El Gato profile picture

El Gato

Thank you!

About Me


A product of the revered underground music scene in Denton, Texas, El Gato continues to challenge itself and listeners with their new album, "Surrender!" Recorded at Satellite Park Studios in Malibu with David McConnell (Elliott Smith, Wilco) and in Dallas with Stuart Sikes (Cat Power, Modest Mouse, The Walkmen), Mark Pirro (The Polyphonic Spree) and Sir Williams Paul, "Surrender!" captures the group sounding more focused and confident than ever.
After the success of 2002’s critically acclaimed "We’re Birds", the band seemed to be well on its way to bigger and better things. Producer David McConnell had seen El Gato perform, and he invited the band to come record at his home studio in Malibu where he had been recording many of the songs that appeared later on Elliott Smith’s "From a Basement on the Hill." However, when bassist Evan Hisey left the group to play full time with The Polyphonic Spree, the future seemed uncertain. El Gato persevered recruiting long-time friend Kirk Dixon to play bass, and headed to Malibu to record six songs.
Shortly thereafter lead songwriter and vocalist John Vineyard became restless and decided to pack up and move to San Diego. "I just couldn’t keep sitting in the same room writing songs -- I felt like if I was going to develop as a writer and artist I had to grow as a person," says Vineyard. "I had lived in Texas all my life. I wanted to go somewhere else. I think that a lot of people get to that point -- where it seems necessary to get away and shake things up." So he headed to California to write songs and "get in the ocean."
The songs he wrote in California were sent back to the members in Texas. They would develop them, and Vineyard would come to Texas every few months to play a couple of shows and record the strongest material. The result is a stunning album. A sense of anxiety and longing permeates many of the songs as Vineyard wrestles with spirituality, relationships and self-identity in a postmodern world with very few absolute truths.
"This is a heavy record, but it’s very honest and there are bits of hope and humor in there if you dig deep enough," Vineyard says.
Dig deep and you will be rewarded.
El Gato’s "Surrender!" is available now!!
THE E-STORE FOR ALL YOUR EL GATO NEEDS!!
****PUT EL GATO ON YOUR POD OR YOUR MP3 PLAYER
SURRENDER! - WE’RE BIRDS - EVERYBODY’S A PINATA****
download BANGIN ON DOORS or WILD TURKEY or X-RAY ALL YOUR CANDY
...enjoy...
Find our Albums and tracks digitally at iTUNES:SURRENDER!
WE’RE BIRDS
EVERYBODY’S A PINATA
EL GATO at Rhapsody
EL GATO at Napster
You can also hear tracks at PURE VOLUME
http://www.elgatomusic.com
Discuss El Gato at the Official El Gato Board - El Gato BOARD
APRIL 26TH - CLUB DADA - Come see El Gato, Lovie and our friends, join us as we raise awareness for Cystic Fibrosis and raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Team UltraViolet will be launching Volume 1 of a benefit compilation CD, with all proceeds going direct to the CF Foundation. Find out more at: .
READ a REVIEW of SURRENDER! here: Dallas Observer


Go to our Online Store to purchase We’re Birds, hard to find El Gato music, t-shirts and more.
Or you can purchase Surrender! We’re Birds and Everybody’s a Pinata at CD Baby or Good Records

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/22/2004
Band Website: elgatomusic.com
Influences: WE LIKE: Beatles, Badly Drawn Boy, The Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Sebadoh, Black Heart Procession, The Walkmen, Pink Floyd, Iron & Wine, The Velvet Underground, Goldenboy, Hum, Miles Davis, Descendents, Sparklehorse, Fugazi, Spiritualized, Jane's Addiction, Wilco, Bedhead, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth, Dandy Warhols, Radar Brothers, Grandaddy, Sigur Ros, Cat Power, Elliott Smith, Beck, secret machines, Tom Waits, Patti Smith, Yo La Tengo, Dinosaur Jr., 25% Toby, Elvis, Willie Nelson, Broken Social Scene, Clem Snide, Radiohead, Earlimart, alaska!, snow patrol, son volt, barkmarket, jason loewenstein, beastie boys, U2, bob marley, autolux, Spoon, Verbena, Minders, mojave 3, Pavement, Gomez, Minutemen, and many many more.
Sounds Like: Grandaddy Modest Mouse Flaming Lips Neutral Milk Hotel Beatles Wilco Sonic Youth Pink Floyd Built to Spill
Type of Label: None

My Blog

CYSTIC FIBROSIS BENEFIT SHOW APRIL 26TH

Join us Saturday April 26th at Club DaDa with Lovie and more as we raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - www.cff.org. Find out more at http://www.myspace.com/ultraviolet_rockforcf &nb...
Posted by El Gato on Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:52:00 PST

EL GATO - Dallas & Austin 2-22-08 & 2-23-08!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SURRENDER!!! will be here soon... Friday Feb. 22 - Double Wide - Dallas Saturday Feb. 23 - Hole in the Wall - Austin. see you there..
Posted by El Gato on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:49:00 PST

El Gato, Lovie, Raleigh - Rock CF Benefit = Cavern 5-18 BE THERE!!

Please Check Out:  http://www.myspace.com/ultraviolet_rockforcf  El Gato & Lovie Rock for a cure for Cystic Fibrosis and for Violet! This year EL GATO & LOVIE are participating in t...
Posted by El Gato on Fri, 04 May 2007 01:41:00 PST

7 days...

finally... 7 important days.  4 are done - the new album is mixed. 3 more days - a weekend of shows... El Gato...Friday - Dallas - Double Wide 12ishSaturday - Austin - The Carousel w/ Lovie, Th...
Posted by El Gato on Tue, 04 Apr 2006 09:25:00 PST

Dallas Observer Review

Thanks to Jesse at the Observer for his kind words... enjoy http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/2005-10-27/music/setlis t.html El Gato, Belafonte, Salim Nourallah and the Polaroids, I Love Math Thur...
Posted by El Gato on Mon, 14 Nov 2005 08:12:00 PST

DALLAS NEWS.COM - SX Bands from North TX

lovely to see you... dig this - http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spe/2005/withtheband_sxsw/ feature in dallas morning news about all north tx bands headed to austin -
Posted by El Gato on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!! (liquid lounge dallas show)

sunday night proves to be a great evening of music and fun with friends and new fans... we hope to see you all there. Our friends Lovie will be playing with us as well as The Angelus - you've got to ...
Posted by El Gato on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

El Gato at Waterloo

great news... el gato will have an in-store performance during SXSW week at Waterloo Records... Friday March 18th at 6pm the band will perform... their showcase is Wednesday March 16th at The Co-O...
Posted by El Gato on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

SXSW & New Songs

so - EG - Austin SXSW - Wed. March 16th at a place called Latitude 30 - no idea where that is, or what time the band goes on. soon though. record progressing - more songs being recorded, demoed, ...
Posted by El Gato on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Shows & Studio

What a great 2 weeks it's been... 3 shows and a ton of time in the studio. Thanks to everyone who came out to the Gypsy Tea Room... those who made the trek to the homeland and enjoyed EG, Modul...
Posted by El Gato on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST