For your own special sweetheart

May 26, 2005 1:22 PM

I really like Jawbox. What other bands have put out albums since 2000 that I'd like?

I basically stopped buying new records around then, and haven't been to a live event that wasn't symphonic since around 2002. I'm looking for music that is similarly inventive, and while it plays with technical aspects of music (say, a non-standard time signature) doesn't let that get in the way of a good, melodic song.

posted by sohcahtoa to Media & Arts (23 answers total)

You've heard Burning Airlines, right? They are basically the members of Jawbox, reconstituted. You will love them for all the same reasons.
posted by redfoxtail at 1:27 PM on May 26, 2005

Burning Airlines is ultrafabulous. J. Robbins has a new band, Channels.

You're familiar with the genre of math rock, right? Shellac, Don Caballero, Paul Newman, etcetera?
posted by snarkout at 1:34 PM on May 26, 2005

if you like jawbox, check out burning airlines (now defunct), featuring j. robbins of jawbox, as well as channels, the new j. robbins band. both sound very similar to jawbox, with burning airlines a little more quirky and "prog" sounding, and channels more on the pop end of the spectrum.

hum is another great band, sadly defunct, with a heavier, siamese dream-esque sound and inventive arrangements. shellac, steve albini's band, is pretty artsy but also pretty misanthropic, if you're into that sort of thing. don caballero, the fucking champs, and from monument to masses are mostly instrumental bands that play complex guitar rock with lots of time changes and interesting harmonies. of course, there's fugazi....
posted by cathodeheart at 1:34 PM on May 26, 2005

* steps on cathodeheart's lines *
posted by snarkout at 1:37 PM on May 26, 2005

Response by poster: I've heard (and seen) Burning Airlines but they didn't exactly do it for me. Shellac, Don Cab, Hum and all of them I know, Shellac being my favorite of that crew (although I think their records trace a straight line downward). Basically anything that was hot math rock up to 2001 I've heard. I'd really like something that came out in the last couple years and carries this forward.

I'll check out Channels. Any other thoughts for new bands?
posted by sohcahtoa at 1:39 PM on May 26, 2005

See the 'similar artists' on epitonic.
posted by badger_flammable at 1:46 PM on May 26, 2005

Whoa. Hum belongs to a genre? Cool.
posted by Kwantsar at 1:47 PM on May 26, 2005

Faraquet, maybe? Stretching a little bit, Hot Hot Heat, particularly their earlier stuff?
posted by snarkout at 1:55 PM on May 26, 2005

To me, new and angular indie rock these days seems to be cut with some No-Wave/Disco/Skronk tendencies which might exclude some of the following from what you like because those tendencies can be at odds (at times) with the pop / melody parts of bands like Jawbox, Chavez, and Shudder to Think (all of which, I wouldn't consider math rock btw -- but we can all disagree about that over a beer somewhere else). :)

In varying degrees these bands are more or less what I'm talking about:
Q and not U
Oxford Collapse
Liars
Les Savy Fav
Measles Mumps Rubella
The Rapture
Radio 4
The Seconds
The Ex Models

Like I said you may not like 'em all but they seem to be overtaking the place that bands like Jawbox (who I also love) used to hold. I do think you might like the earlier albums by Q and Not U, Oxford Collapse, and Measles Mumps Rubella in particular since they're very cut from the Dischord cloth so to speak (actually, on Dischord in some cases).

However, there's still some newer bands to be found with less angularity and/or herky-jerkiness to their beats and guitars, but still have some complexity to their music within the pop-punk side of things: Hey Mercedes, for example has pretty strong melodies and throws some great stops and guitar play into their songs (though I dont' think their as good as their earlier incarnation: Braid).

Another band that I would recommend you checking out is The Hot Snakes -- they won't be as melodic as Jawbox and their beats are more straight-forward rock/punk. But the pacing, lyrics, and guitar work is all excellent. It's two of the guys from Drive Like Jehu (a great long gone band that I would say has some math to their rock). Anyway, I'd recommend both Suicide Invoice or Audit in Progress for non-angular, less complicated, but completely worth your time, smart, well-done, punk with very occasional touches of the old Drive Like Jehu sound compacted into smaller bites.
posted by safetyfork at 2:15 PM on May 26, 2005

Please forgive the myriad of typos and grammar mistakes in that post. Whew!
posted by safetyfork at 2:19 PM on May 26, 2005

Maybe the Constantines (Sub Pop) and the first Oranges Band record (All Around, on Lookout)? Neither are exactly Jawbox clones, but I'd put them in the same category.
posted by drobot at 2:23 PM on May 26, 2005

Mathy:
Braid
Chavez

Poppy:
Knapsack
The Jealous Sound

Indie-y:
Cursive
Girls Against Boys (sometimes noted as G vs B)
Capsize 7
Heatmiser (Dead Air and Cop & Speeder esp.)

Seconded:
Drive Like Jehu
Hot Snakes
Les Savy Fav
Don Cab
posted by mzurer at 2:40 PM on May 26, 2005

Second Q and not U. Just saw them live and promptly acquired all music.
posted by gaspode at 2:59 PM on May 26, 2005

Not all of these bands are post 2000, so I apologize in advance, but I'd like to second the recommendations of Faraquet (especially their split LP with Akarso), Fugazi and Drive Like Jehu, and add to that list Volta do Mar, The Sleepytime Trio, Serotonin, The Dismemberment Plan, The Party of Helicopters, Circus Lupus, and Hoover.
posted by saladin at 3:44 PM on May 26, 2005

Shit, I totally forgot Nation of Ulysses. Happy Hunting!
posted by saladin at 3:45 PM on May 26, 2005

You want "mostly instrumental bands that play complex guitar rock with lots of time changes and interesting harmonies"? You got 'em.

Cheval de Frise (AMAZING)
Zu
Zs
Ahleuchatistas
Flying Luttenbachers (albums "Systems Emerge from Complete Disorder" and "Infektion and Decline")
Orthrelm
Cromtech
PAK
Volta do Mar (defunct)
Yowie
Upsilon Acrux
Grand Ulena
Ruins
Kouenji Hyakkei
Battles


There's lots of older stuff you might like too, like Egg, Samla Mammas Manna, Etron Fou Leloublan, or Massacre.
posted by kenko at 3:57 PM on May 26, 2005 [1 favorite]

Possibly also:
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (2nd album, "of Natural History", better)
Hella (this is a definite; I like their first album, "Hold Your Horse Is", the best)
Gorge Trio
Fred Frith Guitar Quartet
Dr. Nerve
Blast
Forever Einstein
Vril
Farquhar
posted by kenko at 4:01 PM on May 26, 2005

Rich Woodson's Ellipsis
Time of Orchids
posted by kenko at 4:20 PM on May 26, 2005

kenko, have you heard Jawbox? Tuneful melodies and vocal harmonies play a big part of the sound. Which isn't to say sohcahtoa (and myself) might not enjoy your reccomendations, but "mostly instrumental bands that play complex guitar rock with lots of time changes and interesting harmonies" really doesn't describe Jawbox very accurately.

So that this post isn't 100% snark, I'll throw in that the upcoming Bob Mould album actually has a song that reminds me of one of the tracks off of the later Jawbox eponymous album.
posted by mzurer at 4:40 PM on May 26, 2005

My music follows a story/path:

Jawbox (j. robbins)
Burning Airlines (j. robbins)
Shiner (j. robbins produced their last album, Jason Gerken on drums)
Molly McGuire's "Lime" (Jason again on drums, Ken Andrews produced)
Failure's "Fantastic Planet" (Ken Andrews)
Also, ON is basically Ken Andrews

PLUS: Hum toured with Shiner, was probably their biggest "break", Season to Risk is another KC/Lawrence incestuous band sharing members with Shiner and Molly MG. You might want to check out other DeSoto artists, like the Dismemberment Plan. DeSoto is basically the half of Jawbox that didn't go on to be Burning Airlines.

Can't think of others atm. My list of CD musics can be found here. Though that's probably out of date. Hooray for liking Jawbox!
posted by Eideteker at 4:53 PM on May 26, 2005

You might like the Thermals (mp3s on second link) -- they're fun live, too. (And like Jawbox, excellent femme bassist.)
posted by lisa g at 10:03 PM on May 26, 2005

The Swiss Army has been compared to Jawbox.
posted by jasonspaceman at 7:40 AM on May 27, 2005

While Kenko has some good stuff in that list (Fred Frith! Cromtech!) I wouldn't recommend any of them based on Jawbox.

Also try current Dischord bands not yet mentioned here: Medications and Lungfish.
posted by drobot at 8:19 AM on May 27, 2005