Latest News:

February 7, 2009

Here's Jimmy Hathaway's review of the Gilman St. show.

1-29-09 San Francisco, CA (1 song)

February 5, 2009

Here's Larry Livermore's interesting take on the Thorns of Life show at Gilman St.

Another interview with Blake, this one conducted on 1-30-09 after the band played a mostly unannounced house show in Adam's basement in Santa Rosa, CA.

More Youtube videos of recent shows:
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (1 song), 1-30-09 Santa Rosa, CA (3 songs), 1-29-09 San Francisco, CA (1 song)
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (4 songs - filmed by Dan from killthatcat.com, who uses a multi-cam setup - definitely the best footage from this show so far)
1-26-09 San Francisco, CA (3 songs)

February 2, 2009

Some really nice photos of the band here.

Some Youtube videos of the Gilman St. show:
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (8 short clips)
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (3 full songs)
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (2 full songs)
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (last song of the set; Blake solo with guitar & harmonica)
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (1.5 songs)
1-31-09 Berkeley, CA (first 10 minutes of the set)

January 30, 2009

Thorns of Life might be playing the Caravan Lounge in San Jose, CA tonight (update: they didn't, and played a basement show in Santa Rosa instead).

There was a show at Thrillhouse Records in San Francisco last night (1-29-09). Here's a new interview with Blake that was conducted after the show. And here's a review of the show.

Bob Nanna (Braid, Hey Mercedes) says that he heard from someone that Thorns of Life will be recording a record with J. Robbins in March.

January 29, 2009

There was a "secret" house show in Oakland last night (1-28-09).

A few reviews of the recent Thorns of Life show at the Hemlock in San Francisco:
SF Weekly
Bohemian

SF Weekly Interview with Blake

More Thorns of Life Youtube videos:
1-26-09 San Francisco (short clips)
1-22-09 San Diego

January 26, 2009

There's a Thorns of Life show at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco, CA tonight.

January 25, 2009

Lots of footage from the recent Thorns of Life shows popping up on Youtube. I'm too lazy to link them all individually, but all of these Youtube accounts have posted multiple videos:

1-24-09 Long Beach
1-23-09 LA
1-23-09 LA
1-23-09 LA
1-22-09 San Diego (best sound so far!)

January 21, 2009

Thorns of Life live dates:
Jan. 22, 2009: Bar Pink, San Diego, CA
Jan. 23, 2009: Center for Arts, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA 8PM (online tickets already sold out)
Jan. 24, 2009: Babe's Warehouse, Long Beach, CA
Jan. 31, 2009: 924 Gilman St., Berkeley, CA 8PM
Feb. 1, 2009: Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA 9PM

New Youtube video: Blake goes solo.

November 17, 2008

Another Thorns of Life video here.

November 14, 2008

For more on Blake's new band, see here and here. A few Youtube videos are also up.

November 11, 2008

Blake's new band played a show on Saturday night, November 8. Aaron Cometbus (Crimpshrine, Sweet Baby, Pinhead Gunpowder) is the drummer. Some are saying that the band is called Thorns of Life, but others are saying that the band doesn't have a name yet. For more, see here and here.

October 23, 2008

Update from Adam regarding yesterday's bulletin:

Correction: I said in the previous post that Unfun would first be available at Hot Topic before going out to the mom and pop stores. This is not the case. Unfun will be released to ALL retail stores at the same time, fair and square. Hot Topic will carry it - they have our other stuff, which is great if you don't have a mom and pop around and still like to have something in your hand to peruse. Or you can order it through midheaven.com...

October 22, 2008

A Myspace bulletin from Adam and Blake, sent to friends of Jawbreaker earlier today:

"Hey, just a quick update on what's going on in the Jawbreaker world...

The last bulletin I posted mentioned the Unfun remaster. I am going back down to LA this weekend to do it again. There were "flutters" in that first pass, which is a techie way of saying that gummy leader tape splices between the songs made the beginnings and endings sound like they had been drinking, which is a longwinded way of saying that it was fucked up, though no fault of the Man Himself John Golden. Unfun will be available online through the usual providers and in stores in early 2009 on Blackball Records. Extras will include the 7" mix of Busy and alternate mixes of Want and Fine Day. The CD and LP will be available exclusively at Hot Topic for the first few months of release, and then will go out to the mom and pops. Hot Topic, you ask? I said it. They have been incredibly supportive these past few years, stocking our records and shirts in all of their stores. Jawbreaker swag doesn't make it into a lot of national chains, so I'm happy that it's out there where kids can get to it. They recently added Etc. (the b-sides, singles and out-takes compilation with Kiss the Bottle). So if you happen to live out in the boonies, or your indie store just bit the dust of the download revolution, and you still like having something in your hands to peruse-- they carry our stuff. And while you're at the mall, why not visit Starbucks for a refreshing caffeinated beverage, and perhaps pick up a pair of pleated khaki slacks at the Gap? Ah, that's better...

A lot of the myspace people are asking me about the status of the documentary that Tim Irwin and Keith Schieron (We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen) are making. I'd say they are halfway there. Like I said before, these guys have real jobs (and a new kid-- congrats, Keith!) and are making this movie catch-as-catch-can on their own dime, to mix idioms. We just got copies of the Dear You masters and they are going to interview Rob Cavallo next and have him go through a couple of songs.

Which brings me to sad news. Jerry Finn, our friend who mixed Dear You, passed away last month. I do not feel qualified to eulogize Jerry-- we worked with him all too briefly back in 1995. But our time was intimate, and we kept in touch via email over the years. I considered him a friend and ally. The last time we were in contact I begged him to be in our movie. But Jerry wasn't comfortable patting himself on the back in an on camera interview. I think he was content to let the music do the talking, as it were. That's a smooth character right there. Or maybe he just didn't want to give up any of his studio secrets (I'll divulge one here: to keep morale up, when greeting the still reeling from signing to a major label band, say, "Hey, Little Fighters!" That'll do the trick.) So the next time you hear a song made in the last fifteen years that punches you in the stomach while kissing you on the lips, you have Jerry Finn to thank.

I don't like to speak for my fellow Jbs. I'll hand it over to Blake and send a Chris update when I hear from him...

A Note/Update from Blake Schwarzenbach:

Because I am bad at speaking about myself but excel at projecting my identity onto others and then destroying them I will be brief. I am currently defending my master's thesis at Hunter College in Manhattan, making music in an as yet unnamed group, and fighting with words on Facebook (it's an all ages page, meaning you don't have to be a 'friend' to read it; although I think you do need an account, which is free and relatively non-invasive. Come on by!)

My thesis is on Percy Bysshe Shelley, who appears to have gotten almost everything right and paid dearly for it. The paper focuses on Shelley's technique of pushing metaphor until all connection between sign and signified is shattered and either some new truth declares itself or a sublime vacuum opens up and we are confronted with the void. Exciting stuff, I assure you, especially when one considers that he was a fiercely principled Republican (in the 18th century meaning of the term: friend of suffrage and the French Revolution, foe of monarchy and moneyed interests), an atheist, a vegetarian, and a wild-eyed beauty in verse. What's not to celebrate? Well, as it happens, he was universally ignored, reviled, humiliated or suppressed and died in exile. So, this is what I devote my academic energies to, which brings into even starker relief the historically blind trammeling and dismemberment of the U.S. constitution that has gone on these past eight years.

Musically, and I think maybe I can speak more clearly about this, I feel as though I am emerging from a kind of muted, reflective nuclear winter. It's awkward to talk about one's own music since that is what we ask the music to do; so I'll say only that it meets my own inner-standard of truth. I believe in it enough to overcome my own fear of making it. Hopefully we'll find a bassist (a woman, over 30, who rides a bike and can resolve any dictionary disputes that might arise between the drummer and myself) and come to a town near you.

Finally, thank you friends and enthusiasts of Jawbreaker. We did this thing for a long time in the dark - as all bands must - and it is gratifying to hear of younger people finding the band and getting it. The goal was always to connect with others and that seems to have happened so I think we can all claim success in that project.

Kind regards,

Blake"

January 6, 2008

Here's the text of a Myspace bulletin from Mr. Adam Pfahler, sent to friends of Jawbreaker on January 3, 2008:

Dear You,
I've been pretty slack keeping you posted on the goings on in the world of Jawbreaker, so here's a few answers to some frequently asked questions regarding the old group:
1. Yes, the documentary is still on, still being made. The hold up is that Keith and Tim have yet to find a distributor who is willing to pony up the closing costs to finish this thing (flights, editing time, blowing it up to 35mm. etc.). So they are doing this as a labor of love in between their regular gigs and family time. I trust this love bodes well for the finished product. A few months back they came to SF and we got some really great footage with all three of us and Billy Anderson (who worked on Bivouac, 24 Hour Revenge Therapy and a couple one-offs as a producer/engineer). We even played together, but didn't roll footage out of both respect for the sanctity of the moment and fear that we'd suck. Anyway, I have audio of it. Maybe I'll post that some day.
2. A lot of you ask about where you can get the records. Well, if your local mom and pop don't carry them, you can always order them through midheaven.com. They should have vinyl even. If the digital domain is your thing, I'll paste the links to iTunes and Cinderclock (for swag) below and you'll be a click away to keeping food on my table.
Thanks, and happy winter.
Adam

November 1, 2007

Lance Hahn of J Church passed away on October 21, 2007. Please see lancehahn.org and lancehahn.blogspot.com for further information.

March 31, 2007

Whysall Lane doesn't exist anymore; according to Adam, Mikel quit last year, and Richard is moving back to New York soon.

March 26, 2007

J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines) and Janet Morgan's son Callum was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy almost a year ago. Please visit the DeSoto Records: For the Benefit of Cal Robbins page and J. Robbins's blog for more information on Callum's plight. You can find information about making donations at the Desoto Records page.

A great way to support Callum is to purchase the new For Callum double CD compilation. Check out Catlick Records for more information. 100% of the proceeds are going to Callum's care fund. Jawbreaker contributed a song to the For Callum compilation: the July 1994 mono, 16-track demo version of "I Love You So Much It's Killing Us Both."

Keith and Tim have been making good progress on the Jawbreaker documentary. They've already collected a ton of archival footage, and they've been conducting interviews with various personalities across the country for the past six months. Adam says that they hope to finish by the end of the year.

June 29, 2006

Blackball Records has been active in the past year. The Whysall Lane album (featuring Adam on drums) finally came out in February of 2006; you can order it from Midheaven, among other places. In October of 2005, Blackball released an album by Duchess, a Los Angeles band whose members include lifelong friends of Adam. Check the Blackball front page for more info straight from the man's mouth.

Adam Metz has put together a three part audio documentary on Jawbreaker. Dailysonic.com is hosting it.
Part 1: The Early Years; Part 2; The Middle Years; Part 3: The End & After.

Keith Schieron (of We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen) has been putting together a documentary on Jawbreaker. More info as it becomes available.

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