Jonesies
I don't really now that much about Madison, Wisconsin band Jonesies save that a chance encounter with their debut EP, "Meet The Jonesies" on Bandcamp suggests that here is a band that I really should bump into again...
But first a few introductions. Jonesies are guitarist / vocalist Luis Perez, Mary Begley providing the bass-line alongside vocals and Tessa Reina de Eccheveria on drums, who formed when Luis' previous band, the wonderful jangly guitar and Twee-Pop infused Automatically Yours took a hiatus (seriously - I checked out their album "The Trouble With The World Is Me" via Bandcamp - and it ticks all the right boxes. Where was I when it was released?) and looking for a new challenge met up with Tessa from local noise merchants Gonzo Rongs. With a plan to craft upbeat, simple pop songs that focused more on vocals and raw energy, the pair recruited Mary (who also plays in Luis' sister Alejandra's indie-folk band Tarpaulin - do try and keep up - who themselves have a more than half-decent EP that's worth a spin...)
The proof though is in the listening and while the quartet of tracks on this EP clock-in at just shy of 7 short and sweet minutes, they most definitely leave a lasting impression.
There's a definite Talulah Gosh meets Marine Girls, DIY bedroom-pop ethos to the opening of this EP. Both "Peter" and "Log cabin" are cut both cut from the same Twee-Pop cloth. The former features Mary's flat vocals, strummed guitar and muffled percussion - and a tale of the introverted outsider trying just a little too hard to fit in. There a nice touch of distortion and reverb as Mary proclaims she plays the guitar, although admitting "...poorly..." alongside the offset harmonies of Mary and Luis... In 1'49" I'm transported back 30 years and rummaging through my trusty box of 45's...
"...Call someone’s phone number, No one picks up, That’s the story of my life..." "Log cabin" revisits many of those classic Twee-Pop themes; a lovelorn tale - weighed down by those twin demons of self-doubt and a lack of self-confidence - Luis' monotonic vocals perfectly capture the song's downbeat and fatalistic mood. Even the melodic guitar and Mary's breathless vocals can't seem to lift the clouds.
But first a few introductions. Jonesies are guitarist / vocalist Luis Perez, Mary Begley providing the bass-line alongside vocals and Tessa Reina de Eccheveria on drums, who formed when Luis' previous band, the wonderful jangly guitar and Twee-Pop infused Automatically Yours took a hiatus (seriously - I checked out their album "The Trouble With The World Is Me" via Bandcamp - and it ticks all the right boxes. Where was I when it was released?) and looking for a new challenge met up with Tessa from local noise merchants Gonzo Rongs. With a plan to craft upbeat, simple pop songs that focused more on vocals and raw energy, the pair recruited Mary (who also plays in Luis' sister Alejandra's indie-folk band Tarpaulin - do try and keep up - who themselves have a more than half-decent EP that's worth a spin...)
The proof though is in the listening and while the quartet of tracks on this EP clock-in at just shy of 7 short and sweet minutes, they most definitely leave a lasting impression.
There's a definite Talulah Gosh meets Marine Girls, DIY bedroom-pop ethos to the opening of this EP. Both "Peter" and "Log cabin" are cut both cut from the same Twee-Pop cloth. The former features Mary's flat vocals, strummed guitar and muffled percussion - and a tale of the introverted outsider trying just a little too hard to fit in. There a nice touch of distortion and reverb as Mary proclaims she plays the guitar, although admitting "...poorly..." alongside the offset harmonies of Mary and Luis... In 1'49" I'm transported back 30 years and rummaging through my trusty box of 45's...
"...Call someone’s phone number, No one picks up, That’s the story of my life..." "Log cabin" revisits many of those classic Twee-Pop themes; a lovelorn tale - weighed down by those twin demons of self-doubt and a lack of self-confidence - Luis' monotonic vocals perfectly capture the song's downbeat and fatalistic mood. Even the melodic guitar and Mary's breathless vocals can't seem to lift the clouds.
The second half of the EP - musically at least - owes as much in common with the early-Eighties UK DIY post-punk scene as it does Twee - the songs are more guitar-focused and feature an up-beat refrain, but pithy and keenly observational lyrics remain at the centre. "Rental" sees Mary rant against not only the mind-numbing tedium of being stuck in a dead-end job - alongside the co-workers and bosses she hates - but also the fact that she can get no respite; the party she goes to is full of the people she hates... and the only solace to be found is at the bottom of a glass... Meanwhile "Unreal Tournament" is probably the first song I own that's written about a game - or more accurately someone whose head is stuck inside the game - Mary can barely contain her contempt as she spits out the raucous chorus; "...If I was wrong I think I would know, If I was wrong I think I would know ..." -as the song close to a cacophony of angry, strident chords....
"Meet The Jonesies" is the sort of record that brings an immediate smile to your face every-time you play it. It's also just the kind of record that leaves you wanting to hear (and see!) more of a band - with Jonesies planning on heading back to the studio and with at least an album's worth of material, hopefully part of my wish will come true.
Jonesies
"Meet The Jonesies"(Bandcamp)
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