Jay Reatard

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Jay Reatard
Jay Reatard
Jay Reatard
Background information
Birth name Jay Lindsey
Born Memphis, Tennessee,
Flag of the United States United States
Genre(s) Garage Punk, Synthpunk, Punk, Garage
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Keyboards
Years active 1998 – present
Label(s) Matador Records, Shattered, In the Red, Goner
Associated acts The Reatards, Lost Sounds, Nervous Patterns, The Final Solutions, Digital Leather, Angry Angles, Terror Visions, Bad Times

Jay Reatard (born Jay Lindsey) is a prolific garage punk musician from Memphis, Tennessee who is signed to Matador Records. He is best known for his work in The Reatards, Lost Sounds, and his current solo career.

Contents

[edit] History

His recording career began at the age of 15, when a home-made demo tape he had sent in to Goner Records caught the ear of former-Oblivian and Goner Records’ owner, Eric Friedl.[1] Lindsey's introduction to Friedl and his Oblivians bandmates had come that same year when the Oblivians had returned home to Memphis as an opening act for Rocket from the Crypt. Upon seeing the act live, Lindsey became enamored with their sloppy, lo-fi music and set forth creating his own brand of heavily distorted garage rock music.[2] Friedl was impressed by Lindsey's demos and signed him to his label, later commenting, “I loved the racket so we did the record, and I've been a fan of everything he's done since. He's a pretty amazing kid.” [3]

[edit] The Reatards

Lindsey named his first project the Reatards, which at the time included only himself as a member, and adopted an Oblivians-influenced surname,[4] calling himself Jay Reatard. The Reatards’ first release on Goner was a 7” EP called “Get Real Stupid,” which featured Lindsey as a solo performer alternating between playing guitar, singing, and beating on a bucket to provide a percussive rhythm. For Lindsey’s second release he recruited a backing band, hiring bassist Steve Albundy and drummer Elvis Wong to accompany him. The Reatards’ first LP as a trio was 1998’s Teenage Hate. This was followed by a second LP, Grown Up Fucked Up, and a number of singles. [5] The Reatards' first European tour came in 1998, when Jay Lindsey was just 18.[6]

[edit] The Lost Sounds

In 2001 Lindsey began recording with Alicja Trout and Rich Crook as the Lost Sounds, a side project which would ultimately usurp the Reatards as Lindsey’s primary musical venture. With alternating male and female vocals, as well as prominently-employed synthesizers, the Lost Sounds were a departure from the guitar-driven garage rock of the Reatards, and had a sound more akin to the early punk rock of The Screamers, a synthesizer-heavy punk band that Lindsey had been exposed to by Elvis Wong shortly after the recording of the Reatards’ first LP. Lindsey once claimed that his time in the Lost Sounds “was and is more fun than anything else I have ever done.” [7] Yet despite Lindsey’s enthusiasm for the band, the Lost Sounds bitterly broke up in 2005.

[edit] Side projects

[edit] The Bad Times

Jay Lindsey is a prolific songwriter, often acting as a member and contributing compositions to two or more bands concurrently. One of Lindsey’s first side projects was the Bad Times, a one-off band which also included Eric Friedl and King Louie Bankston. The band recorded an album’s worth of material after only one practice session, releasing a self-titled LP in 2001. After one live performance the band disbanded, the members returning to their respective solo commitments. [8]

[edit] The Final Solutions

While Lindsey was still a member of both the Reatards and the Lost Sounds he joined a side project called the Final Solutions. Lindsey’s association with the future members of the Final Solutions began while he was still a teenager. Fighting problems at home, Lindsey opted to take up residence with members of a local band called the Jackmonkeys. While he was rooming with the band he was conscripted to play drums for them at a battle of the bands which was being held at the school's cafeteria. With Lindsey on drums (under the moniker 'the High and Mightys' the band performed a set of Oblivians covers, earning instant hate in the competition (FS bassist Tommy Trouble's band, the Squirrels earned third place). After separating for a number of years the group reformed under the name the Final Solutions and began touring and releasing albums. [9]

[edit] Angry Angles

In 2004 Jay Lindsey joined together with Alix Brown of Atlanta rock band the Lids to form the independent record label, Shattered Records. Out of this partnership came another musical endeavor for Lindsey, the Angry Angles. Together with Brown, and alternating between drummers Paul Artigues from Die Rotzz and Ryan Rousseau from Tokyo Electron, the band began touring the U.S. in the Fall of 2006. Before the band had even released its second single, Lindsey and Brown began a short European tour. [10]

[edit] Solo career

By 2005 both the Reatards and the Lost Sounds had broken up, and Lindsey focused his attention on a handful of side projects, working with and releasing material as Terror Visions, and with Ryan Rousseau's other project, Destruction Unit. In 2006 Lindsey released his first solo album, Blood Visions, on In the Red Records. In 2008, Jay Reatard signed a multi-album, exclusive deal with New York based label Matador Records and is set to release six 7" singles over the course of the year along with a new album in early 2009.

[edit] Partial discography

[edit] With The Reatards

[edit] Albums
  • Teenage Hate LP/CD (1998; Goner)
  • Grown Up, Fucked Up LP/CD (1999; Empty)
  • Live LP (2004; Goner)
  • Bedroom Disasters LP/CD (2004; Empty)
  • Not Fucked Enough LP/CD/CD-R (2005; Empty/Shattered)

[edit] 45s/EPs
  • Get Real Stupid 7" (1998; Goner)
  • Get Out Of Our Way 7" (1999; Blahll!)
  • Your So Lewd 7" (1999; Empty)
  • Untitled 7" (2002; SSLD)
  • Monster Child 7" (2004; Zaxxon)
  • Plastic Surgery 7" (2005; Shattered)
  • Totally Shattered Euro Tour 7" (2005; Split with Angry Angles and Tokyo Electron; Kenrock)
  • I Lie Too 7" (2006; Zaxxon Virile Action)

[edit] With The Lost Sounds

[edit] Albums
  • Memphis Is Dead LP/CD (2001; Big Neck!)
  • Black-Wave 2xLP/CD (2001; Empty)
  • Rats Brains & Microchips LP/CD (2002; Empty)
  • Lost Sounds LP/CD (2004; In the Red)

[edit] 45s/EPs
  • Plastic Skin 7" (2000; Solid Sex Lovie Doll)
  • 1 + 1 = Nothing 7" (2001; Empty)
  • Split 7" with The Vanishing (2003; Cochon)
  • Ice Age 7" (2004; Holy Cobra Society)
  • Future Touch 12"EP/CDEP (2004; In the Red)

[edit] Compilations
  • Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1 CD-R (2001; Contaminated)
  • Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1 LP (2002; Hate)
  • Recent Transmissions: Demos & Outtakes Vol. 2 CD (2002; Contaminated)
  • Demos II CD (2003; On/On Switch)
  • Demos & Outtakes Vol. 2 3x7" (2004; Rockin' Bones)

[edit] With Bad Times

  • Bad Times LP (2001; Goner/Therapeutic)
  • Bad Times (Re-Release) CD (2002; Sympathy For The Record Industry)

[edit] With The Final Solutions

[edit] Albums
  • Disco Eraser LP/CD (2003; Misprint)
  • Songs by Solutions LP/CD (2007; Goner)

[edit] 45s/EPs
  • Eat Shit 7" (2002; Therapeutic)
  • Eye Don't Like You 7" (2005; Shit Sandwich)
  • My Love Is Disappointing 7" (2005; Shattered)
  • Return To The Motherland 7" (2006; Frick & Frack)
  • FS/DF 7" (2007; Jethrow)

[edit] With Nervous Patterns

[edit] Albums
  • Nervous Patterns CD-R/CD/LP (2003/2004; Contaminated/Cochon)

[edit] 45s/EPs
  • You Can't Change 7" (2005; Zaxxon)

[edit] With Angry Angles

  • Things Are Moving 7" (2005; Shattered)
  • Crowds 7" (2005; P. Trash)
  • Totally Shattered Euro Tour 7" (2005; Split with Angry Angles and Tokyo Electron; Kenrock)
  • Split 7" (2006; Split with Digital Leather; Shattered)
  • Apparent-Transparent 7" (2006; Plastic Idol)

[edit] As Terror Visions

  • World of Shit LP/CD (2007; FDH)
  • Endless Tunnel EP
  • Blood in America 7" (Disordered)

[edit] With Destruction Unit

  • Self-Destruction of a Man LP/CD (2004; Empty)
  • Death to the Old Flesh LP/CD (2006; Empty)

[edit] As Jay Reatard

[edit] Albums
  • Blood Visions LP/CD (2006; In the Red)

[edit] 45s/EPs
  • Hammer I Miss You 7" (2006; Goner)
  • Night of Broken Glass 12" (2007; In the Red)
  • Split with the Boston Chinks 7" (2007; P. Trash)
  • In the Dark 7"/6" (2007; Squoodge)
  • I Know a Place 7" (2007; Goner)
  • Blood Demo 7" (2008; Stained Circles)
  • See/Saw 7" (2008; Matador)
  • Painted Shut 7" (2008; Matador)
  • Always Wanting More 7" (2008; Matador)

[edit] Compilation Appearances
  • We Heart The Blowtops - Tribute 7" [Track: Venom Victims Wine] (2006; Big Neck)

[edit] References

[edit] External links