Ain’t All That Bad

New Single by van goat

Release date: February 5th, 2021.

• Genre: Big Band Punk, Jazz/punk, NOLA/New Orleans Grunge, Bayou punk

• Hometown: Oakland, CA

PRESS PHOTOS

Single Artwork

Here’s what other people have said about “Ain’t All That Bad:”

“Those horns remind me of Duke Ellington or that era of jazz but then it's grungy and gritty like punk. This is probably not that helpful and I feel officially like an old man :) It's also got that Tom Waits vibe too.”

“And yeah, this is sort of difficult, as describing music with words so often is. Feels surf-y at the beginning and then feels sort of Gogo Bordelloish to me the rest of the way. I don't feel like I'm being very helpful on this one. I'll take another listen and see if anything stands out to me.“

“It sort of has almost a vaudeville or like old school New Orleans Jazz thing going on, but definitely through a punk lens. Don't know if that's helpful, but those are my initial thoughts.”

Here’s my word-association: Walk in the park, Aladdin, Sixteen tons, cigarettes, drag, therapist, Pimm’s cup, prohibition, Chicago (the musical), feels a little Tarantino.

About the song:

Van Goat return with a ballad of burnout culture

BY: Brooke Becher

Oakland’s animated swing punkers Van Goat tease a darker sound in their new single “Aint All That Bad,” releasing Feb. 5. 

Reverberated plucks taunt by the second in the intro of this blues-tinged, labor-class ballad, provoking Ward’s sly clarinet and Alexis’ guttural vocals to steer the five piece straight into a bombastic, full-band clash that opens the floor to a swanky, devil-may-care sway.

The song details the day-in, day-out dance known as ‘burnout,’ where dreams and ambitions asphyxiate in the grips of apathy and late-stage capitalism drone-hood. 

It’s lines like “I’m gonna work until the day that I die; and I’m calling in sick -- but I’ll probably lie” that make this blue-collar salute regrettably relatable to anyone who’s waited tables, worked a register or poured a non-fat, grande mocha latte to make ends meet.

Masks, “blinders” and other gateways to disassociation are aftereffects of fighting tooth and nail, and still coming up short. 

Van Goat’s latest release reminds us that “losing control” doesn’t always look like sexy, topless spring breakers as sold by MTV or vigilante ultraviolence -- sometimes it’s watching everything you’ve ever wanted slip through calloused fingers. And all you can do is sigh.

But before folding to the rat race, maybe follow the playful, woodwinded breadcrumbs to drum-driven catharsis. Get a taste of twangy riffs and relaxed, cooler-than-you’ll-ever-be bass on the way to a crescendoed free-for-all, capped by a wailing howl of a last hurrah.

Then, stay for a while. 

A subdued, minute-long jam session closes out the track. It rock-a-byes the listener in the likes of a lukewarm “chin up” before parting ways, slinging an arm around their shoulder on the way out for drinks with the boys.

All parts loosely carrying on -- even after all that’s been said and done -- tips a hat to Van Goat’s discography at-large: have fun at all costs, even if it’s on a sinking ship.

Cheer up, ol’ pal -- it ain’t all that bad, right?

IG: @generallyadmitted

TW: @brookebecher

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Track credits:

Lead Vocals/Trombone: Lindsay Alexis

Clarinet: Aidan Ward

Guitar: Ben Einstein

Bass: Derek Burle

Drums: Taylor Moxon

Recorded & Mixed by Chris Hughes

Mastered by Piper Payne at Infrasonic Mastering

Contact email: vangoatband@gmail.com

European Booking: kurt.de.bont@telenet.be

• Influences: Devo, Shannon & the Clams, Man Man

• Sounds like: Tom Waits, Amy Winehouse, Squirrel Nut Zippers