Jawbreaker / Jets To Brazil

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Jawbreaker are a pop-punk trio that bridged the gap between Nirvana and blink-182. It would be too easy to brush Jawbreaker off as just another pop-punk band with simple melodies but their poetic lyrics and complex song structures prove anything but. Jawbreaker is an emo/punk rock band based in San Francisco, CA's Mission District, although the band's members, Blake Schwarzenbach (vocals/guitar), Chris Bauermeister (bass), and Adam Pfahler (drums), actually came together at New York University in the mid 1980's. The band's first release was 1989's "Whack & Blite" 7" on their own Blackball Records. The band released 4 LPs (1990’s Unfun, 1991’s Bivouac, 1993’s high-water-mark 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, and 1995’s major-label debut and decisive Dear You [which saw a sorta-Pinkerton-effect, many fans were upset about the major label switch... that isn't very punk-rock...but in retrospect, this is one of their best efforts... In my opinion at least...].). Although the band was independently minded and adhered to the old-school D.I.Y. punk mentality, it wasn’t long before the major labels came barking after word got out about this West Coast punk-pop trio’s street-smart, yet poetic- lyrics, spirited musicality, and marathon live shows. The band eventually signed to DGC at the end of 1994. However, their major label debut, Dear You, failed to expand their audience and brought cries of "sell out" from their punk rock fan base. This, coupled with already-present interpersonal tensions within the band that had reached the breaking point caused the band to split in 1996. Sadly, the group disbanded in 1996, leaving 2002's Etc., a collection of all of the group's non-album material, as their last will and testament. Luckily the band has reunited and their back catalogue has had its proper expanded and reissued treatment. Following the split, the members performed with other acts, most notably Blake's Jets To Brazil. In Jets to Brazil (which formed in 1997), Schwarzenbach was able to explore more choral, keyboard, and quieter work. “The Frequency” is a good example of this melodic emotional power. The band would record three albums: 1998’s Orange Rhyming Dictionary, 2000’s Four Cornered Night, and 2002’s Perfecting Loneliness. Both bands are amazing, proving what an amazing songwriting Blake Schwarzenback is. What the future holds with either bands is up in the air but hold new possibilities. What a thrill!

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Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil

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