My Goodness Makes Shiver And Shake

The Seattle duo that shook things up with their self-titled debut three years ago recently took time out from a heavy touring schedule to release a sophomore album that is every bit as gritty as that now hard-to-find first release. The new album, Shiver + Shake, is a timeless take on blues-infused rock with all the ferociousness of a punk band.

Although the 13-track mountain of new goodness feels more thoughtful, it still retains the natural brashness of this memorably eclectic indie band. Guitarist Joel Schneider serves up unfettered vocals over relentless guitar work. And drummer Andy Lum has taken over for Ethan Jacobsen to lay down a long series of mind-blowing percussive romps in the spirit of his predecessor.

My Goodness was originally started by Schneider as a side project to his other electrifying alternative rock band, Absolute Monarchs, which released a full length in 2012. Schneider powered up vocals along with bass and keys in that band. He plays a heavy guitar and infuses more blues in this one.

My Goodness is potently loaded rock and roll.

The album name, Shiver + Shake, pays homage to the two sensations Schneider shoots for across the album. He aims to make everyone shiver and shake and, mostly, he does exactly that. Even on the more temperately mellow album leader Cold Feet Killer, Schneider frequently titters into either of those extremes.

Cold Feet Killer is one of the first songs that Schneider had ever written with an acoustic guitar. He wrote it with an open G and occasionally played it while on the road. It wasn't until recently when the track was rearranged and rerecorded that it began to feel ready for the record. 

Rearranging material has become a cornerstone for Schneider's creative process. He doesn't necessarily structure the composition on his own but rather brings in a chorus and verse that he arranges with Lum until it begins to feel right for the band. When blasted through his Fender Twin Reverb amp and his custom built Verellen amp at the same time, the tone become something no one else owns.

It's especially distinct on impossibly big bluesy tracks like the opener and title song, Shiver + Shake. As one of the rawest songs on the album, Schneider and Lum encapsulate the duo sound as stripped back and bass loaded. Schneider sneaks in some bass and keys to give it a fuller band sound. 

Schneider also gives ample credit to Lum, who he says has a solid meter while being able to balance both the technical precision and natural groove of the percussion needed. His influence also seems to give tracks like Sweet Tooth, Back Again, and Hangin' On a mellower and more polished sound overall. He says it is more indicative of the how band should sound versus the fiery abandon that struck chords three years ago. 

For anything that fiery, skip down to Check Your Bones when Schneider starts to snarl the verse and Lum tightens up on his rolls. A singular vocal reverb somewhere inside hints at a slight sixties psychedelia. The blistering pace of it is everything anyone remembers about the debut, even if it is amazingly balanced with the contemplative confessional Bottle as a folksy followup.

My Goodness bounces back again with the relationship reconstructor Letter To The Sun, big bass-heavy blues rock track Say You're Gone, and the squalling head-pounder C'mon Doll. Those three tracks together, along with Hot Sweat, will remind anyone that Schneider generally leans heavy despite the rock lullaby Lost In The Soul. It's the shiver after so many shakes. Play on. 

Shiver + Shake By My Goodness Grabs 8.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Listening to Schneider progress with a new bandmate shows plenty of the promise for a side project that sounds increasingly permanent. While the wild abandon and brashness of the debut will be missed by anyone who appreciated that sound, he retains just enough of it with Lum to remind everyone that it hasn't left. He just wants to lay down more diversity in the offering. Perfect.

You can pick up Shiver + Shake by My Goodness on Amazon or download the 13-track album from iTunes. Check Barnes & Noble for the upcoming vinyl release of Shiver + Shake. Touring information is expected to be released soon on Facebook.

Self-Titled Debut Is All My Goodness

Pick a series of a few chords inside any one of their songs and it's clear that Seattle hasn't lost any of its edge in the American music scene. The duo that makes up the band My Goodness is one of the best new finds on the indie circuit, fusing blues, punk, and rock into an urgently course and undressed sound that makes you want more.

Their new self-titled LP from the boutique label Sarathan Records, My Goodness, has everything going for it. The music is more complex than the Black Keys, with guitarist Joel Schneider delivering up unfettered vocals and a relentless guitar.

Drummer Ethan Jacobsen lays down a richly aggressive percussion to keep the songs together. Together, they're brilliant.

In fact, it's almost hard to believe that Schneider was once considered quiet and introverted by his choir teacher at the progressive International School in Bellevue. It's even harder to believe that his conservative upbringing restricted him from pop music.

From a shy choir tenor to a sizzling post-punk indie rocker.

That all changed when Schneider's choir instructor encouraged him to enter a jazz festival competition. He took first prize. Nine years later, he decided to team up with Jacobsen as a side project from his other electrifying band, The Absolute Monarchs. The result of this partnership is something to watch.


The music video is produced by upstart filmmaker John Meyer. Meyer produced the video by lining up almost a dozen cameras with various lenses, attempting to create a progressive video while retaining Schneider's vision for rawness. The song was shot in its entirety, requiring several takes to get it right.

"His [Meyer's] mom used to babysit me when I was 4 or 5 years old, maybe even younger," Schneider said in a recent interview. "My first memories were at his house."

The impossibility of one clean take wasn't limited to a single music video. The self-titled album was produced entirely on analog tape under the guidance of engineer Chris Common at Red Rooms Studio in Seattle. Analog produces a warmer, richer sound but makes it nearly impossible to cut, paste and move arrangements around.

The net gain is a live feel that Schneider says he wouldn't do any other way. In addition to I've Got A Notion, almost every track represents the freedom that Schneider and Jacobsen say they haven't had a chance to produce in their other bands, which is also how they came up with the name. My Goodness is all the goodness without an outlet.

Other standout drivers off the ten-track album include the opener Blackout Baby, the hard hitting and bluesy C'mon Doll, the fluid Let Me Free, and the angry Better Call Your Mother. The last track, Lost In The Soul, is an out-of-place but pleasant acoustic singer-songwriter track that suggests My Goodness has a tremendous range to tap for a long time to come.

The Self-Titled Debut By My Goodness Hits Hard With A 9.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale.

Some consumer reviews are claiming this is the album of a band you'll want to say you knew them when. Sarathan Records might agree, given the boutique label says it knew it would sign them halfway into the second song during a live performance. There isn't much to argue about. It sets the bar for the best debut album out this year.

My Goodness has become hard to find, but the self-titled debut is still listed at Barnes & Noble. Schneider and Jacobsen say they are anxious to get on the road to share the album. Most of the songs sound like they have jam sessions built in, even if they are surprisingly tight in their structuring.