Adam Goren

Atom and His Package
Background information
Birth name Adam Goren
Born January 14, 1975
Instruments Guitar, music sequencer, vocals
Years active 1997–2011

Adam Goren (born January 14, 1975) is a musician, best known as the sole member of the synthpunk band Atom and His Package.

Biography

Background and music career

Goren was born in The Bronx, New York City on January 14, 1975, but grew up in Oreland, Pennsylvania. He played in several local bands as a youth. While Goren was still in school, a friend introduced him to music sequencers, and he began writing music with one in his spare time. In 1991, Goren joined the punk band Fracture. He played with them until 1995, when the band broke up. When Goren left Wesleyan, his friends in the band Franklin asked him to open for a few of their shows and he agreed. This marked the rise of Goren's identity as Atom and His Package, consisting of himself, a B.C. Rich guitar, and his QY700 music sequencer, also known as "the Package."

In 1997 he released his first album, the aptly named The First CD, on Bloodlink Records. He released several more albums and EPs and has performed on several compilations. At one point, Goren gathered a small band to do actual punk covers of his songs and he released an EP of a live performance with this band, calling it "Atom and His Rockage." He completed tours in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Belgium, England and Australia.

Personal

At the time that Fracture was breaking up, Goren was in the last year of earning a B.A. in neuroscience at Wesleyan University. He later earned a master's degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania and became certified to teach high school chemistry and biology. He taught at William Penn Charter School, located in Philadelphia (East Falls), Pennsylvania until 2009. He now teaches chemistry and physics at the Shipley School located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

In April 2003, Goren learned his wife was expecting a child. At about the same time, he also was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This led to his decision to stop touring as Atom and His Package. Goren performed his final show under that name on August 29, 2003 in Philadelphia. After that show, he released his last album, Hair: Debatable, which included a bonus DVD of that final show. On Saturday, November 1, 2008, Goren performed as Atom and His Package at The Fest 7 in Gainesville, Florida. Goren currently plays with the band Armalite.

Music

The songs of Atom and His Package generally consist of electronic punk music put together with a sequencer. A few songs are purely instrumental. The lyrics of Goren's songs are usually humorous and most often centered around observations on mundane annoyances of daily life (some of which are purposely only relevant to Goren himself). Goren sings in a distinctive off-key manner. In his later years both his music and his singing became harder and more distinctly "punk" sounding, while his earlier music is generally more light-hearted and silly. In the event of his "package" (synthesizer) being broken, Adam would play his compact disc as a backing band.

Many songs of Atom and His Package sample or borrow lyrics from various pop singles of the '80s and early '90s, including artists such as Eddie Money and Joni Mitchell. Goren has released numerous covers as well.

Comedian Andy Daly marketed a product called Mustache TV, just like the Atom and his Package song. Daly contacted Atom in question of his song, to which Atom replied with a picture of a mustache taped to his middle finger.[1]

Atom and His Package discography

Atom and His Package (1997)

Published by Bloodlink Records

  1. "(Lord It's Hard to Be Happy When You're Not) Using the Metric System"
  2. "Avenger
  3. "He Kissed Me (Dancy Pants Version)
  4. "Snowshoe BBQ
  5. "Scary Sloop
  6. "Mark Scott
  7. "Collateral Damage (Brutal Truth cover)
  8. "Minds Playin' Tricks on Me (Geto Boys cover)
  9. "Well Fed Fucking Sequencer (Born Again$t cover)
  10. "Chris and his Connor (Whom I Already Love)
  11. "Books My Dog, The Box, Brian Sokel, & Me
  12. "Head (She's Just A)
  13. "After School Special Stands for ASS
  14. "She's in the Bathroom & She's Shaking Me Until Tomorrow (Andrew Dick & AC/DC cover medley)
  15. "Tim Allen is Not Very Funny
  16. "Jeb Bell
  17. "Where Eagles Dare
  18. "He Kissed Me (Nice & EZ)
  19. "Martha is Flanged Like a Hippo
  20. "Atom and His Package Theme Song
  21. "Twelve Years Old Forever

A Society of People Named Elihu (1997)

Published by The Mountain Cooperative

  1. "Punk Rock Academy
  2. "Happy Birthday Ralph
  3. "Goalie
  4. "80's Bastard
  5. "People in This Computer Lab Should Shut the Hell Up
  6. "Waiting Room (Fugazi cover)
  7. "Jenny S.
  8. "Philadelphia
  9. "Meatball
  10. "Happy Birthday General
  11. "Sting Cannot Possibly Be the Same Guy Who Was in the Police
  12. "Me and My Black Metal Friends
  13. "180 lbs.
  14. "Break Down the Walls (Youth of Today cover)
  15. "You Took Me By Surprise (Andrew Dick cover)
  16. "Reset the Crotchelator
  17. "Connor, Welcome
  18. "No Head
  19. "Pat and Atom are Friends
  20. "No Way DNA (Fracture cover)

Behold, I Shall Do A New Thing EP (1998)

Published by Vital Music Mailorder

  1. "(Lord, It's Hard to be Happy When You're Not) Using the Metric System
  2. "Nutrition (Dead Milkmen cover)
  3. "Hats Off to Halford
  1. "Pumping Iron for Enya
  2. "Bloody Lip (I Hate You cover)
  3. "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Lib
  4. "Thresholds to Adult Living

Atom And His Rockage EP (1998)

Published by Wabana

  1. "He Kissed Me
  2. "Avenger
  3. "Atom and His Rockage
  4. "(She's Just a) Head

Making Love (1999)

Published by No Idea Records

  1. "(Lord, It's Hard To Be Happy When You're Not) Using The Metric System
  2. "Nutrition
  3. "Hats Off To Halford
  4. "Pumping Iron For Enya
  5. "Bloody Lip
  6. "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Lib
  7. "Thresholds To Adult Living
  8. "He Kissed Me (Rock Version)
  9. "Avenger (Rock Version)
  10. "Atom & His Package (Rock Version)
  11. "Head (She's Just A...) (Rock Version)
  12. "Head Of Septa, Nose Of Me
  13. "Karpathia
  14. "Son Of Poop And George
  15. "Getaway Car
  16. "What We Do On Christmas
  17. "P.P. (Doo-Doo)

Shopping Spree EP (2000)

Features Har Mar Superstar

Published by Sub City

  1. "Shopping Spree - Atom and His Package
  2. "Shopping Spree - Har Mar Superstar

Redefining Music (2001)

Published by Hopeless Records

  1. "Undercover Funny
  2. "Trump
  3. "Shopping Spree
  4. "Seed Song
  5. "Anarchy Means I Litter
  6. "Mission 1: Avoid Job Working With Assholes
  7. "For Franklin
  8. "Going To Georgia
  9. "Cross Country Atom And His Package Tour Via Bicycle
  10. "Atari Track And Field / New Controller Conspiracy
  11. "If You Own The Washington Redskins, You're A Cock
  12. "Before My Friends Do
  13. "Alpha Desperation March
  14. "Open Your Heart
  15. "Upside Down From Here

Hamburgers EP (2002)

Published by File 13

  1. "I'm Downright Amazed at What I Can Destroy With Just a Hammer
  2. "Fraudulent
  3. "Wonderman (Hammer Smashed Ball)
  4. "Sebastian in Nigeria
  5. "Head Gone Vertical (AMFM cover)

Attention! Blah Blah Blah (2003)

Published by Hopeless Records

  1. "Possession (Not the One by Danzig)
  2. "Mustache T.V.
  3. "The Palestinians Are NOT the Same Thing as the Rebel Alliance, Jackass
  4. "Does Anyone Else in This Room Want to Marry His or Her Own Grandmother?
  5. "I, Professional
  6. "Out to Everyone
  7. "Friend, Please Stop Smoking
  8. "Head with Arms
  9. "I'm Downright Amazed at What I Can Destroy With Just a Hammer
  10. "Lying to You (Radon Cover)
  11. "Dear Atom, You Do Not Want Children. Love, Atom
  12. "For Aliza, Whenever She May Sleep
  13. "Matt Werth Speaks

Hair: Debatable (2004)

Published by Hopeless Records

  1. "Intro
  2. "(Lord It's Hard To Be Happy When You're Not) Using The Metric System
  3. "Pumping Iron For Enya
  4. "Possession (Not The One By Danzig)
  5. "Happy Birthday Ralph
  6. "Bloody Lip
  7. "Snowshoe BBQ
  8. "Upside Down From Here
  9. "Mustache T.V.
  10. "Shopping Spree Introduction
  11. "Shopping Spree
  12. "Mind's Playing Tricks On Me
  13. "If You Own The Washington Redskins You're A Cock
  14. "Waiting Room
  15. "I'm Downright Amazed (At What I Can Destroy With Just A Hammer)
  16. "Anarchy Means I Litter
  17. "Undercover Funny
  18. "Head (She's Just A)
  19. "What We Do On Christmas
  20. "Collateral Damage
  21. "Me And My Black Metal Friends
  22. "Does Anyone Else In This Room Want To Marry His Or Her Own Grandmother?
  23. "Avenger
  24. "Hats Off To Halford
  25. "Meatball
  26. "Atom And His Package
  27. "Punk Rock Academy

Going to Ames: A Tribute to The Mountain Goats EP (2001)

A limited edition tribute album to The Mountain Goats; 500 were published.

  1. "The Seed Song (The Mountain Goats cover)
  2. "Going to Georgia (The Mountain Goats cover)
  3. "Alpha Desperation March (The Mountain Goats cover)

Adam Goren continues to work with Armalite, although he maintains a website under the name of Atom.

Compilations

Appearance in popular culture

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cerebralpop.com/2010/07/interview-with-adam-goren-atom-and-his.html

External links