Jealousy Curve Acoustic

This week, the “themed” Monday Music entry returns. For this second week of February, Vintage showcases the best of Philadelphia alternaive / indie artists. The city that gave the world Patti LaBelle, The O’Jays, Will Smith, Hall & Oates and may more has a new generation of artists that will blow your mind and your eardrums.

Jealousy Curve, given the right speakers, will blow your hair back and rattle your dishes out of the cabinets. And that’s a good thing. For all the laughs and quirks of Ween, this rock sound is serious and addictive. It demands loud speakers, a large subwoofer, and a desire to be rocked right out of your seat. And hey--the lyrics aren’t too shabby either!
Recommended songs: Don’t Lie Down, The World is You, Until We’re Free

Ween. They’re carefree, hilarious and catchy. They’re also not a 15-minutes-and-gone act, either, as they’ve been making “happy colored marbles” with “ocean [men]” for years. If you’re looking for catchy music and a good laugh, you’re looking for Ween. And if anyone I know is looking for a good concert, the guys from Ween are around often and never disappoint!
Recommended songs: Ocean Man, Freedom of ‘76, WeenRadio

Circa Survive. Probably Philadelphia’s biggest act at the moment, Circa Survive is a more ambient, experimental rock band than Jealousy Curve. Nevertheless, these guys know how to rock and do it in a way that is short of conventional--thank god. Circa Survive infuses Philadelphia’s alternative rock scene with a sound full of guitar, driving vocals, and hardcore beats.
Recommended songs: The Great Golden Baby, Act Appalled

mewithoutYou. Philadelphia’s second-biggest act and my personal favorite of the four listed here, mewithoutYou is just plain original. The band manages to mix typical alternative rock beats with choruses that sound almost like Indie Pop. This fusion of two distinct rock flavors has them coming off as a Shins-Circa Survive hybrid that’s not afraid to make catchy hooks while driving it home with guitar and drums. These guys are also charitable and give back to their native Philly--just this past weekend, mewithoutYou played a show for charity at a local Philadelphia church. All proceeds from this good concert went to a good cause. - Indie Blogs

Jealousy Curve is a local Philadelphia band that has been on the rise for several years now. They have taken the local rock scene by the balls and never released their grip. With their interactive live shows and instantly catchy songs, they are probably going to be a major player in the Philadelphia scene for a long time.

BnR recently talked with Steven from Jealousy Curve and asked him a few questions. The interview is below:

BnR: What is your outlook on the music industry? Do you feel it is adapting to today's changing music scene (online social networking, file sharing, etc)

JC: I think the industry is trying to adapt to changing trends and consumer tastes to stay viable. It is no secret the traditional model is not working. That being said, there is no better time to be an independent band. The internet has made distribution global and touring has never been easier.

BnR: The Philadelphia rock scene is a tough scene to break into. How have you been able to stand apart from the great Philadelphia bands?

JC: We have been really fortunate. We try to tour as much as possible and when we do play at home we try to make each show an event. It has been a slow process, as we started writing together five years ago. It has been gratifying to see things now.

BnR: Speaking of every show an event, for those readers who haven't seen Jealousy Curve live, can you describe the experience?

JC: We try to make the shows interactive, and we try to make each one different. We always try to play every show like it is our last and put everything out there. We are a rock band and there aren't a ton of theatrics or gimmicks. We simply try to rock the songs.

BnR: About those songs, This is for your own destruction is a great album. How have the songs been received live?

JC: Thank you for the compliments on the EP. The songs have been received very well. The record is very raw and we did it very quickly, in just three weeks, and the audience appreciates that immediacy. Our live set typically has all seven (7) songs on the EP and we enjoy playing them.

BnR: What was the inspiration behind, This is for your own destruction?

JC: Our singer Michael came up with the title. Kind of a twist on authority figures, parents, warning labels etc. and the saying "This is for your own protection."

BnR: You have gotten great exposure through Zippo and WMMR, I am sure you have had offers to sign with a major label. Why haven't you?

JC: We have seen so many of our friends' bands go through the major label ringer...getting signed, taking years to get their record out, only to be dropped. We have been fortunate to make two records on our own with success and are looking forward to making the third.

BnR: You are friends with Jaxon on WMMR. He has a great radio voice. It is deep, sultry, and highly romantic. Has he ever done voice work as Optimus Prime?

JC: [laughs] Jaxon does have a great radio voice. He should be cast in the Transformers sequel. I wish mine sounded like that on mic. He is a great guy and ardent supporter of Philly music. WMMR has been so kind and it really blows us away.

BnR: What band has been the coolest band to tour with so far? Is there a band you want to tour with, but haven't?

JC: We have toured with some great bands, but our favorite band to play with is The Underwater from York, PA. Great friends and an amazing band. Their new record Forces is out on Megaforce now. We'd love to tour with Muse one day or Queens of the Stone Age.

Thank you Jealousy Curve for taking time out of your schedule to answer our questions. If you want to hear a sampling of Jealousy Curve's music, visit their MySpace site at (http://www.myspace.com/jealousycurve). You can also purchase the EP This is for your own destruction directly from the MySpace site.

If you want to check out Jealousy Curve live, which we suggest you do, here are their tour dates:

06.28.08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Gravity
07.04.08 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest with Seether
07.31.08 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
08.16.08 - Reading, PA - The Silo

All information is easily available at the band's MySpace site. - www.blogsnroses.com

What really jumped out at me about Jealousy Curve’s “Life as an Addict” was how pro it was: from the songwriting to the packaging to the production…the whole bit. “Life as an Addict" is stacked with good songs - whether it is the Muse-like
psychedelia of “Selfish Thing” or the Jeff Buckleyish “Appreciated” or the Coldplay-like “World is You”. Michael Leavy’s falsetto style really gives Jealousy Curve another dimension, but he can belt it out too, which is evident on my favorite track “Gravity”. “Life as an Addict” has really nice layered guitars, smooth vocal melodies and big powerful drums. It’s almost hard to believe they’re not signed already. - Local Music Network