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For most of my life, I've been behind the pack in discovering new artists. It seems that I don't check out a band until they have already received rave reviews from all the important magazines, appealing to the hip demographics by releasing music on the right labels. For me, Chase Jedick has been the exception to this trend.
I first heard Chase's music a little over two years ago when we met up in college. I was dumbfounded that his back catalogue already contained over two hundred songs, and was even more impressed by his production abilities, filling out a song with little more than an acoustic guitar and intertwining melodies.
When “The Bitter and the Unbelievable” was released last year, I had a feeling that Chase was on his was to joining a host of well praised newcomers to the indie-folk business. Although the album contained great potential, and received its fair share of support from the online music community, it became apparent that moving albums is nearly impossible without the support of a label.
Undaunted, Jedick returned to the drawing board, morphing his folk style into a weird (yet poppy) conglomeration of indie-folk and rock. The change of pace couldn't have worked better, as “Break of Day” features a mashing of sounds, restlessly experimenting with different styles. The opener, "Do You See Love?", starts off as a power-pop tune (think Flaming Lips) before growing into a jovial chorus of "Have a Goddam, good damn, day". The EP quickly switches gears with the medieval sound of "McKenzington", where Jedick proves he's as much of a lyricist as a guitarist and producer. The second to last track off the EP, "Society," pairs an acoustic riff with an indictment of modern humanity. Lines like "The faster life goes/The sooner you get told/That the slower life goes/The faster you get old" could give Isaac Brock a run for his money. The disc closes with four tracks from previous Chase Jedick albums, which (in the least) highlight the songwriting prowess that he's possessed for years.
Although I consider this one of the top five releases of 2005, I doubt you'll see “Break of Day” on the billboard charts. However, if the right person discovers Chase Jedick, remember where you first heard the name.
Label: Indie
Rating: 5 of 5
This reviewed appeared on at antimusic.com in November 2005. It is archived at http://www.rocknworld.com/features/05/ChaseJedick.shtml. - ANTImusic.com
Discography
2001 - Winter Air (12 songs)
2002 - sharp quarters (11 songs)
2003 - ...and mustard (4 self-written, 3 co-written)
2004 - The Bitter and the Unbelievable (14 original songs)
2005 - Break of Day Demos EP (10 songs)
Many of Chase's songs from "Bitter" are playing on several online radio stations. Also, Chase has written over 25 new songs in the past few months which are to be featured on his next full-length album.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Ohioan Chase Jedick has been a music lover all of his life. His favorite musicians include the Beatles, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Harry Chapin. Drawing on his love for music, experiences in life, and drive to create, Chase has developed a refreshingly varied and enjoyable style that might be described as Pop/Rock, Alternative, and/or Folk Rock. Chase has recently started calling his style "Roll Music," in the same way that others have shortened "Rock & Roll" to "Rock."
After his parents bought him his first guitar in 5th grade, Chase discovered his true love in songwriting and performing for family and friends. Finding inspiration in personal relationships and the world around him, Chase began writing a collection of songs that currently contains over 200 original compositions. Several of these tunes have made it onto Chase's three albums--"Winter Air" (2001), "sharp quarters" (2002), and "The Bitter and the Unbelievable" (2004).
Now, Mr. Jedick is back to writing (in the midst of struggling through several engineering classes). His new songs, boasting rejuvenating melodies & catchy riffs and demonstrating an original, mature songwriting style, show an altogether new face to Chase’s talent. These tunes are currently being sold, at a friend’s request, as demos on Chase’s “Break of Day Demos (EP)” at http://www.cafepress.com/jedickbreak. The demos EP itself has been rated as one of an antimusic.com reviewer’s top five albums of 2005! Stop by Chase’s website and download some free tunes, or give a copy of one of his albums a spin; if you’re into good music, you won’t be disappointed.
“In an era when lyricism, musicianship, and innovation are cast aside for mainstream pop-rock and pop-punk, many music aficionados have turned to artists of the past for their musical solace. The current music scene is reminiscent of the late 1970s, when Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers helped carry rock n' roll through a period of over-produced arena bands and disco clubs. In a similar manner, Chase Jedick has a vision beyond the current scene.”
–Long-time fan, Jacob McDaniel
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