Artist On Repeat: Feed Me Jack

My brother is me if I were a 22 year old male. As such, it’s almost impossible for us not to talk music at some point when we get together. So, when we’re not teasing each other about which one of us is actually a hipster (it’s him, not me), we occasionally swap music recommendations. On Monday, the point went to him for good music taste as we rode around our hometown in his car and he played for me, Feed Me Jack, a small band from beach town Santa Cruz, California.

These guys are good. Almost too good for how unknown they are. Their sound is incredibly polished and it sounds like the product of a much larger scale band. There is a great balance between loud guitars and the light smooth sound of a keyboard. They also incorporate other less “rock” instruments like the clarinet and the cello in expert fashion. I never really see a lot of smaller and newer bands stray from the norm of their genre in such a calculated and competent manner. Usually, it’s very obvious that a band is fairly young because there’s a labored quality to the risks they take, but I don’t hear that with Feed Me Jack. Every sonic element in their songs feels natural and coherent in their combination, creating this wonderfully interesting soundscape. Their sound sort of combines different elements from different genres, so they kind of sound like a mix between classic indie bands like Arctic Monkeys and more hybrid sounding bands like Mutemath, Foals, and The Format. Feed Me Jack represents the familiar trend of newer bands breaking out of the scheme of sticking to one particular sound or genre, giving birth to fresh and interesting takes to the concept of music making. I think the music world is starting to see a revitalized adventurous spirit when it comes to taking risks and being new, and it’s exciting for bands to pop up on the radar that have put serious thought and care into what they put forth in the mix of new music.

From my (incredibly hipster) brother to me and from me to you, I highly recommend checking these guys out. Their album, Chumpfrey, is available to listen to on bandcamp and you can download it for however much you can afford to spend on it, so there’s really no reason to not take a quick listen. 

LISTEN: Chumpfrey

Personal favorites: “Rosies” and “Until Then”