From: Ammanford, Wales
Find out more: www.jarcrew.com
What we said about them: 'West Wales' Jarcrew, whose press release takes the form of a bit of A4 with some scrawl on it in black felt pen, which is a nice personal touch. It does, however, promise the bribe of several - several, mind - Kit Kats, none of which I'm yet to see, so words will have to be had [sorry, I steal all the bribes - overlord]. The CD's a fantastic home made package covered in brown parcel tape, black cardboard and that silver pen that only the pretty art teacher at primary school gets to use. Quite apart from the quality packaging, they also have things like 'kill all musos' and 'sex 'n' hugs 'n' rock 'n' roll' written all over it, which puts me in a good mood straight off. First track 'Deemo' is 30 seconds long: drums, bass, weird keyboard flid-outs and a man who has reverb in his mouth shouting 'deemodeemodeemo' over and over. I'm not sure what 'Deemo' is, but I like it. 'Deth Car' is one and a half minutes of dirty garage rock and distorted vocals that I entirely agree with - it'd ace to drive round, pull up next to a load of girls and invite them to get in my deth car for a ride. And if I did, this would be the soundtrack. 'Boy Wonder' is more expansive and instrumental, and gets going just when you think it's just a mimsy instrumental to link tracks together. The most disappointing track is 'Opakow', if anything because it's the most straightforward, after the band have set themselves the (high) standard of being wilfully strange. More please.'
(Freedom from excessive noise music column, April 2002)

2002: A year in the life of Jarcrew

Who we talked to:
Rod: drums, vocals
Ben: bass

1. What's been the best thing the band has done this year?

Rod: The best thing was make our album, Breakdance Euphoria Kids. To even sell 100 copies was so cool. Every little thing and all the gigs and doing stuff like this has made it amazing and, most importantly, FUN.

Ben: Having the album released and two singles, and having the fun of gigging in some cool places

2. What are your plans for next year, realistically and ideally speaking?

Rod: To have bigger fun. To get signed and live a rock cliché for a while. To make the best music and to do coke with Britney.

Ben: Realistic: carry on trying to get signed so we can do this full time. Ideal: some record company gives us shitloads of cash and says 'do what the feck you want - we don't need the money.'

3. What has been the low point of the year for you?

Rod: I think every band when they start has lots of low points, like wondering if what you do even matters to anybody else. Also, trying to make the best songs you can makes it a bit stressful. When our album came out, I thought that was it - WE ARE THE BEATLES! - but it didn't quite go that way.

Ben: The waiting for people to get back to you for so many things, be it gigs, tours or even label stuff... if you ask me, they're all too scared of us, or just lazy.

4. What are your top albums of 2002?

Rod: My top three of the year today are:
- Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf: Because it is the most powerful rock album I've ever heard - sometimes when I play it, it gets too much. You start crying and shit 'cos of the actual force of the sound. The songs are beautiful too... genius even. They all have this grace about them - it's not cliché macho rock shit, the riffs are never heavy in the sense that they drag the songs down like big weights, all muddy and stuff. The riffs glide and just incinerate 99 per cent of other rock band riffs. And it's a big fuckin' pop record! Man, I could talk forever about it - IT IS THE BEST!
- Cornelius - Point: This is something else - another record that's totally experimental and forward-thinking but still really accessible to almost anyone who hears it, which is perfect. The way the songs are structured is just like - whoah! They are all really simple and contain no fat whatsoever. The essentials are there: the riff, the melody and a fuckin' great groove and funk (but GOOD funk, not bad whiteboy funk). He uses these ingredients to make songs which, although they never change much throughout their duration, stay totally interesting. Also, you can dance to it and it has the best song Van Halen never wr ote on it (I think it came out in 2001, but I like it anyway).
- International Deejay Gigolos - American Gigolo: this is a compilation from this really cool label that I know bugger all about, but it always puts out quality electro stuff. Ninety per cent of dance is way too serious shit, like its trying to be Radiohead or something, but this stuff makes you have fun and dance. There's this song on it by Miss Kitten called 'Frank Sinatra' and its so cool, but really fucked up and funny. There's also a song called 'Poney' by this guy called Vitalic, which might be the scariest disco track ever - really fuzzy and with an amazing riff and a spooky atmosphere. And Jeff Mills is on it and Jeff Mills is ze man.

Ben: Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf: I can't really say why - it just rocks.
The Little Explorer - Blue Spheres will lead you places: 'Cos I just can't help but feel happy when listening to it.

5. What's the best live band you've seen this year?

Rod: This is a toughie. Foo Fighters are the band who really surprised me and blew me away. You could be a snob and choose some obscure band, but they had it all - amazing songs, a cool backdrop, good atmosphere. I think they are just a good time stadium rock band like there used to be years ago - lots of fun.

Ben: Well, it either has to be The Murder Of from Worcester (scary bastards, they is) or The Little Explorer - their equipment seems to fall apart around them more frequently than ours, which is definitely a feat in itself.

6. Who would you tip as your favourite new band(s) for 2003?

Rod: OK, all I can talk about are bands that I really like. I don't know if they are gonna be big, but I've got to mention Sammo Hung, who are a really cool Cardiff band, kinda new wavey female-fronted punk rock, and the singer is really hot. Sons of Thunder are Swansea boys and they rock hard. I hope they put a record out 'cos they are working with an American producer who's done Goatsnake and lots of cool doomy stoner bands. They have ace riffs and a song about how great AC/DC are. Salad Days are another Swansea band: stripped down, super bare post-punk stuff. Midasuno are Pontypridd hardcore like the early Touch And Go bands with more metal thrown in. JT Mouse is a singer from Cardiff, but not boring songwriter stuff - its quirky and his band rock out. City Kids are funky, funky, distorted disco house party music. And there's stuff you probably know, like Erase Errata, Crossover, The Rapture and David Bowie.

Ben: The Murder Of (I say it so many times it's as if I'm in the band) and The Little Explorer will hopefully do well, and Sons of Thunder I hope will get a look in this year.

7. What are you band's New Year resolutions?

Rod: Just to have more fun and to really challenge ourselves to make something really, really great.

Ben: Erm... I don't see the point in us having any. We're all good boys, plus we'd just fail in keeping to them.

8. What are your views on the plans for cloning a human in the early part of 2003?

Rod: I'ts gonna happen sooner or later, but its really creepy. If they can use it to make the world a better place, then fine. They could clone organs and help people and stuff, but as always something gets fucked up along the way and George Bush will make a super mental army or something shitty like that.

Ben: choose me so that I can be in two places at the same time and my workload, although nonexistent, can be shared between us. Maybe clone the whole band - we can tour in two places at the same time...

9. Sing us a Christmas carol…

Rod: 'It'ssss aaaaa mild December morning on this cold October evening.'

Ben: If I could sing, I wouldn't be in Jarcrew...

10. If diskant could buy your band one thing for Christmas, what would it be? Go on, we're feeling generous.

Rod: Oh goodie, how about an elephant?

Ben: Either a top class studio or a splitter van for gigging.

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