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A useful definition of a true rock band is that the drummer must count as much as the singer – and although rock influences permeate the pop charts, this type of group has been hard to find in the mainstream for much of this century. Even the biggest indie acts of the last 15 years tend to be solo artists masquerading as a band. But Brooklyn’s Geese, the most exciting rock band in years, are an absolute exception. Sure, frontman Cameron Winter is an outstanding songwriter in the tradition of Lou Reed, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen – but as producer Kenny Bloom told ROLLING STONE last year: “It’s not one genius and a bunch of people who are just cool. This is a band where every member is really talented and does really interesting things.”
In the new episode of “Rolling Stone Music Now,” Rob Sheffield and host Brian Hiatt discuss all things Geese – the full episode is available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Among other things, the two trace the strange path that led Geese (Winter, drummer Max Bassin, guitarist Emily Green and bassist Dominic DiGesu) to this moment. After their excellent but somewhat overlooked 2023 album 3D Country – which occasionally recalls the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – the band were disheartened. Then the surprising success of Winter’s magnificent solo debut “Heavy Metal”, including the instant classic ballad “Love Takes Miles”, catapulted the band to a new level.
When Geese returned with last year’s “Getting Killed” – a sound that Sheffield likens to an In Rainbows cover band attempting Talking Heads’ “Fear of Music” – the world was more than ready. The album earned them an SNL parody and eventually an actual musical guest appearance on the show, during which Winter left an audience of millions gleefully perplexed by screaming his way through the climax of “Trinidad”: “There’s a bomb in my car!” Paul Thomas Anderson and Benny Safdie showed up to film Winter’s solo show at Carnegie Hall, and rock legends from Julian Casablancas to Jeff Tweedy to Patti Smith lined up to praise the band. In recent weeks they won International Group of the Year at the Brit Awards, and Olivia Rodrigo reportedly turned up at a Paris concert.
Polarizing like the Strokes
Not least because of Winter’s unmistakable voice, Geese can polarize – which is nothing unusual even for acts that are destined for eternity. Sheffield compares the reaction to the backlash caused by the Strokes’ early success – both bands share “a certain cheek”. But the band’s sound is also a moving target; every album so far has sounded wildly different than the one before it. And since the band apparently recorded a lot of additional material during the Getting Killed sessions, we could be in for another surprise soon.
moderated by Brian Hiatt, download and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. The archive contains nine years of episodes, including in-depth interviews with artists such as Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Questlove, Halsey, Missy Elliott, Dua Lipa, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Yungblud, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Brian May, Roger Taylor, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies and Gary Clark Jr.
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