The Jonbenet
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| The Jonbenét | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Houston, Texas, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Hardcore Post-hardcore |
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| Years active | 2001 – 2002, 2003 – present | |
| Label(s) | Pluto Records | |
| Website | http://thejonbenet.blogspot.com | |
| Members | ||
| Michael Murland Dann Miller Wil Spent Drew Ireland |
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The Jonbenét is a four-piece post-hardcore outfit from Houston, Texas. The band's current lineup is Michael Murland (Vocals), Dann Miller (Guitar), William Spent (Bass), and J. Andrew Ireland (Drums).
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[edit] History
The band formed originally in the winter of 2001 under the name Central Park Jogger, the alias given to a then unidentified woman who was raped and beaten severely in 1989. The musical influences consisted of bands such as Refused, The Icarus Line, Saetia, and Black Flag. Very little distortion was used and the majority of the music was fast and sloppy. The earliest recordings were recorded on the drummer's answering machine. In the spring of 2002, the band disbanded due to guitarist Dann Miller moving to California only to return a year later and reform the band. They had abandoned their previous name and due to their first show approaching, needed to decide on another one. The bassist at the time, Grant Miller, suggested the name 'Jonbenét', the first name of Jonbenét Ramsey, a young girl whose brutal murder was widely publicized during the mid to late nineties. The band was indifferent due to the obvious sensitive nature of the name, but decided to run with it. Their first show was on August 22nd, 2003 in Sugar Land, Texas. A logo the band often uses is a slightly-modified Imperial Sugar crown logo, a company which the town was named after.
In November 2003, a 7-song demo was released entitled, "Seven Short Stories by Mortimer T. Chimneytot." The demo was recorded by Chris Goodwin, who took the spot of bass player after Grant left to go to school in January 2004. That May, Andrew Saleeba (drums) left the band and Drew Ireland took over on drums. The new members had completely different styles of playing which led to the re-writing of all the old material. Five of the re-arranged songs were self-released in the Summer of 2004 on an ep entitled, "Five Stories Retold." The band's first tour was in July of 2004 with another Houston band, The Phantom Pains.
Upon returning home, the band wrote some new material and released 3 songs on a split with Houston band, The Kidnap Soundtrack. In January 2005, the two bands toured in support of the self-released split. In April 2005, the band parted ways with bass player Chris Goodwin, and Illinoisan Wil Spent of the Decatur band Secretary expressed interest in playing. He packed his van, drove to Houston and moved in with Dann. As all of this was happening, the band had established contact with Pluto Records, an independent record label from Texas. Shortly after signing with the label, the band booked another tour with The Kidnap Soundtrack in July 2005.
Days after returning, The Plot Thickens EP was released on Pluto Records. It was a re-mastered compilation of the Five Stories Retold ep and their side of the split with The Kidnap Soundtrack. In October, the band would reunite with The Phantom Pains for mini-tour to meet up in Cleveland, OH for a Halloween show with friends American Werewolves, legendary metalcore band Integrity, and newly reunited Turmoil.
In December 2005, the band finished writing their first full-length entitled Ugly / Heartless. The album was recorded in January 2006 in Houston at Johnny Killed Rock N' Roll Studios. Immediately after recording, the band left for a tour with The Fall of Troy and At All Cost from Austin. Days after returning home, the band left with newly-reformed label mates With All Sincerity. Midway through the tour, With All Sincerity broke up and friends from Tucson, The American Black Lung jumped on as well as Fall River from Pennsylvania. The band left the tour on March 7th in Baltimore, due to singer Michael breaking his ankle.
In April, the band left with At All Cost again, covering most of the cities they had canceled on due to the injury. In June, the band left with Houston sludge outfit God's Temple of Family Deliverance to meet up with San Jose's HeavyHeavyLowLow and The Number 12 Looks Like You and later Fear Before the March of Flames. This grueling two-month tour would be the band's last for the year.
On January 15th, 2007, it was announced on the Pluto Records website that they would be combining with Emerald Moon Records to release a limited four part 7 inch vinyl series from The Jonbenet. The series is titled Devil Music, and each of the four volumes will consist of an alternate recording of one song from The Jonbenet's Ugly/Heartless album, and a cover song. Each volume will be limited to 666 copies, and will be pressed on 3 different colors of wax within that number. The series will only be available through both label's websites as well as directly from the band at their shows. The first volume contains a remix of Devils and a cover of Marilyn Manson's 1996, and will be available soon.
Currently the band is writing material for their next full-length.
[edit] Band members
[edit] Current Members
- Michael Murland - vocals
- Daniel Miller - guitar
- William Spent - bass
- J. Andrew Fucking Ireland - drums
[edit] Past Members
- Grant Miller - bass
- Andrew Saleeba - drums
- Chris Goodwin - bass
[edit] Discography
Studio Albums
- Ugly/Heartless (August 8, 2006)
EP's / Splits
- The Plot Thickens (July 25, 2005)
- The Kidnap Soundtrack / The Jonbenet split (January 2005)
- Five Stories Retold (August 3, 2004)
- Five Stories Retold (pre-release) (July 1, 2004)
- Seven Short Stories by Mortimer T. Chimneytot (December 20, 2003)
[edit] Videography
- Behold The White Whore (Pluto Records, 2005)
- Why We're Dead (Pluto Records,October 19, 2006)
