Jams for Man

Latest Episodes:

Episode #32 - Zack Larkin and Aaron Platt (Sun Monkeys) Mar 05, 2019

Show notes

Sun Monkeys played a blend of rock, go-go, jazz, hip-hop, and punk that was, "funkier than James Brown's socks." This group spawned out of a jam session by kids that went to both South Lakes and Osbourn Park High Schools in Northern Virginia, and the lineup that recorded their landmark album, Brotherhood, featured Zack Larkin on vocals, Aaron Platt on bass, Thomas Brady on guitar, and Pete Van Allen on drums. They went through many different lineups during their years booking every show they could get, from DC Space to Dharma Coffee House, but especially as the nominal house band at Bender's/The Cave in Manassass. Other members include: Ari Kirschenbaum, Tom Young, Matt Goodspeed, Lara Platt, Stevie Treichel, Josh Scalero, Rashaad Jones, Mike Margolis, and Crick. Their second album, Love American Style, expanded their sound, with keyboards, samples, and a more laid-back style. They were known for their sexually explicit lyrics and posters, original artwork designed by percussionist Kirschenbaum, and lengthy sets filled with exuberant, sweaty dancing. Sun Monkeys were contemporaries of and played shows with bands such as AVAIL, Mary Jane, Vehicle Birth, and Dismemberment Plan.

Episode #31 - Mike Webb (US Navy Band Sea Chanters/Gonzo's Nose) Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

Mike Webb got encouragement as a singer in elementary school chorus, earned a prestigious award for choir in middle school, and basically taught himself to play piano and guitar through high school and college. After studying music at JMU and starring in an a cappella group there, he went on to Nashville after graduation, but didn’t find his calling until he returned to the DC area. There, he tried out and was accepted into the US Navy Band Sea Chanters, singing the national anthem and other songs at Nationals Park and many other sporting events as well as President Obama’s inauguration. Mike later went on to join one of Northern Virginia’s legendary cover bands, Gonzo’s Nose, and he performed as their lead singer for over a decade.

Episode #30 - Tim Murphy (DJ Redbees) Feb 11, 2019

Show notes

Tim Murphy started out playing jazz trumpet, moved on to hardcore punk and played drums in several noise rock groups, before learning to mix house and techno with his Chuck Street Players crew. He took the name DJ Redbees from an article about some Brooklyn-based insects that may or may not have been getting high off maraschino juice and weed. After moving back to Massachusetts and making hip hop and some jazz with Alan Boyer’s Hyperphonix, emerging rock trio Highly Suspect tapped Tim to help manage their group and DJ for them on tour. You can find music from DJ Redbees on various clouds, of the Sound and Mix variety at https://soundcloud.com/djredbees and https://www.mixcloud.com/djredbees/

Episode #29 - Chris Jackson (The Vehicle Birth) Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

Chris Jackson liked to play guitar riffs at an early age, from the Peter Gunn theme to Day Tripper, and made a musical career out of them with the rock band The Vehicle Birth and later Cracktorch. He opened the Dharma Coffee House in Fairfax with his friend Christian Yavorsk years before anybody in the area heard of Starbucks in order to have a place that served great coffee like they did in Europe, but also to give high school and college kids a place to hang out and listen to live music and poetry. Dharma hosted bands such as The Dismemberment Plan, Frodus, and the Sun Monkeys along with Jackson's own band, as they competed to be the best group in the area. The Vehicle Birth then moved to Boston to go to college, only releasing three singles and an LP called Tragedy on Crank in 1998. They went on a cross-country tour to support the album in 1999, but broke up on their way back home. Jackson then went on to form Cracktorch, who released the album Tonight the City in 2005 and went on to tour for the next decade. Visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Musician-Band/The-Vehicle-Birth-165595246822653/ for more information on The Vehicle Birth or https://www.amazon.com/Tonight-City-Cracktorch/dp/B001P2TID2 to purchase the album by Cracktorch.

Episode #28 Mike Davis (Pudwak) Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

Mike Davis learned guitar from his neighbor Steve Niles, who went on to play in Gray Matter, and formed his first band, Pudwak, with Sean Philpotts and Dave Allen, who later played in Branch Manager. They recorded one cassette album with Mike Clayberg from Malefice. They then added Davis White, also of Malefice and later Repercussion, on drums, renamed themselves Foundation, and recorded two albums with Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studios. Mike went on to work at Inner Ear himself as an engineer and producer and helped record albums by Dismemberment Plan and the Goons among many others. Along the way, he helped connect Dag Nasty with their first vocalist and played with other members of the band in Los Vampiros. He also played in the eclectic NOVA band The Iceboxers and on albums by the Blood Bats, featuring Charles Bennington of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra. Suffice it to say, Mike helped establish what would come to be known as the Reston Hardcore scene and had a Zelig-like ability to cross over with virtually everybody making great music in Northern Virginia at that time. His guitar sound is an indelible part of numerous stellar records from the 80s and 90s as well as his recording techniques.

Episode #27 - Beau Butler (AVAIL) Jan 13, 2019

Show notes

Beau Butler aka Beau Beau started out as a guitarist in the Reston band Hostile Environment but joined AVAIL just before they moved to Richmond. He became their self-described cheerleader, go-go dancer, and tour manager, though others have referred to him as a hype man. He told me, “I don’t like playing music. I like jumping around screaming.” It seems that he’s been doing that at punk rock shows since his first Corrosion of Conformity concert in 1985. He continues to love discovering new hardcore bands and introducing his teenage kids to the joys of jumping around screaming at shows too.

Episode #25 - Nathan Crouch (Lugnut) Dec 16, 2018

Show notes

Nathan Crouch formed the band Lugnut with Marc Williams on vocals, Brian Ballard on bass, David Swartz on the other guitar, and a series of drummers, Clay Wells, Zack Stanley, and finally Barney Rubble (né Jeff Robinson). They worked with some great producers and studios along the way, from Christian Quick and Stillness Sound, to Inner Ear Studios, and finally Jeff Juliano. Their 7”, Lugnutty Buddy, was released by Victrola Records thanks to label head Billups Allen. They hit some major milestones in playing DC Space, the old 9:30 Club, the Black Cat, and best of all—Jam for Man. They were the best times Nathan remembers from his youth, and he shares those memories here.

Jams for Man - Episode #20 - Jason Hamacher (Frodus) Nov 05, 2018

Show notes

Jason Hamacher moved from Florida to Fairfax County, excited to be there because of a reference from a Scream album and its proximity to Minor Threat and the DC hardcore scene. He met Shelby Cinca on a Christian retreat and a video of him shirtless, banging out a Sepultura song sealed the deal of securing a spot in his band. This launched them on a ten-year odyssey of touring around the world and recording with three bands, from Frodus to The Black Sea and most recently Decahedron. This episode also features music from Jason’s straight-edge band, Battery, and his screamo project Combatwoundedveteran. Jason developed skills promoting his music and booking tours, almost securing Frodus a gig playing a lab in Antartica, and utilizing some of the same talents to preserve ancient Syrian chants. Jason has accomplished so much musically, but never takes himself or his achievements too seriously, and was more than happy to to give us insight into his Northern Virginia roots.

Episode #19 - Jayson Capps, Kelly Medford, & Josh Neall (Bubble Jug) Oct 24, 2018

Show notes

Along with bands like Frodus, Lugnut, and Kidskin Conduction, Bubble Jug played loud, experimental, and intense shows in and around the Chantilly, VA area. The lineup consisted of Dave Cleary and Kelly Medford sharing lead vocals, Scott Hawkins on bass, Jayson Capps on guitar, Josh Neall on drums, and the late Nathan Maddox on saxophone and everything else. Bubble Jug followed in the footsteps of bands as diverse as Nation of Ulysses, Bikini Kill, Born Against, and Sonic Youth, and added even more interesting sounds on their recordings with the help of Christian Quick at Stillness Sound. Like the delicious and highly edible gum from which they took their name, Bubble Jug burned bright for a few years and then disappeared... until now.

Episode #18 - Dave Stone (Enough) Oct 01, 2018

Show notes

Dave Stone grew up in North Reston, incrementally inching towards punk from a pretty early age thanks to the Clash and the movie D.O.A. He started his first band K.I.D. (Kids In Dispute) before any of them really knew how to play, and he went on to form or join at least nine more bands, including: FSA, Enough, Infusion, All Fall Down, Porch Mob, VPR, Nervous Impulse, BSR, and finally his current band, Rise Defy. He’s comfortable on both bass and guitar, writes great songs, headlined Jam for Man, recorded at Inner Ear Studios, and has played with some of the greats like HR and Angelo Moore. Even better, Lake Anne Dave is an excellent storyteller, and he weaves it all together on this week’s episode. For more information about his band and music, check out: https://www.facebook.com/risedefy/ and https://risedefy.bandcamp.com/releases

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