Apart from coming up with good songs and being able to play them live*, one of the hardest things new bands face these days is choosing a name. For example: Those of you who follow my Summer Fridays mix series (this week’s the last one of 2011, by the way) may remember the song “Jeane” from Brooklyn trio Vacation that was featured way back in June.
But there was already at least one other band called Vacation and a couple called Vacations, so they decided to change their name while it was easy to do so. So welcome Jeane to the scene.
In taking the name of one of their songs, they also seem to have retired said song. The two times I’ve seen Jeane live, they haven’t played it — which kind of makes sense. “Jeane” was, by a good stretch, the band’s poppiest song that had a strong ’80s Madonna vibe to it. The rest of their material is darker and propulsive with a strong Krautrock vibe to it, courtesy drummer Kyle Clairmont Jacques (who can hammer the hi-hat like Stephen Morris) and bassist Quinn Lewington.
Singer Paul Dally brings a slurry vocal style to group — and a sense of unpredictability. Especially live. He’s a real livewire on stage, pacing around, going into the crowd, laying down singing on his back… it’s somewhere between Ian Curtis and Jim Morrison. Shy types might want to stand near the back.
Jeane just released their first EP, Hidden House, today and it’s a free download from their Bandcamp site:
For sure check out lead track “Run Away” which samples New Order’s “True Faith.” And go see them live, not that they have any dates coming up…but be on the lookout.
Bonus: here’s a track from when they were still Vacation and they do still play this one live. It’s really got the motorik thing working:
MP3: Jeane – Agents of Cowardice
*also: finding an affordable practice space, figuring out how to tour without going broke and how to break through an increasingly cluttered landscape of new bands.
