Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Defunct | 1979 |
| Fate | Disbanded; briefly reunited in 2008 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, EPs, compilations |
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks was a pioneering American no wave ensemble based in New York City, playing a crucial role in the city's no wave scene.
Background
Lydia Lunch encountered saxophonist James Chance at CBGB and subsequently moved into his residence. Motivated by the band Mars, she began blending poetry with guitar performance and assembled a group. Lunch initially brought in guitarist Reck as drummer before transitioning him to bass duties. The band’s original name was the Scabs, briefly featuring Jody Harris. In early 1977, Lunch persuaded Bradley Field to become part of the lineup.
They crafted a concise set of songs lasting roughly ten minutes and released only a handful of singles.
Their work appears on the seminal No New York album, produced by Brian Eno, having recorded just over twelve tracks. The majority are compiled on the eighteen-minute anthology Everything (1995, Atavistic Records). Additional studio cuts and live recordings are also available.
The band dissolved in 1979 but reunited briefly in 2008 for select shows, featuring former bassist Jim Sclavunos on drums and Thurston Moore handling bass duties.
Musical style and philosophy
In Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984, author Simon Reynolds characterizes Teenage Jesus and the Jerks as avant-garde innovators who manipulated conventional rock instruments—guitar, bass, drums—to undermine rock conventions rather than revisit its origins:
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, alongside Mars, Contortions, and DNA, epitomized radicalism through uprooting. They challenged rock traditions by employing standard rock formats and instruments against their own conventions. This tactic conjures imagery of dismembering and defiling rock’s corpse.
Lydia Lunch voiced her aversion to punk rock’s dependence on repetitive chord patterns, stating in Rip It Up: "I despised nearly all of punk rock... Who wanted chords, all those progressions played endlessly? To play slide guitar I used unconventional tools like a knife or a beer bottle... glass produced the best tone. Even now I don’t know a single chord on guitar."
Singles and EPs
| Date | Title | Label | Format | Catalogue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1978 | "Orphans"/"Less of Me" | Migraine Records | 7" vinyl | CC-333 |
| April 1979 | "Baby Doll" | Migraine Records | 7" vinyl | CC-334 |
| 1979 | Teenage Jesus and the Jerks | Migraine Records | 12" pink vinyl | CC-336 |
| 1979 | Pre Teenage Jesus and the Jerks | ZE Records | 12" vinyl | ZE12011 |
Compilations
- Lydia Lunch – Hysterie (Widowspeak, 1986)
- Everything (Atavistic Records, 1995) – promoted as original Teenage Jesus material but actually consists of side one of Lunch’s 'Hysterie' with remixes by J. G. Thirlwell (Clint Ruin)
- Shut Up and Bleed (Atavistic Records, 2008) – genuine Teenage Jesus recordings encompassing singles, EPs, and nearly all selections from No New York
- Live 1977-1979 (Other People, 2015) – a collection drawn from six live performances
- Discography (2015, released via Bandcamp) – merges the "Pink" EP, "Pre" EP, and No New York tracks; sourced from vinyl due to missing master tapes
Appearances
- No New York (1978 - Antilles Records)
References
External links
- Articles with short description
- No wave groups
- Musical trios from New York (state)
- Musical groups established in 1977
- Musical groups disestablished in 1979
- Musical groups from New York City
- Musical groups reestablished in 2008
- ZE Records artists
- 1977 establishments in New York (state)
- 1979 disestablishments in New York (state)