The Jazz June
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Kutztown, Pennsylvania , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
The Jazz June is an American emo group originating from Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Throughout their active years in the 1990s and early 2000s, they shared the stage with notable underground bands such as Built to Spill, Hot Rod Circuit, and Mineral. In 2016, their album The Medicine was placed at number 33 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 40 Greatest Emo Albums of All Time.
History
Established in 1996 by students attending Kutztown University, The Jazz June sought to blend hardcore intensity with experimental sounds in their music.
Their debut full-length record, They Love Those Who Make the Music (1997), along with the EP The Boom, the Motion, and the Music, were both released through the Canadian label Workshop Records. The band signed with Initial Records in 1998.
Following a tour with Hot Rod Circuit, they recorded The Medicine (2000) at Inner Ear Studios under the guidance of producer J. Robbins. Their subsequent album in 2002, Better Off Without Air, displayed an evolution in style influenced by indie labels such as Dischord Records and Thrill Jockey.
The group disbanded in 2003 but came together again in 2006 for benefit performances supporting their former roadie who was battling brain cancer. In 2007, a compilation featuring outtakes and rare tracks was released. The Jazz June reunited once more in 2014, issuing new recordings via Topshelf Records, including their fifth studio album titled After the Earthquake.
Name
The origin of the band's name is derived from a line found in the poem "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks.
Members
- Andrew Low – vocals, guitar
- Bryan Gassler – guitar
- Daniel O'Neill – bass
- Justin Max – drums
- Adam Gerhart
- Nathaniel Duncan
- Tim Holland – guitar, trumpet, keyboards
Discography
- They Love Those Who Make The Music (Workshop Records, 1997)
- The Boom, the Motion, and the Music EP (Workshop Records, 1998)
- Breakdance Suburbia (Initial Records, 1998)
- The Medicine (Initial Records, 2000)
- Better Off Without Air (Initial Records, 2002)
- The Scars to Prove It compilation (Universal Warning, 2007)
- After the Earthquake (Topshelf Records, 2014)