{"product_id":"goldstar-cd-1","title":"Goldstar (CD)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Sophs' honesty, flamingly intrusive thoughts, and genre-spreading caught the attention of Rough Trade founders Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee immediately. When Ramon sent a demo reel out to his favorite indies, he wasn't expecting any replies. But Travis and Lee were in his inbox the next day, asking if he'd hop on a call.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRough Trade heard the sort of creativity and variety - and \"don't expect me to act pretty\" sentiment - that could get The Sophs - including Ramon, Sam Yuh (keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (electric guitar), Seth Smades (acoustic guitar), Devin Russ (drums), and Cole Bobbitt (bass) - a slot on nearly any stage. They heard a five-song seed of their debut record GOLDSTAR, out March 13th, 2026 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt any moment, The Sophs are entering pop-punk; blazing through funk; talk-singing to the audience. Their enthusiasm for every iteration is evident, and Ramon's rich, full voice deftly nestles into endless categories, utterly chameleonic. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"We never try to be as versatile as we end up being,\" Ramon said. GOLDSTAR has a Delta Blues-style song; it has a ZZ Top-inspired tune. To some degree, The Sophs see song creation like pop art: they're focused on the idea of reproducing something over and over again until it's meaningless. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe genre mix comes on the heels of sparks of inspiration: Ramon will bring Yuh a song and pull out a piece (e.g., \"I want drums like that\") and they'll create something altogether new. Take the vaudevillian \"THE DOG DIES IN THE END.\" In an aughts pop-punk croon, Ramon takes listeners through a laundry list of intrusive, cruel thoughts, cresting over Yuh's accordion. On sunny-rock \"DEATH IN THE FAMILY,\" he's similarly disaffected, with the tongue-in-cheek refrain \"I need a death in the family\" seeking pity and attention that covers up any misdeeds.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUPC: 191402056228\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Sophs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48421318525179,"sku":null,"price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0431\/2606\/3262\/files\/goldstar.jpg?v=1774462015","url":"https:\/\/rustandwax.com\/products\/goldstar-cd-1","provider":"Rust \u0026 Wax Record Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}