Drive By Jones

Speaking of San Diego outfits, there’s a fresh group of musicians who are mixing the low end drone of reggae with some of the quirkier tones of alt rock and ultimately creating a sound that is damn near impossible to categorize. That’s a good thing. Drive By Jones have captivated me with their self titled five song EP with a clean, yet warm, production and simply writing / performing their songs in their own unique voice. Five reggae songs in a row would have bored me to tears. Five straight up rock songs would have been too much of that same old song and dance. But five songs mixing the two styles with further elements of ska and an ever so slight touch of metal, well . . . now we have something that will have me returning time and time again.



When this disc kicks off with “Soul Tree,” all of the instruments fall into place perfectly. The complex polyrhythm’s, the warm tones of the bass acting as the counter punch to the sharp and clean tones of the guitar, the subtly elaborate textures of the keyboard, and the smooth, yet somewhat manic vocals all work in conjunction with one another to create a damn good jam. My God . . . the groove to this song has some serious power as you’ll find yourself uncontrollably bobbing your head, tapping your toes, swaying in your office chair or bar stool . . . your choice. “Unforgive” takes the tempo of “Soul Tree” and drops it down, giving the instruments greater space to do their individual thing. Each member of the band seemingly is playing for their own muse while sticking with the theme of the tune. Dig the guitar and keyboard solos on this one and then the subsequent breakdown, bass followed by drum accents, then the return of the whole band. That, my friends, is just good wholesome songwriting. And then there’s “V-Rex,” a song about a vegetarian T-Rex. You have to listen to the lyrics on this one a couple of times because they come at you from all angles and all speeds. Up tempo and a damn happy tune, I also found it quite educational. Nowhere else in the music world will you find that asparagi is the plural form for asparagus.

www.drivebyjones.com - Ripple Effect

Deeper into the Jamaican groove than, say, San Diego ska veterans like Buck-O-Nine or Skanic, Drive By Jones dilutes its reggae not with the punk sounds so popular with SoCal ska bands, but with straight-ahead rock – they're closer to Madness than they are to, say, Sublime.

Bassist Shaun Richardson and drummer Ty Kiernan have the reggae beat down solid, and singer Bryan Steele has a distinctive voice.

Most importantly, the five songs here are all accessible and radio-friendly (particularly the very catchy "V-Rex"), the mix of ska and rock making for a nice beach sound. - Turbula Music, Jim Tragesar

Published: March 15, 2010 11:41 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA
(Juniorscave.com)

New Music Spotlight
March 2010 Edition

Drive By Jones
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series






Drive By Jones



Sonicbids

Drive By Jones has created an eclectic mix of several popular genres that easily showcases the band's creative, original, and unique blend of music. Just recently formed during the early part of 2008 the band sounds like real pros that have been performing for years. Recently, our Webzine was able to catch up with Bryan Steele from SoCal's Drive By Jones as he gives our readers the 411 on the band's music and what fans can expect from them in the near future. Here is what developed.

Isaac: I just listened to several songs off your new EP/CD. What was the inspiration for making your new album?

DBJ: Well, we got to the point where a lot of people were asking us for CDs after they saw us play and we had nothing to give them, so we decided it was time to hop in the studio and put a 5 song EP together to slake the thirst while we continue to write songs for our upcoming full length album.

Isaac: Who were your influences?

DBJ: This band is so much fun to be a part of because we all come from very different musical backgrounds. And I can honestly say that we don't sound like any one band. But if I had to pick, I'd say that if Incubus, 311, and Gogol Bordello got a little tipsy one hot summer night, Drive By Jones would be the bastard child of that union.

Isaac: Sweet!!

Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?

DBJ: Thankfully, we have been blessed to have many more highlights than lowlights up to this point. We have been a regular act at the Hollywood House Of Blues for 4 months now, and playing the Elysium Festival in San Diego was definitely our funnest show to date. Playing on a huge stage in front of a flowing river with 100 year old oak trees looking down on us, with 1,000+ beat freaks and burners shakin' their groove thang was a truly memorable experience.

Lowpoints are few and far between, but playing a 3 hour set in Fallbrook, CA for 5 people watching Sportscenter at the bar was one of those wah-wah moments for sure.

Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.

DBJ: As I said, we all come from distinct musical backgrounds, and what makes DBJ such a fun group is that no one is married to any one genre. We'll start you off with some Funk, dip into some Reggae, get down with some Blues, some Rock, some Gypsy, some Ska, mix in a little Hip-Hop and accent the whole thing with some damn dirty pirate just to keep it weird.

Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?

DBJ: Getting gigs has always been fairly easy for us, as most venues are drawn to our high energy, distinctive sound. Once they see the dynamic live show we put on, we're always asked to come back. I think our ability to blend genres has really helped us in that regard as well. I can't speak for everyone, but I personally get bored senseless watching a reggae band play reggae for 3 hours straight. After awhile, they all start to sound the same to me and the same goes for other genres as well. That is precisely why we keep it fresh, we keep it funky, and we keep you interested to hear what we'll dip into next.

Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio
much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?

DBJ: Honestly, I can't even remember the last time I turned on an FM radio. Too many annoying commercials and the same damn songs over and over and over made me lose interest long ago. Especially now with Internet radio like Pandora or Last.fm where you can create your own stations with no commercial interruption. The Internet has been great for artists trying to get their music out there. It has enabled people in far away lands to become fans of our music without ever having been to a show or to a store that sells physical copies of our CDs. Everything is more accessible, now more than ever. So why fight it?

Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?

DBJ: Jeff Buckley on vox, David Gilmour and Jimmy Page on guitar, Flea on Bass, Butch Taylor on keys, and Danny Carey on Drums. This band would rip a hole in the fabric of the time-space continuum. Now THAT'S Rock n Roll.

Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?

DBJ: We have a self-titled Drive By Jones EP that is available on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. Full length album coming soon!

Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?

www.drivebyjones.com
www.sonicbids.com/drivebyjones
www.myspace.com/drivebyjones
www.facebook.com/drivebyjones


Isaac: Message to your fans?

DBJ: In the words of our dearly departed Dr. Gonzo, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."





Drive By Jones' Official Website

www.drivebyjones.com
- Junior's Cave Webzine