Get Set Go
Encyclopedia
Get Set Go is a band formed in 2003 in Highland Park, Los Angeles, California
. They are generally seen as indie rock
. Their main songwriter is known as "Mike TV." They are known for a tendency to mix dark lyrics with upbeat or "catchy" melodies. They are perhaps best known for being heard on several episodes of Grey's Anatomy
and both volumes of the series soundtrack.
Ben Vaughn signed on to produce Get Set Go’s first record and the band went into the studio in November 2002. They tracked drums and bass at Stanley Recordings and guitar, vocals, piano, and overdubs at Mad Dog Studios. The album featured backing vocals by Nate Greeley, Sean Spillane, and Shmed from Arlo (SubPop) and Benny from New Maximum Donkey (Square Tire). At the time of the recording, the band cited musical influences as wide ranging as Yo La Tengo
, The Cars
, The Mr. T Experience
, The Archer’s of Loaf, Pavement, Guided By Voices
, The Beach Boys
, the Pixies, The Ramones, and lyrically, Quasi
, The Violent Femmes, and The Velvet Underground
. There was also significant influences on the music by the Tuesday night Mr. T’s Bowl bands, particularly the band Arlo.
For the next few months, Mike struggled with accelerating drug-addiction. However, being as poor as he was, his only outlet for entertainment was writing songs. His struggling came to an end in early 2004 when, with the help of his friends, Mike managed to sober up. Remaining practically destitute, and living off of the largess and generosity of his friends, Mike and TSR Records were ecstatic to learn that ABC
’s new series, Grey’s Anatomy, had managed to get a copy of So You’ve Ruined Your Life and the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, was a fan. During a phone conversation, Shonda asked Mike if he had any more music. Mike did. He managed to write 64 complete songs during this period and many more partial tunes. He offered to send her a sampling of the acoustic demos that he had been recording over the past year. This sampling would form the backbone of Get Set Go’s second record, Ordinary World.
After reviewing Mike TV’s submission, Grey’s Anatomy requested a studio version of the acoustic demo for the song Sleep. Mike returned to TSR Records, told them of the conversation, and asked them if they were inclined to release another Get Set Go record. TSR agreed. However, Mike wanted to change the band’s sound substantially. He wanted to better reflect the tenor of the acoustic demos that he had been recording. The goal was to record an acoustic rock record, a la the Violent Femmes. During pre-production, Mike agreed to do fill an opening slot at Kiss or Kill. Hoping to turn Get Set Go’s fans on to the new sound, Mike put together an eight man line-up, composed entirely of friends from the scene. One of these friends was Eric Summer, the violist.
On January 17, Ordinary World hit stores. The artwork for Ordinary World was designed to look like a vinyl double-LP. One side was the actual album jacket, the other was designed to look like the old full size inserts. This was entirely missed by music critics. The track listings were broken into four groups, so as to suggest side A, side B, side C, and side D of an old double-album. One reviewer actually ridiculed this grouping, not understanding why they were broken into four parts.
In preparation for touring to support Ordinary World, Mike placed an ad in Craigslist
for a bass player. They auditioned a handful of odd possibilities. One guy didn’t have a car and lived in Riverside County, an hour-and-a-half away. Another was particularly frightening, and had only a rudimentary understanding of the bass. But one prospect cited Paul McCartney
, John Entwistle
, and Elvis Costello
’s bass player, Bruce Thomas as key influences. The band set-up an audition and after a short interview, brought Colin Schlitt into the fold as the band’s new bass player.
Since Get Set Go’s inception in 2002, Mike had wanted another guitar player but hadn’t found someone that could both play and sing that wasn’t currently in another band. However, not long after the band found Colin, they were contacted by Jim Daley. Jim had been a fan of New Maximum Donkey, one of Get Set Go’s good friends. Through them, Jim had heard that Get Set Go was looking for a guitar player. The band auditioned Jim, who was particularly strong in both playing and singing, and the line-up was finalized by August 2005.
The band toured extensively in 2006 and 2007. During this period, Grey’s Anatomy continued to license songs from Get Set Go. At final count, they licensed 6 individual songs, and repeatedly licensed "Wait and I Hate Everyone". The show also placed those two songs on their first and second soundtracks, respectively. Get Set Go did multiple regional and national tours. During a six-week national outing, the band began working on the songs that would form the band’s third studio effort, Selling Out & Going Home. They went into the studio in June 2006.
The third record, Selling Out & Going Home, was released in January 2007. Unfortunately, the momentum established by Ordinary World did not follow through with Selling Out & Going Home. Despite some critical success, the record under-performed both in college radio and in stores. The band continued to tour during this period, very often playing an in-store show during the day, doing one or two on-air performances at college stations, and then playing a nightclub at night.
, played locally, and worked. Unfortunately, for all their effort, there was very little gain. However, in mid-2007 the band went back into the studio to record their fourth effort. This time, rather than working the sound of the record as a whole concept, the band decided to treat each song as its own separate entity.
While in the pre-production, the band spent a significant portion of their time working musical homages into the arrangements. There are musical references to The Beatles
, Elvis Costello
, The Pixies, XTC
, The Cars
, Devo
, Paul McCartney
, Weezer
, the Muppet Show, The Zombies
, Janice Joplin, Carly Simon
, and more. The record is practically one giant homage, while simultaneously sounding entirely like a Get Set Go record.
Highland Park, Los Angeles, California
Highland Park is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles.-Geography:Highland Park is located along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish / Mexican era...
. They are generally seen as indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
. Their main songwriter is known as "Mike TV." They are known for a tendency to mix dark lyrics with upbeat or "catchy" melodies. They are perhaps best known for being heard on several episodes of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and both volumes of the series soundtrack.
Members
- Mike TV – Vocals, Guitar
- Eric Summer – Viola, vocals
- Dave Palamaro – Drums
- Jeremy Keeler- Bass, vocals
Biography
Get Set Go was formed in 2002. The original members were Mike TV, Dr. Modo, and Amy Wood. They were a three piece, pop-punky band that played catchy guitar-driven pop songs with a punk-rock back-beat and humorous, acerbic, self-deprecating lyrics. They were part of the Tuesday-Night Mr. T’s Bowl scene that thrived in Los Angeles from 1998 to 2008. It was a little known, little-written about community of over 300 bands. At its height, three hundred people, the majority of which were the members of the bands that played regularly, showed up every Tuesday night. The band Ozma (Kung Fu Records) mentions the night and Mike TV in their song Spending Time on the Borderline.Demos (2002)
In early 2002, the band enlisted the help of Ben Vaughn, producer of Ween’s 12 Country Golden Greats and Arlo’s Stab The Unstoppable Hero, to record a 3-song demo. The three songs, "Jesus Christ Wore Leather", "Go To the Mattress", and "Kiss the Girl", included two of the band’s arguably most contentious and troubling song lyrics. "Go To The Mattress" told the story of an abusive relationship from the point of view of the abuser and "Jesus Christ Wore Leather" used flagrant vulgarity to illustrate the idea that Jesus, Gandhi, and others were human before they were elevated to super-human . The three-song demo was circulated amongst very few record labels before TSR Records signed the band in late 2002.Ben Vaughn signed on to produce Get Set Go’s first record and the band went into the studio in November 2002. They tracked drums and bass at Stanley Recordings and guitar, vocals, piano, and overdubs at Mad Dog Studios. The album featured backing vocals by Nate Greeley, Sean Spillane, and Shmed from Arlo (SubPop) and Benny from New Maximum Donkey (Square Tire). At the time of the recording, the band cited musical influences as wide ranging as Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
, The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
, The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California and currently recording for Lookout! Records. They have released ten full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally...
, The Archer’s of Loaf, Pavement, Guided By Voices
Guided by Voices
Guided by Voices is an American indie rock band originating from Dayton, Ohio. Beginning with the band's formation in 1983, it made frequent personnel changes but always maintained the presence of principal songwriter Robert Pollard...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, the Pixies, The Ramones, and lyrically, Quasi
Quasi
Quasi is an American indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993 by ex-husband and wife Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss . Since 2007 the group has been a trio, following the addition of bassist Joanna Bolme.-History:In 1990 , Coomes, Weiss, and Brad Pedinov formed the band Motorgoat...
, The Violent Femmes, and The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
. There was also significant influences on the music by the Tuesday night Mr. T’s Bowl bands, particularly the band Arlo.
So You've Ruined Your Life (2003 - 2004)
By December 2003, the band was in crisis. Their first record, So You’ve Ruined Your Life, appeared in stores with little fanfare. The band did one national tour for their first album as well. TSR Records spent significant time and money trying to break the record via commercial radio, but managed only to secure limited play on specialty programs or in the late-night hours. Dr. Modo joyously announced shortly after the release that his wife was pregnant and that he would have to relinquish his role in the band. This was a devastating blow to Mike TV, as the two had been making music together since they were in high-school. Not long after, Amy Wood started filling in with the Dollyrots, becoming a permanent member a few months later.For the next few months, Mike struggled with accelerating drug-addiction. However, being as poor as he was, his only outlet for entertainment was writing songs. His struggling came to an end in early 2004 when, with the help of his friends, Mike managed to sober up. Remaining practically destitute, and living off of the largess and generosity of his friends, Mike and TSR Records were ecstatic to learn that ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
’s new series, Grey’s Anatomy, had managed to get a copy of So You’ve Ruined Your Life and the show’s creator, Shonda Rhimes, was a fan. During a phone conversation, Shonda asked Mike if he had any more music. Mike did. He managed to write 64 complete songs during this period and many more partial tunes. He offered to send her a sampling of the acoustic demos that he had been recording over the past year. This sampling would form the backbone of Get Set Go’s second record, Ordinary World.
After reviewing Mike TV’s submission, Grey’s Anatomy requested a studio version of the acoustic demo for the song Sleep. Mike returned to TSR Records, told them of the conversation, and asked them if they were inclined to release another Get Set Go record. TSR agreed. However, Mike wanted to change the band’s sound substantially. He wanted to better reflect the tenor of the acoustic demos that he had been recording. The goal was to record an acoustic rock record, a la the Violent Femmes. During pre-production, Mike agreed to do fill an opening slot at Kiss or Kill. Hoping to turn Get Set Go’s fans on to the new sound, Mike put together an eight man line-up, composed entirely of friends from the scene. One of these friends was Eric Summer, the violist.
Ordinary World (2005 - 2006)
Without a fully formed line-up, Mike went into the studio in June 2005. This time they would record fourteen songs at Stanley Recordings and another seven at Nate Greeley’s home studio. The cast of players was significant. Dr. Modo had already recorded bass tracks for the song Mean, which they decided to keep. John Would, the owner/engineer of Stanley and Amy Wood’s father, played bass and lap steel for all the other tunes. Amy Wood played drums on 14 tracks. Dave Palamaro, former drummer for The O.A.O.T’s and Artichoke, signed up as Amy’s replacement, tracking a handful of songs. Shmed, of Arlo fame, played keyboards, piano, percussion, accordion, and some guitar leads. Nate Greeley, of Arlo, who had joined the band just prior to the recording session tracked guitar and also recorded a number of the songs. Eric Summer tracked all of the viola for the entire record in one two hour session. And Mike TV played all the acoustic guitar. Mike’s goal was to fill up an entire 80-minute CD with music, which they did.On January 17, Ordinary World hit stores. The artwork for Ordinary World was designed to look like a vinyl double-LP. One side was the actual album jacket, the other was designed to look like the old full size inserts. This was entirely missed by music critics. The track listings were broken into four groups, so as to suggest side A, side B, side C, and side D of an old double-album. One reviewer actually ridiculed this grouping, not understanding why they were broken into four parts.
In preparation for touring to support Ordinary World, Mike placed an ad in Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
for a bass player. They auditioned a handful of odd possibilities. One guy didn’t have a car and lived in Riverside County, an hour-and-a-half away. Another was particularly frightening, and had only a rudimentary understanding of the bass. But one prospect cited Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
, and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
’s bass player, Bruce Thomas as key influences. The band set-up an audition and after a short interview, brought Colin Schlitt into the fold as the band’s new bass player.
Since Get Set Go’s inception in 2002, Mike had wanted another guitar player but hadn’t found someone that could both play and sing that wasn’t currently in another band. However, not long after the band found Colin, they were contacted by Jim Daley. Jim had been a fan of New Maximum Donkey, one of Get Set Go’s good friends. Through them, Jim had heard that Get Set Go was looking for a guitar player. The band auditioned Jim, who was particularly strong in both playing and singing, and the line-up was finalized by August 2005.
The band toured extensively in 2006 and 2007. During this period, Grey’s Anatomy continued to license songs from Get Set Go. At final count, they licensed 6 individual songs, and repeatedly licensed "Wait and I Hate Everyone". The show also placed those two songs on their first and second soundtracks, respectively. Get Set Go did multiple regional and national tours. During a six-week national outing, the band began working on the songs that would form the band’s third studio effort, Selling Out & Going Home. They went into the studio in June 2006.
Selling Out & Going Home (2006 - 2007)
They returned to Stanley Recordings, who had moved from their location in Venice Beach to a new home in Santa Monica. Again, Mike was hoping to change the band’s sound. He wanted a full-rock sound but without heavy distorted guitars. 2006’s Ordinary World was made up of songs about Mike’s drug addiction, and the intention for the third record was to be an album as honest and open about relationships as he had been about his drug use.The third record, Selling Out & Going Home, was released in January 2007. Unfortunately, the momentum established by Ordinary World did not follow through with Selling Out & Going Home. Despite some critical success, the record under-performed both in college radio and in stores. The band continued to tour during this period, very often playing an in-store show during the day, doing one or two on-air performances at college stations, and then playing a nightclub at night.
Sunshine, Joy, and Happiness (2007 - 2008)
The band toured, blogged regularly on MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, played locally, and worked. Unfortunately, for all their effort, there was very little gain. However, in mid-2007 the band went back into the studio to record their fourth effort. This time, rather than working the sound of the record as a whole concept, the band decided to treat each song as its own separate entity.
While in the pre-production, the band spent a significant portion of their time working musical homages into the arrangements. There are musical references to The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, The Pixies, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
, Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, the Muppet Show, The Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, Janice Joplin, Carly Simon
Carly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, and more. The record is practically one giant homage, while simultaneously sounding entirely like a Get Set Go record.
So You've Ruined Your Life
- Twenty-One
- Jesus Christ Wore Leather
- Kiss the Girl
- I Want You
- One with the Numbers
- Go to the Mattress
- Girl Is Sleeping
- Break Your Heart
- VKFD (The Fire Truck Song)
- Lonely World
- War
- She Goes Round
- What I Love About You
- Wait (Hidden Track)
Ordinary World
- Crying Shame – 3:55
- Get Thru the Day – 3:16
- One Hundred Locks – 3:22
- Ordinary World – 4:56
- I Hate Everyone – 3:33
- Lift Me Up – 3:49
- Murder by Millions – 3:12
- Do Over – 3:17
- In the Name of All That's Evil on the Earth – 3:10
- Mean – 3:10
- A Little More – 3:35
- Won't Let Her Go – 4:22
- Sleep – 3:41
- So Sorry – 2:52
- My Wasted Life – 3:41
- Suicide – 3:35
- The Old Ennui – 3:19
- Stay Away – 3:49
- So You're Gonna Die – 3:26
- Die Motherf___er Die – 4:46
- Music Makes Me Wanna Die – 6:00
Selling Out & Going Home
- It's All Right
- Sweet Little Kisses
- I'll Be Your Heroin
- I'm a Goner
- It Must Be Love
- The Law of Diminishing Returns
- Tighten the Verses
- Nothing Keeps Us Apart
- You're Gonna Die Alone
- Everybody Get Movin'
- Thirteen
- 5th & Spring
- Get What's Coming to You
- Crime & Heresy
- F__k You (I Want To)
- You're the Infection
- Nothing Turns Me On
Sunshine, Joy & Happiness: A Tragic Tale of Death, Despair and Other Silly Nonsense
- How Now
- Gotta Getta Job
- Hell On Earth
- Please Destroy Me
- Crazy Over You
- You'll Look Beautiful as You Burn
- I'll Come Around
- Modern Age
- Jesus Christ in Reverse
- A Heat That Kills
- The Trouble with Being Poor
- Sunshine, Joy, and Happiness
- This Song Is Not About You
- Cannibalism Is the Cure
- O' My Lord
- Give Me Strength
- The Great Indie-Rock Swindle
Fury of Your Lonely Heart
- Love Poem
- Fury of Your Lonely Heart
- Looking East
- Lock Up Your Daughters
- Racecar
- Stone of Suffering
- I Cannot Breathe
- We Will Be Stars
- Hold On
- My Very Old Bones
- Flee The Sickness
- Little Bird Lost
- Stare At The Sun
- Disappearing Dark
Loose Tongues...
- From A Little Room In Downtown
- I Don't Want You Anymore
- See The Blood Flow
- MCA
- Mary & The Truth