Geoff Doyle is something of a Renaissance man. Most people know him for his amazing work as executive director of the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta. But Geoff has long been a creator and musician, and has just released a brand new record that he has been working on for four years.
20 years ago, Geoff and I were part of a pretty great live music scene in Oneonta. There were local acts and bands that came together as part of SUNY Oneonta’s music industry program. We were part of the latter. Bands from both areas would come together regularly to share the stage and make a lot of noise. Genres weren’t important. You’d see hardcore, metal, jam, hip hop and ska all on the same program. Somehow it just worked.
Geoff and I worked together on a long-forgotten project that was at the intersection of Mike Patton’s and John Zorn’s work. Loud, raw, improvised and a lot of fun describe those times. Don’t look for it, the only master recording is somewhere at the bottom of my closet and that’s where it will stay.
I was delighted when Geoff released a brand new record over the weekend called ‘Give Fits’. According to his social media post about the album, this was a labour of love that spanned almost four years. He says: “I spent the last four years writing and recording an album. There were no deadlines. No rehearsals or gigs to worry about. Just me, in the basement, making music late into the night when I should have been sleeping.”
Geoff Doyle on Facebook
Over the years, Geoff has continued to make music, mostly with bands he was involved in. This is his first solo outing,
It’s nice to hear that Geoff is still making solid music after all these years. I’ve listened to the album three or four times since it came out and I’m a fan. As a music geek, I like to listen closely and try to hear influences and nuances. At first glance, whether intentional or not, I hear a lot of Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Kyuss) in the mix. The first three tracks Abandon Everything, All For Granted and End-Life Crisis are absolute bangers and since the fourth is a mid-tempo affair, the tempo is just right for this kind of music.
Overall, the record reminded me of the Seattle sound of the 90s, with strong, healthy doses of what came after. This is a rock-solid record. Be sure to give it a listen, you can do so for free by clicking this link.
Keep rocking and support local music!
8 famous people with connections to the Oneonta area
