Jeremy Jay

Jeremy Jay

Jeremy Jay performing live in Växjö.
Background information
Genres Indie Pop
Instruments Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active 2007-present
Labels K Records
Mystery
Website official site
Jeremy Jay vinyls

Jeremy Jay (Jeremy C. Shaules) is an alternative pop American musician and singer-songwriter. He has released five critically acclaimed studio albums including his debut album A Place Where We Could Go in 2008 and Slow Dance in 2009. His music has been compared to Morrissey and Belle and Sebastian.

In 2017, he released a new single "Demons" before a new album due out later this year.

History

Jay grew up in Los Angeles. He then moved to Portland where he got a chance to meet Calvin Johnson, producer and founder of K Records. Johnson was immediately interested by the music of Jay who had already released a self-produced maxi single "Dreamland", only containing instrumental pieces.

His first release on K records, the Airwalker EP, appeared in 2007 : it included a cover of the Siouxsie and the Banshees song, "Lunar Camel" and one version of Blondie's "Angels on the Balcony".[1] The EP was described by Pitchfork as "cryptic, compelling short" with "half-crooned, half-spoken vocals into a bed of interlocking guitars, rigid beats, and analogue synths, creating an air of mystery out of disconnected images."[2]

His first full-length, A Place Where We Could Go followed in 2008, it was recorded in Olympia, Washington at Dub Narcotic studios.[3] In its review, Allmusic pictured his way of singing as a mix between Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Morrissey and Alan Vega.[4] A video for "Beautiful Rebel" directed by Austin Lovell was shot at the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles. A second video for "Heavenly Creatures" directed by Bryce Kass of Daft Arts was hailed by The Fader.[5]

Onstage in Berlin, 2010

In 2009, the singer released Slow Dance,[6] the album was critically acclaimed for its "frail ingeniousness" with "a warm inviting space".[7] To promote the release, he embarked on a tour throughout the year, including dates at the Primavera Festival. The Guardian wrote that Jay's "biggest asset" is songs that "appear to come unpremeditated from his heart" like Jonathan Richman. Critic James Robinson then added, "In a world where we've become suspicious of singer-songwriters, Jay gives us reason to keep the faith".[8] After playing in the UK, Jay moved to London and started working on new material.

In 2010, Jay described his third album Splash,[9] as "Pavement meets Evol-era Sonic Youth played by Siouxsie Sioux."[10] NME welcomed tracks like "As You Look over the City" and "Hologram Feather" and the "jaunty" single "Just Dial my Number".[11] The cover picture of Splash showed him at Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, the record was released at the end of May. A tour was later cancelled due to health problems.

In spring 2011, Jay returned with the album Dream Diary,[12] which was a mix of indie-pop and alt-rock.[13] The result was compared to Scottish band Belle and Sebastian.[13] Jay entirely financed the album on his own for the first time to spend more time on the mixing: the two previous albums had been recorded with full support of K Records.[14] In 2013, the singer composed one song "Ghost Tracks" for the movie soundtrack of Grand Central.

2014's Abandoned Apartments,[15] got a four-star review on Allmusic for its "dreamy surrealism and crisp-edged pop".[16] The title of the album Abandoned Apartments evokes an episode of Jay's life: when he was 20 years old and was looking for empty buildings in Portland to settle.[14] After releasing this album, he worked as producer on Spanish singer Bigott's album, Pavement Tree. Jay then collaborated with other musicians. In November, he formed the band, Dyspotian Violet, with several musicians including bassist Frank Wright: he was on vocals. They released one song "The Mask",[17] and two other songs via Soundcloud.[18] The formation then changed of name and opted for Invisible Foxx. In March and April 2015, Jay recorded with the band, Invisible Foxx. In May, Invisible Foxx released their album online, Monitor Mixx via Bandcamp:[19]

After these collaborations, a few new tracks of Jay were released on digital download via Mystery at the end of that year.[20][21]

In 2017, he released a new single "Demons" via Amazondigitalmusic and iTunes.

Discography

Albums

Singles and Ep

Other appearances

References

  1. 1 2 Airwalker vinyl and cd available by mail order . K Records website. Retrieved 13-8-2015
  2. ↑ Marc Hogan. "The Airwalker" EP, review. Pitchfork. June 16, 2008. Retrieved 10-8-2015
  3. 1 2 A Place Where We Could Go vinyl and cd available by mail order. K Records shop online. Retrieved 13-8-2015
  4. ↑ Heather Phares. A Place Where We Could Go review. Allmusic. Retrieved 10-8-2015
  5. ↑ Heavenly Creatures video. The Fader. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  6. 1 2 Slow Dance vinyl and cd available by mail order. K Records. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  7. ↑ Marc Hogan. Slow dance review. Pitchfork. March 25, 2009. Retrieved 10-8-2015
  8. ↑ James Robinson. Pop preview: Jeremy Jay on tour. The Guardian. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  9. 1 2 Splash vinyl and cd available by mail order. K Records. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  10. ↑ John-Paul Pryor. Jeremy Jay. Dazeddigital. Retrieved 10-8-2015. Excerpt : "Splash comes from that thing of being away from somewhere and writing about it. It’s a lot heavier sounding than other stuff I’ve done – Pavement meets Evol-era Sonic Youth played by Siouxsie Sioux. I’m really excited about it."
  11. ↑ Nathaniel Cramp. Splash- review. NME. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 10-8-2015
  12. 1 2 Dream Diary vinyl and cd available by mail order. K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  13. 1 2 Bevan, David. Dream Diary review Pitchforkmedia.com. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 10-8-2015
  14. 1 2 Thomas Bartel. Jeemy Jay interview. Magicrpm.com. 11/26/2013. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  15. 1 2 Abandoned Apartments vinyl and cd available by mail order. K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  16. ↑ Heather Phares. Abandoned Apartments review. Allmusic. Retrieved 10-8-2015
  17. ↑ Jeremy Jay A new band and a new Album. Magicrpm.com. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  18. ↑ Dyspotian Violet - Tracks. Soundcloud.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  19. ↑ Invisible Foxx - releases. Bandcamp. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  20. 1 2 "Hallways and Splattered Paintings" b/w "Window Painted Black - digital download. Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  21. 1 2 "High Note" - digital download. Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  22. ↑ Dreamland - digital download and vinyl. Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 13-8-2015
  23. ↑ We Were There available by mail order. K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  24. ↑ Everlasting love four songs. Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  25. ↑ Breaking the ice available by mail order . K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  26. ↑ Just Dial my jumber available by mail order. K Records website. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  27. ↑ In the Groove - digital download. Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  28. ↑ Covered in Ivy b/w Situations Said - digital download Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  29. ↑ Sentimental Expressway b/w Later That Night - digital download. Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  30. ↑ "Demons" - digital download]. Amazon.com. Retrieved 15-4-2017
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