JointMethod

Up-and-coming band aims to go places with its lively mix of musical flavors

By Brian Carr

Talk about a musical, cultural convergence. Local band Jointmethod has a sound that’s funk-based and rock and a heavy dose of Latin rhythms and percussion. Mix that all together and you get and high-powered eclectic sound. “From rock to metal to rap to norteño, we bring that with us,” says vocalist José Suaste. “People find it hard to categorize us.”

Mr. Suaste, 28, and percussionist Emilio Muñiz, 28, formed Jointmethod in 2001 while both were students at the University of North Texas in Denton. Also in the group are David Brown (guitar), Michael Rodriguez (bass), Evan Anthony (drums), and Ruben Contreras “Tha Soloist” (DJ).

“I literally grew up listening to hip-hop when the Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, Run DMC and Whodini were popular,” says Mr. Suaste, who spent summers in Mexico but grew up in Pleasant Grove. “In Mexico, I would be influenced by Norteño music, artists like Los Tigres Del Norte, Los Cadetes de Linares and even Menudo.”

With other members whose family roots also include Mexico as well as Nicaragua, the group addresses poverty, racism, and misogyny, as well as partying and having a good time, in it’s songs.

“Our sound is hip-hop, punk rock with a Latin reggae twist. I bring that tribal feel to the music,” says Mr. Muñiz, who plays the African djembe and talking drums, as well as the vibraslap, congas, bongos and maracas.

The band got a big break in summer 2004, when it was selected to perform at Taste of Dallas on the same bill as the now popular Jurassic 5. (Jointmethod makes another Taste of Dallas appearance this weekend with Soulive and G. Love and Special Sauce see page 15.) Shortly after Jointmethod’s first Taste show, its bass player left the group. The band was inactive for several months until Mr. Rodriguez, formerly of Spoonfed Tribe, came on board. In September of 2005, the band was chosen to open for Blackalicious at Hailey’s in Denton. Since then, the group, which recently added Mr. Contreras “Tha Soloist” (the DJ), has played more than 60 shows. Now the band is eyeing a bigger prize: winning the Emergenza international band competition. Emergenza originated in Europe 14 years ago. The contest has expanded to include bands from Canada and the United States, and national winners will go to Germany to advance in the international competition. Jointmethod won a semi-final round at the Curtain Club in May. On Saturday, the band will compete in one of four national finals shows at the Gypsy Tea Room. In addition to competing in Emergenza, the band hopes to release a full length CD in late August or early September. Eventually, members hope to have their own recording studio and make a living producing and performing music here and abroad.

“Jointmethod is about reality and life: the good and band, joy, hate, beauty, happiness and sadness,” says Mr. Suaste. “We try to focus our music and take emotions and put a vibe out to the people that will make them feel good and think a little.”

July 7, 2006.
- The Dallas Morning News

VENUES CAUGHT UP WITH JOINTMETHOD ON DECEMBER 14, WHEN THEY OPENED FOR SPOONFED TRIBE AT DUSTY’S IN ONE OF THE BEST LIVE SHOWS OF 2002. MEMBERS JOEY MORENO, DAVID BROWN, EMILIO MUNIZ, EVAN ANTHONY, JOSE SUASTE AND DJ NEMESIS HAVE COME TOGETHER TO BLEND A VARIETY OF MUSIC INTO FORM WHICH APPEALS TO FANS OF ALL MUSIC. THE MERGE OF HIP-HOP, PUNK, JAZZ AND LATIN INFLUENCES HAS CREATED A SOUND WHICH IS UNDENIABLY UNIQUE. THE MULTI-LAYERED SOUND JOINTMETHOD CREATES ENTICES LISTENERS TO MOVE WITH THE BEAT. WHEN ASKED WHY THEY CHOSE “JOINTMETHOD” FOR THE BAND NAME, EMILIO QUICKLY REPLIED, “IT’S A GROUP EFFORT.” HE
EXPLAINS, WE ALL BRING OUR VARIED BACKGROUNDS, AS WELL AS OUR INDIVIDUAL MUSICAL INFLUENCES, TO THE GROUP. WE ARE ALL ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CREATION OF OUR SONGS, AND THE SOUNDS WE HOPE TO ACHIEVE. THIS GROUP EFFORT DEFINITELY REQUIRES A BOND BETWEEN THE MUSICIANS. EMILIO AND JOEY HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE THE FIRST GRADE. JOSE AND EMILIO WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS. THE GROUP STARTED AS THE RESULT OF THESE THREE FRIENDS GETTING TOGETHER AT THE BAR AND WANTING TO CREATE A BAND THAT WOULD APPEAL TO FANS OF A WIDE VARIETY OF MUSIC. THEY WANTED TO PLAY SOMETHING WHICH REACHES A LITTLE DEEPER THAN THE NORM. CONSIDERING THEIR BACKGROUNDS AND VARYING INFLUENCES, IT’S EASY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY WANTED THE SOUND TO STAND OUT. THE GROUP HAS ONLY PLAYED A FEW GIGS, BUT THEIR SOUND IS WELL DEVELOPED.

-MYKA KOELZER, VENUES MAGAZINE, DENTON, TX. - Venues Magazine

Joint Method - Hip-hop. Latin. Rock. They can’t be classified, and they’ve only gotten better with time. Music with a good, positive groove, rhythmic congas, socially relevant lyrics and eccentric turntables.

Jessica Tolliver - Harder Beat Magazine

...This was made even more obvious with the next band, Dallas-based hip-hop group Jointmethod. After a year in which they have seen some terrific success and a finalist shot at the Emergenza festival, Jointmethod took over a crowd impatient for Dr. Octagon and made it their own. Fusing hip-hop with distinctly Latin and hard rock influences, the band has created an original sound that could be described as rock with rap lyrics or vice versa. Frontman and lead singer Jose Suaste kept the crowd guessing, effortlessly flowing from up-tempo machine-gun-paced hip hop lyrics to lazy, jam-band-esque singing and back again. Suaste's between-songs charm was both amusing and provided a great segue to the national acts that followed. In addition to all this Jointmethod was the only of the night's four acts that focused more on political and social commentary via hip-hop than sampling and catchy beats, which was especially refreshing in an age of radio-friendly rap dominated by bling, bitches and Bentleys. Jointmethod might never appear on MTV's Cribs alongside 50 Cent and Shaq, but they're a promising crew that has already created a strong local fan base with no record label support.

After Jointmethod's impressive set, the two national acts followed, with mixed results. DJ Nature vs. DJ Stephen was an amusing, but ultimately overlong array of sampling of every single song off Jock Jams Vols. I-V, again, with little to no interaction with a audience starving for genuinely original entertainment. Finally around midnight, after three hours of build-up Kool Keith came out and rocked the crowd. - TexasGigs.com