"you were ready for the worst, she was steady for the first time I saw you..."
As part of the on going, shifting indie rock narrative of Portland's J. Grave's fan forged "Fortress of Fun", the band released the double video release of "Bested" and "Ass U Me". The fan shaped video storylines are a lot of fun but the album as a whole sprouted from serious stared into mirrors, maybe some cracked as press notey stuff reveal:
[Those who are forced to question their own sanity know how incredibly difficult it can be. J. Graves knows: during the process of writing and recording their new album Fortress of Fun, she acknowledges that, if not for the extremely painful and cathartic creative process and the people she had surrounding her, she’d likely have ended up in a very dark place.]
Songs that exorcise personal demons of any sort make for passionate visions. "Bested" like all J. Graves compositions are a three piece alt rock puzzle, dynamically rich with passionate ebbs and flows and versatile eruptions of sound. Grave's vocal aesthetic (once again) has an combination of gritty internalized angst, sensuality and explosive passion that in some slight way makes me think of Chrissie Hynde. During one interesting section, I detect a sort of slight injection of, hmmm? everso slightly jazz punk dipped shapes here that I have not felt before. Another dimension. The second track "Ass U Me" with Kelly Clifton's double time driven bass and Aaron MacDonald's anchoring free form drums and wonderful hand claps (by all) in surprising places is infused with the radical sort of late 70's proto punk dynamism and 80's / 90's / early 2000's coated shapes of post punk and post hardcore. Graves vocals and guitar work feels particularly ID here on one hand but proggy and precisely drawn. Thought of Gang of Four, Screaming Females and Bloc Party. Yessum.
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J. Graves is passionate dance-punk. Tense relationship rock, sanguine lyricism, guitar music, chord changes that sound like secret longing, a rhythm section that thuds, skitters, and melts over the determined voice of Jessa Graves. The heat of the cataclysm gives off a vapor known to galvanize meatspace into writhing, dancing heaps, creating rabid, loyal fans.
Recently J. Graves has been featured in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest who said of their song “Eleven”, “Pairs well with: dancing away from your mistakes...”, Vortex Music Magazine celebrated J. Graves as an “Artist To Watch”. Against all odds, J. Graves is back in 2022, with a crushing new LP Fortress of Fun, a choose your own adventure record due out this fall.
With comparisons to Sleater-Kinney, Karen O, and, Siouxsie And The Banshees for it’s stylistic approach and raw power, catching a J. Graves show became a goal for music denizens of the Northwest. Along her trajectory Graves annealed other talent with her drive and ideals. Kelly Cifton, perhaps the best bassist (and certainly the most exciting to watch) in the Pacific Northwest, and the unassuming Aaron MacDonald, who would be a watchmaker --for his distinct timing and style, were he not a drummer.
On top of all this (!) you should know, nothing can substitute the experience of a live J. Graves show. You must be in front of the liquid rhythm section and pounding chords of the band to feel the blast. In performance Graves eyes roll furiously and her jawline sets as she contacts the emotion that produced her songs. She contorts herself around a fender slimline telecaster, and, in fits and starts, springs forth with contagious, inspiring performances. J. Graves is efficiency personified, the body of rock ‘n’ roll. The living example of repurposing personal and emotional refuse for growth. Through chaotic, cathartic music, J. Graves is defining the future of music, giving us all life, from their Deathbed.
** At this particular time we find ourselves in a financial pinch due to many factors. We want to keep AP going. It has been a passion project for over 13 years. PLEASE consider donating, we could really use the support. Thanks so much
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