Goon

The brainchild of Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Kenny Becker, Goon employs a versatile amalgam of fuzzy lo-fi indie pop, melody-rich alternative rock, and muscular post-grunge. Citing a wide array of influences that include Pavement, Boards of Canada, Pixies, Radiohead, and Nirvana, the project also includes Drew Eccleston, Andy Polito, and Caleb Wicker. Becker, who suffers from painful sinus polyps that diminish his smell and occasionally his hearing, channeled his suffering into the group's murky 2016 debut EP, Dusk of Punk, released by Partisan Records. 2017's Happy Omen EP followed suit, adding more acoustic elements while retaining the urgency of their debut. Two years later Goon issued their first full-length effort, Heaven Is Humming, which added contemplative, grunge-tinged psychedelia to their sonic arsenal. ~ James Christopher Monger