Karate High School

Karate High School was an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 2004 by frontman, multi-instrumentalist and producer Paul McGuire. On March 21, 2006, the band released their debut album, Arcade Rock. Karate High School's second album, The League Of Tomorrow, was released on September 4, 2007, which further honed the band's layered, keyboard-driven style of alternative rock. On November 11, 2008, Karate High School announced that they had signed to Eyeball Records, and would release a new record entitled Invaders on May 19, 2009. In early 2010 Paul McGuire announced that he was done producing music under the name Karate High School and has since chosen to go into other studies.[7]

Karate High School
Karate High School in 2009
Karate High School in 2009
Background information
Also known asKHS[1]
OriginSan Francisco, California, United States
Genres
Years active2004–2010
Labels
Past membersPaul McGuire
Ray Bautista
Ken Kasier
Gabe Ausiello
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

History

Paul McGuire formed the band in 2004, and the band's name came from McGuire's love for "really cheesy B-rated horror movies" and came up with a name that sounded like them.[8]

Musical style

Karate High School's style evolved over the last three records. Once described as an "aggressive blend of poppy punk, hyper post-hardcore, and eight-bit blips";[2] the band began as a spazzy, catchy, keyboard-driven rock act on their debut record, but grew and matured over the course of three records to a sound that crosses the genres of rock, punk, experimental, electronica, and power-pop. Their sound has often been referred to as synthcore. While 2007's The League of Tomorrow effortlessly gear-shifted through poppy, upbeat melodies to heavy electronica-fused pop-punk, their 2009 album Invaders focused on all of the aforementioned elements and further evolved the band's sound. The band's sound has also been called Nintendocore,[6] but the band doesn't consider itself under the genre.[8]

Band members
Karate High School in July 2007.

Karate High School was the songwriting project of Paul McGuire, and he wrote all the music and lyrics for the band.[8] Ray Bautista joined the group as the keyboard player, and was the only member to be in the band since Arcade Rock. For recording purposes, Paul produced all three records and played all the instruments on The League Of Tomorrow. During the recording of Invaders, Geoff Garnett played guitar, Aaron McVeigh played drums, and Paul McGuire played keyboards, bass, and sang. In 2010, Paul McGuire announced that he was done producing music under the name Karate High School.

Former members and touring lineup

  • Paul McGuire - vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, producer (2004-2010)
  • Gabe Ausiello - guitar (2004-2005)
  • Sean Martin - drums (2004-2005)
  • Paul Kriz - bass (2004-2005)
  • Danny Glaspy - drums (2005-2009)
  • Ken Kaiser - bass (2005)
  • Tom Evans - bass (2006)
  • Dan Kingdon - bass (2006-2007)
  • Nathan Vega - bass (2007)
  • Gideon Naude - bass (2007-2008)
  • Aaron McVeigh - drums (2009-2010)
  • Geoff Garnett - guitar (2009-2010)
  • Ray Bautista - keyboard (2006-2010)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details
Arcade Rock[2][3]
  • Released: March 21, 2006
  • Label: Self-released, EVO Recordings, Evolution Music
  • Format: Digital download, CD[9]
The League of Tomorrow[2][4]
  • Released: September 4, 2007
  • Label: Self-released, EVO Recordings, Elizac Music
  • Format: Digital download, CD[10]
Invaders[2][6][5]

Extended plays
Title Details
Karate High School[12]
  • Released: Unknown
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD

Singles
Year Title Album
2007 "Burning Up for You"[13]
The League of Tomorrow
2009 "Zombies Everywhere"[14]
Invaders

Music videos
List of music videos with director(s)
Title Year Director(s)
"Good News and Bad News" 2006 Rabid Monkey Productions[15]
"Burning Up for You"[13] 2010 David Brodsky[16]

Compilation appearances
  • 2006 - Rising Stars 3[17]
    • Features the track "Good News And Bad News"
  • 2007 - Leak Volume #3[18]
    • Features the track "Burning Up For You"
  • 2007 - @United Vol.4 - Mash-Up Rock Show[19]
    • Features the track "Burning Up For You"
  • Unknown - [Just Listen To This][20]
    • Features the track "Good News And Bad News"

References
  1. "Karate High School - discography, line-up, biography, interviews, photos". Retrieved April 26, 2021 – via spirit-of-metal.com.
  2. Karate High School at AllMusic
  3. "Karate High School - Arcade Rock". April 2, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2020 – via rockfreaks.net. The band combines the usual hardcore guitars and breakdowns with melodic pop punkish hooks and 8/16bit nintendo-style keyboard effects to create a shocking but yet awe-inspiring sound, ranging from the quick, poppy riffs and mood-setting singing on "Good News And Bad News" through the 6-minute slow, acoustic ballad "Scenes Rushing By", all the way to the odd hardcore piece "Extra! Extra! (Hear All About It).
  4. "Karate High School sign to Eyeball". Retrieved January 14, 2021 – via Punknews.org.
  5. "Karate High School – Invaders | ComfortComes". comfortcomes.com. May 19, 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  6. Pertola, Petteri (28 May 2009). "Karate High School - Invaders". Rockfreaks.net. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  7. "Karate High School | A Brief History of KHS Told Through Pictures & Text". Retrieved January 15, 2021 – via karatehighschool.com. I decided to quit writing music as KHS after moving overseas to study Anomalistics and Parapsychology.
  8. "KARATE HIGH SCHOOL". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via YouTube.
  9. "Karate High School - Arcade Rock (2006, CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  10. "Karate High School - The League Of Tomorrow (2007, CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  11. "Karate High School - Invaders (2009, CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  12. "Karate High School (CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  13. "Karate High School -- Arcade Rock". karatehighschool.com. August 12, 2007. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007. Retrieved May 6, 2021. The first single from the new KHS record has been posted for you to check out, so feel free to give it a listen and let us know what you think. We also just shot a video for this song in Brooklyn, NY with some amazingly talented folks, but more to come on that later.
  14. "Music: Karate High School:"Zombies Everywhere"". Retrieved January 14, 2021 – via Punknews.org.
  15. "Karate High School 'Good News and Bad News'". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via YouTube.
  16. "Karate High School - Burning Up For You". Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via YouTube.
  17. "Rising Stars 3 (2006, CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  18. "Leak Volume #3 (2007, CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  19. "@United Vol.4 - Mash-Up Rock Show (2007, CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
  20. "[Just Listen To This] (CD) | Discogs". Retrieved February 17, 2021 – via Discogs.
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