About Me
i write songs, record them, and play them for people.
i moved from the arizona desert and now live in chicago, illinois.
i like fuzzy teddy bears, chocolate, kitties, moonlit nights, red wine, ponies, arts & crafts, gentle ocean breezes, pretty flowers, caramel ice cream, steamy romance novels, and long walks on the beach.
i used to play in some bands called loud americans, skybox, the dirt bike kids, scramjet!, and a space cadet disaster, among others, but now i more often play solo. i don't type in capital letters, even when appropriate... i am known in some circles as "3," "the third," "jeff dirt," "tony macaluso," and "the goob/goober" as of late.
i recorded a few acoustic tracks with the help of ron marschall and brock ruggles of tierra del fuego, all three of which will eventually be available for free download. i'm now working on an increasingly "electric" e.p., (for lack of a better term) which is expected to be released in 2008.
here is what a few others have to say:
"a truly authentic songwriter and lyricist... he floored us with a raspy, fearlessly intimate performance. this young man's music has soul. "
-A New Leak (L.A)
"jeff gonzales (iii) writes refreshing, beautifully subtle songs with a voice as unique as it is powerful... looking forward to hearing his upcoming record."
- S.O.S (TX)
(Live Review, 03/06)
"jeff gonzales (iii) is a valley veteran musician and (former) bassist and background vocalist of skybox. the former member of noise-rockers the loud americans and the late 90's cult melodic pop-punk band the dirt bike kids, now 23, has switched gears, and has been performing solo occasionally since early 2005. my first time catching his solo show at the trunk space, i must say i was thoroughly impressed with what i heard.
blending traditional and modern styles, gonzales delivers an authentic, powerful, and soulful voice. his rich, weathered vocals weave longingly around loose, flowing chords reminiscent of willie nelson, neil young and jeff tweedy, though his particular sound is his own. his lyrics are moving, drifting from lonely and desperate to indifferent and cynical, as illustrated in his song 'wolverine:' 'i'll stop drinking i swear/ when it stops raining/ and my kidneys and my liver then will surely stop complaining/ but it's been pouring down for days/ maybe i want you dear or maybe i'm a wolverine/ they hunt more than they need/ just to keep it from anyone else.' he continues: 'clarity comes so slowly these days but i found a bit in santa fe/ i'll be your sleepless lullaby on lonely tossing turning nights/ so goodnight baby goodnight.' his song subjects seem to range from "midday epilogue's" seeming bouts with addiction to the uplifting, yet melancholy "melody," in which gonzales pleads 'melody get out of my head!' social and political themes are present on his upbeat "black balloons," he refers to leadership; 'out drunk on power and we pick up the tab again/and down sick with greed while we pick up the bill again.' on the whole, gonzales' music possess a vital yet increasingly rare characteristic these days; real, tangible depth.
a tour and move to chicago with skybox is upcoming, and a solo debut acoustic ep is in the works, with a few friends from phoenix twangers tierra del fuego adding a few tracks.
"i've always done loud rock & roll, put out rock & roll records, and wanted to do something more stripped down and intimate," gonzales explains, "and i've always wanted to do an acoustic e.p. we ended up doing everything in one-take, which was cool. we recorded in a somewhat limited timeframe, so i made it a point not to be a perfectionist with it, to keep it loose and raw. as live-sounding as it could possibly be."
the e.p, titled 'distance come true (the first time)' will be released "sometime in 2007" (free online) on local upstart winged victory records, followed by what he describes as "a bit more electronic-friendly, multi-instrument album, sometime in the next couple of years."
-S. Thatcher, Sweet Tooth Zine (AZ)
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!!!due to my periodic laziness, this page is sometimes checked/maintained with the help of a few nice folks back west, but if you send a message, i'll get it and reply as soon as i can. thanks.
Cyanide & Happiness @ Explosm.net
