Karate

The Profile

Karate are an American band from Boston formed in the early 1990s by Geoff Farina with Gavin McCarthy, Jeff Goddard, and (earlier) Eamonn Vitt. They fused indie rock with jazz and blues phrasing across acclaimed releases like Karate, In Place of Real Insight, Unsolved, Some Boots, and Pockets, disbanding in 2005 and reuniting for shows in 2022.

Core trio: Geoff Farina (guitar, vocals), Gavin McCarthy (drums), Jeff Goddard (bass); early member Eamonn Vitt (guitar, vocals). Origin: Boston, USA. Known for jazz-inflected indie/post-rock, dynamic interplay, and restrained arrangements. Released albums on Southern Records; recorded the covers set In the Fishtank 12 for Konkurrent.

Eight DeBaser reviews sketch Karate as a Boston trio threading indie rock with jazz and blues nuance. Critics praise their restraint, interplay, and genre-blurring writing. Key albums highlighted include Unsolved, Some Boots, Pockets, the debut Karate, and the live 595. Their take on covers in In the Fishtank 12 and the long-form Cancel / Sing also draw accolades.