Current lineup:
Henry Kaye -guitar
Ian Devaney -vocals
Spencer Kimmins -bass
Nick Brennan -drums
Michael Sue-Poi -guitar
Ah, youth. It seems like all of the best music is derived from those too young to worry about mortgages or driven by ego-maniacal motives like wanting to be heard on the radio or winning five grammys.
The Static Jacks are from New Jersey. They’re five eighteen years olds who play good rock n roll music, but don’t be fooled, they aren’t a “new band” per se, as they have been together since they were thirteen. Their latest release and second EP entitled “Bridges and Tunnels” has entranced me beyond measure. I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since I first clicked play, and this troubles me, as the band is still in its early stages and I have no idea when they’ll come to California. And this is definitely a band worth seeing live.
On the rise, the band has opened for Tokyo Police Club at Bowery Ballroom and Blind Pilot at Mercury Lounge, two sold out shows that have hopefully opened people’s eyes (and ears!) to this fantastic band.
The Static Jacks are all about bringing the good stuff back to the table. Guitarist Henry Kaye told me “We're sick of synth music too..that is why we are here, to try and help fill the void of straight set up garage rock bands.”
The first thing I thought when I first heard the band was “damn, these boys are exactly what I need right now.” Guitar, bass, drums, vocals. No synthesizers, no special effects. Stripped down, exactly how I like it.
RCRD LBL sum it up quite nicely: "be stoked that there are kids still buying guitars out there instead of Ableton". The Static Jacks have recently been featured on the website, click here to check that out.
Lead singer Ian Devaney’s voice actually has the same nasally quality that Donald Cummings of The Virgins has, but the delivery is much more urgent, like Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters.
The Static Jacks have lyrics that’ll blow you out of the water. They are dreary and incredibly insightful for such a young band, but I’m not complaining.
On the opener, “Resistence/Self Control”, Ian sings: “so give up on hope and cast down your dreams/resistance is as resistance seems/and nothing's gonna happen if you stay or go.” The songs are riddled with references to lovers that are strikingly mature; this is clearly a band beyond its youth and ahead of its time. On “Fire on the Bridge and in the Tunnel Below”, a highly dramatic scene is rendered: “it was a crime of passion/done in my own fashion and I couldn't escape it/it was an act of war”. These first two songs are the darker of the bunch, the latter two flirt more with melody and strangely optimistic hooks.
“Stay a Lover” sounds like a Ramones song with more intricate lyricism. This, and the closing track, “Wine Cellar” even flirt with Beach Boys-esque guitar licks. Needless to say, I’m hooked. Now you can be too.
The Static Jacks on MYSPACE
The Static Jacks – Resistence/Self Control [mp3, highly recommended!]
My favourite of the bunch, it’s instantly gripping and heartbreaking as it shatters your ears with glorious sound. “We wouldn't fall in love, we'd just fall down,” Ian declares. Little does he know of how much power The Static Jacks’ modest handful of songs have, most importantly: the the power to help people rediscover their love of rock n roll, pure and simple.
And I’m pretty ecSTATIC about that.
DATES:
Jun 18 PERSONALITY CRISIS @ Crash Mansion New York, New York
Jun 25 Velvet Lounge w/ PANSY DIVISION WASHINGTON, Washington DC
Jun 26 The Fire Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 28 Billy Baloneys Danbury, Connecticut
Jun 29 The Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
the last time I posted shows local to the area which an impressive band hailed from, about a month later, they went on a full on US tour! I'm hoping that the same thing will happen with The Static Jacks.
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