometimes one of GO MACHINE's merry-go-round of vocalists hits a Yorke-ian level of tortured crooning, and "Many Times" goes through the same soft-to-bellowing-to-waning journey as "Exit Music For a Film", but the similarities lie largely in the spirit and intent of the music, and perhaps a bit in the searching, personal lyrics.

Although Look to the packs a modest six songs, it's hard to imagine this Chapel Hill foursome putting out a better first album. Their alarming fusion of pop styles is stark and nearly shocking in their first song, "Great Northwest"; the opening uses a mildly mechanized beat, turntable scratching and samples to hide the hayseed guitar that's strumming away in the background. The guitar eventually catapults to the forefront of the soundscape, with a sharp fiddle joining the fray for a riotous sing-along brimming with more rustic Americana than a barnyard field full of rusted farm implements. When the disco drumming kicks in and a synthesized pulse bounces alongside the words, we're treated to a surreal but highly listenable moment of genre-defying genius.

As previously mentioned, "Many Times" sports a steady Radiohead sensibility, though GO MACHINE works through the song with their very own folky ethos. All in all, it's the album's most accessible song. "Doppleganger" follows with more daring ingenuity -- violin, drum machine, theremin and just the right touch of soul, like an eclectic rock song as seen through the eyes of Justin Timberlake or Michael Jackson. It also marks the only time that the country tint is absent, though there's still that aching, searching spirit to contend with. "Ghost in the Machine"'s lyrics are still concerned with filling voids and seeing things in a new way, with a bed of programmed noise and moody guitar plucking that excellently frames this troubled existence. As is often the case on Look to the, GO MACHINE moves their music in an ambitious, dreamy direction while expressing a grounded anxiety, a bit like Grandaddy without the technology-based themes. More expansive goodness abounds on "Red Balloon", where the disco percussion returns to usher in a funky, sample-ridden mid-song break, though the song's symphonic strings and ride-off-into-the-sunset hook are not to be missed either. "What Can You Do (But Keep Movin' On)" closes the disc with the choral bravado and world-weary exhortation of a good Negro spiritual.

With well-received discs by Radiohead, Grandaddy and Broken Social Scene already making this a great year for brave pop music, GO MACHINE's sad-eyed country-electro-rock fusion should not be overlooked. This is excellent stuff that doesn't deserve to be underground for much longer."
-Phillip Buchan, www.splendidezine.com - 8/03

"Though they may not quite agree, the Triangle quartet of GO MACHINE sounds as much like legendary Vermont act Phish as any band trying to make it at the moment. Make no mistake though, the GO MACHINE - which includes Daniel Hart (of Polyphonic Spree notoriety)-- is no jam band. But the debut EP from these ex-Austin [sic] boys moves with the same Talking Heads-meets-White Album bounce and mystery as "Billy Breathes." Like Anastasio and Co., GO MACHINE is epically unafraid of sonic risk, implanting turntable, Theremin, and violin escapades among breaks running amuck within scattered, scat-riffed jive in two languages that break loose amidst refrains that are almost too memorable, leaving one ... absolutely breathless!"
-Grayson Currin, The Independent Weekly - 6/03

"GO MACHINE - Chapel Hill band deconstructs sound using ambient scapes and rhythm adjustments incorporating turntables, violin, computers, Theremin, doumbek, accordion and more. It works in a pop contortionist manner, while keeping melody in check. Damn intriguing."
-Samir Shukla, Creative Loafing Charlotte - 6/03

"GO MACHINE is four people. GO MACHINE is an Army.

Imagine how Radiohead might sound if they came out of North Carolina and had a violinist.

I wasn't sure what to think when I started listening to track one. It starts off with slow dialog samples and scratching records while a down-home country guitar gets into a hillbilly groove. Vocals enter, and you realize that this is a straightforward country song. When the fiddle joins in, you prepare for lyrics about the Devil going down to Georgia. Then, at the three minute mark, the music switches seamlessly into a disco bassline and drumbeat – but the vocals and that crazy fiddle are still in full-tilt country mode. I went from thinking that this was going to suck to thinking that this was pure genius in just a few minutes. GO MACHINE had to win me over, but once they did, I was sold.

This album is headphone candy. Apparently all four members are multi-instrumentalists with studio engineering experience. This doesn't sound like four guys recording on their own. It sounds like a thirty-member musical collective in a state-of-the-art studio, pissing away a huge record advance and loving it.

GO MACHINE are obviously influenced by a lot of different styles of music. It's impossible to describe them without hyphens. They've got that violin. They've got stuttering electronic beats. They've got a group sing-a-long. They sound like an indie-rock band, then they sound like an electronic band, then they sound like a country band... They even start singing in a different language in the middle of "Red Balloon," before switching back to English, and you hardly even notice - that's how smooth the transition is. The point here is that they bring all this crazy stuff to the table - stuff that shouldn't work, but somehow does - and still make it sound heartfelt.

This CD is over the 30 minute mark, which ought to classify it as an album. Then again, there's only six songs, which screams EP. I don't care what you want to call it. It's brilliant. Get this.
-Jason Erb, www.leftoffthedial.com - 7/03

"GO MACHINE is hypnotic! From the first note to the last, this band is truly an eclectic soundscape. Some of the early references described the band as Radiohead meets Wilco, but I'll go one step further and sprinkle in a little King Crimson and Ambient Hip Hop to the reference point. Gomachine is truly a unique elixir for some of the most interesting modern music I've heard from this side of the coast.

The band's vocal arrangements are sublime. ...when you see them live, the voices are not only intriguing, they are haunting.

From the stage, youlll see guitar, bass, a violin, unique keyboards and a Theremin. I was incredibly impressed with their drummer, Jeremy Portwood ...even the best session players would have been impressed with his timing and imagination.

Treat yourself to one of the most intriguing artistic experiences on the music scene today."
-David Cate, www.gotricities.com - 7/03

"...Next up were GO MACHINE, one of those happy discoveries everyone looks forward to at W.E. Fest – a Chapel Hill group who turn laptops, turntables, accordion, violin, a Theremin (!) and a few things I didn't recognize into a quirky yet danceable art-rock mishmash. They were so good that a lot of people skipped the next night's WE Fest to go see them again at another downtown club venue."
-Jim Testa, www.jerseybeat.com - 5/03

"GO MACHINE is a very impressive band... When I listened to the disc that was sent to me, I was floored. Amazing ambient soundscapes with beautiful vocals and excellent arrangments succeeded in earning the band a new fan...me. GO MACHINE is one of the most exciting bands in the Chapel Hill area in that they use technology very creatively, yet the tunes they produce are exceptionally accessible. A fantastic band... don't miss them."
-Mark Duncan, www.carolinamusic.net - 11/02

"This week, The Buzz is all about GO MACHINE, and although I enjoyed the band on stage this weekend in Johnson City, you can appreciate their eclectic, original style online and enjoy a lot more than the music.

It's no secret that technology is turning the music business upside down and despite the woes about "file sharing," the Internet is an artist's most useful tool to sell an image, get the music out and develop a fan base.

GO MACHINE is a four-piece band from Chapel Hill, N.C., that has a great Web site — the site shares complete de tails about the band, photos, interviews, music clips and more. Their newsletter and e-mail efforts are two of the reasons we decided to go to Johnson City and catch the band at a new venue on Main Street, Heather's Hideaway.

Before we headed to the club, we visited the band's Web site at gomachinemusic.com. We downloaded a few songs, watched the new video to "Doppelganger" and browsed other details about the band in its online journal. We absorbed all the media about the band before we left and were excited to see the performance. Their music is un usual and unlike anything we've heard on stage in the region.

Jeremy Portwood is the drummer for GO MACHINE, and when we arrived in downtown JC, he was outside Heather's. I recognized him from the Web site and talked about the band and its tour that began the night before in Knoxville. They have been playing together for several years and are just starting a 10-day tour that ends up in the Midwest before heading back home.

Heather's Hideaway recently reopened in the old Hyper link Internet Café a couple of doors down from Gatsby's. The venue itself has some work to do. The band is in a corral and I felt like we were in a deli — not a live music venue. Heather's didn't have a beer license yet, so we continued our conversation with Jeremy at Gatsby's.

"There is a lot of diversity in our music," Jeremy told us as we watched college football on TV at Gatsby's. "All the guys in the band have lots of influences and that works its way out in the music."

We first heard GO MACHINE this past summer, when the band opened for Green Rode Shotgun at the original Hide away venue. I was amazed at their haunting vocals, the musicianship, the instruments and the musical devices they presented with their music. Together, they construct mesmerizing songs with odd time signatures and third world harmonies.

On stage, the band delivers everything the Web site promises, too, and if asked to describe their sound, I would compare them to Radiohead and King Crimson. Their performance was confident, electric and spellbinding!

Treat yourself to this hypnotic band and their Web site experience. Be sure to check out the video to the song "Doppelganger." This is one of the best underground videos we've seen among the local scene and you'll also be able to download their music and decide what you think about the band.

Heather's Hideaway continues to bring great bands to the region. Our experiences have treated us to some extraordinary new sounds and we hope they continue their survey of the regional underground scene. We trust that they will also continue to work on the venue and we'll look forward to coming back soon. You can check out Heather's schedule online at ahideaway.com.

New technologies allow bands to record their own music, sound samples of anything imaginable and package a product like never before. It's not that the music is any better, but now more than ever it'' easy for a band to jump in to the mainstream.

We're not forecasting the future for GO MACHINE, but we wish them the best. Enjoy them online or onstage. You can drop the band a line and sign up for their e-mail list too. They'll be glad to keep you in the loop.
-David Cate, www.gotricities.com - 10/03