The Goons | Living in America

Description

Originally released in 1998 on Torque Records, Living in America captures The Goons at the beginning of a run that would establish the Washington, D.C.-area band as a relentless force in underground punk. Across 17 tracks and less than 23 minutes, the album delivers short, fast bursts of hardcore punk fueled by frustration with work, authority, politics and everyday life in America.

Songs including “Breakdown,” “Everyday,” “Revenue Machine,” “G.I. Bill,” “Going Postal,” “USA” and “Never Say Die” showcase the direct, aggressive songwriting and high-speed attack that became hallmarks of the band. The record earned The Goons comparisons to Dead Kennedys, New Bomb Turks and Keith Morris-era Black Flag, while Suburban Voice memorably described it as a “ravenous punk onslaught.”

The album also carries unmistakable D.C. punk lineage in its recording history. Tracks 1–3 were recorded at WGNS and produced by Geoff Turner, Brian Baker and The Goons, while tracks 4–17 were recorded at the legendary Inner Ear and produced by Mike “Mo” Davis, Kent Stax and The Goons. Those credits come directly from the album packaging.

Big Curve Music re-released Living in America on CD in 2023, presenting the original album in newly designed Digipack packaging. More than two decades after its original release, the record remains a compact blast of late-’90s D.C.-area hardcore: raw, confrontational, fast and unapologetically direct.

Track Listing

1. Breakdown (1:54)
2. Everyday (2:22)
3. Revenue Machine (1:56)
4. Time To Kill (0:54)
5. End Of The World (0:57)
6. GI Bill (1:13)
7. Chemical Dependency (1:06)
8. Coming Through (1:29)
9. Going Postal (1:04)
10. USA (0:52)
11. What You Wanted (1:18)
12. Heavy Metal (1:05)
13. Sweet Sow (1:19)
14. Rise Up (1:45)
15. Mall Attack (0:59)
16. Life Sux (1:11)
17. Never Say Die (1:23)