J Church

***Originally written as a follow-up to The Drama Of Alienation (Honest Don's / Fat Wreck Chords, 1997), this is the album that was sideswiped when J Church imploded after a year of touring. Leader Lance Hance's subsequent hospitalization completely sealed the fate of these songs until now. 
 
Before he started writing about heart medication and dying, Hahn's songs dealt with Wim Wenders, the Jazz Butcher, and the revolution. Much of the music dates from a pre-Drama era when he was still working as guitarist for Beck. The open tunings, naïve slide guitar work, and harmonic melodies can all be traced back to that happier time when J Church was toying with the idea of signing to a major label (which explains the occasional long, drawn-out, Neil Young-inspired solo). 
 
The original tracks are joined by a handful of other unreleased songs, some updated vocals and covers of "Blasé" (Archie Shepp) and "Not Proud Of The USA" (The Mice). 
 
"Brainy and melodic but not wimpy DIY punk rock." -Giant Robot "Quality emo pop punk." -Maximum Rock'n'Roll "One of the great unappreciated treasures of San Francisco." -Hit List "Possibly the most literate lyrics I have ever heard in a punk context." -Skratch 
 
* All unreleased material 
* Originally written as follow-up to their Honest Don's (Fat Wreck) debut 
 
* Ex-guitarist for Beck (if anyone still cares) 
 
* Headlining a US tour for the first time since '97 
 
* Follows an unbelievable string of J Church CDs 
 
* The Honey Bear art department's love affair with Mission District iconography burns with its traditional passion