Dear Jane, I...

(March 4, Reverb) The frontman for this gang of Mississauga post-emo-punkers offered this new meaning for CMW: "Call Me Whore." Then the blaring, buzzing fire alarm went off. Funny, the band was so loud and distorted, most of their young fans didn't notice. - Eye Magazine

While the music they play may be something of the “flavour du jour” for now, they do it well, and they do it with some serious chutzpah. Rocking the aggressive emo/punk boat for all it’s worth, Toronto locals Dear Jane, I are set to unleash their own brand of Grade-style screamo on a much larger audience thanks to Verona Records and Shane Told of Silverstein, who seems to command the unwavering attention of at least 30 percent of North America’s youth. With the help of producer Julius Butty, whose work with bands such as Navy and Alexisonfire has resulted in some stellar-sounding records, the band have gone far beyond their past work, creating a catchy-as-hell batch of songs that — equally important within the genre — sound like a million bucks. The obvious single of “Wish Black Wishes,” whose insanely hooky quiet verse/driving chorus structure is built to stick in your head for days, seems destined to provide screen name fodder for a generation of 14-year-olds girls. - Exclaim Magazine

For many bands, change is a good thing.

Bringing in new musicians often shakes the members out of complacency and helps refine creative chemistry. Local rock-influenced quintet Dear Jane I can certainly attest to that.

The band recently went through line-up changes of its own, adding guitarist and singer Kat Lucas from the band Unsensored and bassist Mark Cohene from Teeter.

The band's current line-up also includes drummer Neil Uppal of Mississauga, vocalist Jeremy Dove and guitarist James Wells.

"Last year was filled with challenges and, at times, it was hard to go on," Dove said. "Now, it's a joy to be together. There was always a passion for the band, but I never felt like we could just hang out because there was always some sort of crisis. We seem to be much looser and a lot more easy-going when we perform now."

The band's first show with Cohene and Lucas came in the summer in Montreal as part of the Vans Warped Tour.

"We just clicked musically," said Uppal. "This is the happiest we've ever been with the music we've written. The band seems to be heading almost in a new direction. We're not too different from what people remember but you can hear it in some of the guitar licks and harmonies. Kat's voice is also very distinct."

Dove agreed.

"It's the first new batch of songs we've written in about four years and I think the music is a little bouncier, a little happier and even a little more punk," said Dove. "There's still darkness in the music, and I think most of that comes from me, but thematically (the darkness) is still there. The music seems to sound brighter, which I think is a cool juxtaposition. We haven't subtracted anything from our sound, just added."

Earlier this month, the band performed for the second time at Canadian Music Week.

To hear music from the band's previous release, Hope This Reaches You In Time, visit www.myspace.com/dearjanei. - The Mississauga News

A visually striking band, Dear Jane, I… have not let their music suffer at the hands of their strong image. On Don’t Know How to Begin, the band show an even understanding of power pop, emo, and hardcore, letting all their influences meld into one as they shift seamlessly from gentle spoken word over jazzy guitar interplay to shouted cries over pounding drums and powerfully driving bass. Though the production on this EP seems to sell the band short at times with its somewhat flat sound, there is no hiding the intense emotion conveyed through the songs performed by this Toronto-based five-piece. Tracks like the tumultuous “Won’t Say ‘Forever’ Again” showcase the band at their best, allowing the versatile vocals of Jeremy Dove to take centre stage. Able to harness a deep, decidedly non-emo scream along with an equally touching melodic ability helps keep Dear Jane, I… separate from the rest of the emo flock. - Exclaim Magazine

Emo/Screamo is a genre that has been embraced by many an angsty teen, and maligned by many a snobby critic. Now while I am definitely more the latter than the former, I have always enjoyed many of the artists that are usually labelled under the contoversial term "emo" or, the even more criticized "screamo". On their website, Toronto's Dear Jane, I... are described as "Jimmy Eat World" on amphetamines. I don't know if that's entirely accurate, but Dear Jane, I... do have a lot more to offer than many of the contemporaries that they are likely to be compared to. Most emo bands are too wrapped up in their own angst to be overly concerned with being literate (and, no, I don't consider Bright Eyes to be emo). But I consider DJI's music to be poetry wrapped up in equal parts, emo, punk rock, hardcore and, if you listen carefully, even a touch of jazz (listen to that bass line during the spoken word section of Stayed Up All Night). Their new CD ...Hope This Reaches You In Time ranges from some very strong melodies (Wish Black Wishes) to some crank it up to 11 punk rock (Smell Ambition). And one of my favorite musical moments of the past year is appoximately 2:15 into the song "Stayed Up All Night", when that powerful riff starts up, than the steady drum beat kicks in and lead vocalist Jeremy Dove starts singing the refrain "Her breathing is silent but her screams are filled with crashes, she flinches, she flinches". Ahhh. Now that's a moment. - Indie Music Project