Jawbox

Jawbox

S/t

Dischord

***JAWBOX was formed in Washington, DC in 1989 by guitarist/vocalist J. ROBBINS, bassist KIM COLETTA, and drummer ADAM WADE. The trio released their debut 7” in 1990 as a split between Dischord Records and their own label, DeSoto. Over the next three years, Jawbox put out two albums and three 7” singles. Grippe, released in ’91, was the band’s first full-length. Second guitarist/singer BILL BARBOT joined the line-up in time to record ’92’s Novelty. Both albums were released on Dischord. ZACH BAROCAS took over drumming duties that same year, performing on For Your Own Special Sweetheart, which was released in 1994 on Atlantic Records.  Recorded in Hoboken, NJ with JOHN AGNELLO in winter of 1995, Jawbox was the band’s fourth and final album. If Sweetheart presented the band’s music in a straightforward and unembellished state, Jawbox found the group more open to experimentation. Arrangement-wise, it contains some of the band’s densest compositions (“Chinese Fork Tie”), but also some of its most concise and tuneful songwriting (“Excandescent”). While the basic tracks were recorded more or less live, the songs were later augmented with sounds—toy drum kit, Hammond B3 organ, and saxophone—that were outside of the band’s established palate. Long out of print, Jawbox has been remastered on LP by DAN COUTANT at Sunroom Audio and is reissued by Dischord and DeSoto Records.

Jawbox

Novelty

Dischord

***ORANGE VINYL PRESSING!!! After more than a decade out of print, JAWBOX’s second full-length album, Novelty, is finally back on vinyl. Novelty was recorded at Arlington, Virginia’s Inner Ear Studios in January of 1992 with producer IAIN BURGESS. The record has been remastered and recut by BOB WESTON at Chicago Mastering Studios and will be pressed onto clear-colored vinyl with revised artwork. The LP also includes a digital download coupon featuring the original album tracks plus the 2-song Tongues single. J. ROBBINS, KIM COLETTA and ADAM WADE formed Jawbox in July of 1989. Not long after, the band began to tour and record, releasing its first EP, Tools & Chrome, in 1990 as a split between Desoto and Dischord Records. Following the release of the Jawbox’s debut LP, Grippe, on Dischord in 1991, the band recruited a second guitarist, BILL BARBOT. In 1993, Jawbox left Dischord to sign with Atlantic Records, where it would release two more albums—For Your Own Special Sweetheart and Jawbox—before disbanding in 1997.

Jawbox

Grippe

Dischord

***REISSUED ON VINYL!!! Following the breakup of D.C. punk mainstay GOVERNMENT ISSUE in June, 1989, ex-GI JAY ROBBINS made the switch from bass to guitar and within a month, JAWBOX began rehearsing. By September of 1989 the band had played its first show, a sold-out housing rights benefit with local heroes Shudder to Think and Fugazi. Jawbox released its self-titled 7” debut EP in March of 1990 on the collective DeSoto label with help from Dischord Records. Grippe is Jawbox’s first full-length album, recorded with ELI JANNEY at Inner Ear Studios in October, 1990. It captures the original three-piece lineup of the band, which included Robbins, bassist KIM COLETTA, and drummer ADAM WADE. Jawbox would go on to release three more albums—Novelty, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, and Jawbox, before disbanding in 1997. This repress of Grippe, the first in over 10 years, has been recut by BOB WESTON at Chicago Mastering Service. The LP comes with a complimentary download card, which includes the complete record plus five extra songs—the four tracks from Jawbox’s self-titled debut EP and the song “Footbinder,” which first appeared on the Simple Machines compilation EP, Screw.

Jawbox

For Your Own Special Sweetheart

Desoto

***REISSUED!!! JAWBOX was born circa 1989, clawing their way from the primordial pond of DC's raucous, vibrant, Dischord-driven underground to claim a seat of honor at the table of what eventually came to be called “postharDCore.” The racket raised by the four members—J. ROBBINS, KIM COLETTA, W.C. 3DB BARBOT, and ZACH BAROCAS—was suitably loud, occasionally fast, and spirited enough live to move the punkers around the dance floor in something considerably less than a decorous fashion. But by the time the mature band came to record their third full-length, their first for a major label after amicably leaving Dischord, they had distanced themselves somewhat from their purely post-punk roots and were more intent on breeding strident wolves clad in a pop song's clothing. For Your Own Special Sweetheart, whose title was cribbed from the box blurb for a Barbie doll, was released by Atlantic Records right around Valentine's Day 1994, to cries of both “genius” and “sellout” to their respectively thrilled and bemused fans. As they toured, praise accumulated. Critics and fans alike still view Sweetheart as the band at its peak, with its heavy rhythms, guitar-driven noise, and hooky melodies proving the signature to Jawbox's sound. The resulting release on CD includes the entire original collection, plus three additional tracks that originally appeared on the Savory + 3 EP released by Atlantic in 1994. The vinyl version includes a coupon to enable free digital download of all songs, including the bonus tracks. Received a 9.3 Best New Reissue tag...

Jawbox

Tongues

Dischord