Plain Jane Automobile

According to Duke Crider, lead singer and guitarist of Plain Jain Automobile, this is their first tour west of Chicago. It didn't seem to matter, because they ascribe to the equivalent of "rock unitarianism" that sounds familiar enough to be welcome anywhere. A bit of an indie vibe, the bombast of stadium rock, but none of the pomposity that alienates those of the world who have a bone to pick with Coldplay and U2. They hail from Orlando, which for me is striking; in the tensest moments, PJA channeled the spirit of fellow Floridians Denison Marrs, while at their most anthemic, they tapped into the spirit of Rick Rubin's protégés PaloAlto. As a fan of both, it was a pleasure to hear a group of young men pick up the torch and run with it, but there's more to PJA than complimentary comparisons to bands a few music diehards might recognize.

Crider's sinewy tenor resided comfortably in the mix amid the melodic interplay of their three guitars and bass. In particular, the bass lines were stellar and really drove the songs in a way you don't get as often in rock anymore. The fullness of those bass lines gave the guitarists room to play with the space in the arrangements. It would have been easy to overdrive the sound but they found the level of the room and saturated it, an aural aurora borealis. Thanks to the lively guitars and buoyant back beats and bass lines Plain Jane Automobile, make the kind of rock music that an audience can dance to without feeling like extras in Night at the Roxbury...unless, of course, that's your thing. In this town you have to top the Billboard top ten or be covering the Billboard top ten to have that effect on people, and they went for it on their first at bat and didn't whiff. On top of all the feedback, nothing could deter them from making it look like being on stage in a rock band was the greatest thrill a guy could hope for. - PLAYBACK:stl

By the time Orlando-based Plane Jane Automobile took the stage, the club had filled up. The hometown crowd had been anxious for the band’s return. The Janes, as they are affectionately known, were in the midst of a Southeastern tour with The Hourly Radio, which included a stop at SxSW.
The Janes’ brand of hard-edged indie rock featured aggressive rhythms, infectious melodies and relatable lyrics. Lead singer Duke Crider’s vocals adeptly maneuvered between the hard, rocking songs to the soft, tender vocals on “Yesterday’s Rain.” They closed out their set with the very popular, anthemic “Blue Jeans,” featuring drummer James Dickens, who looked like a pretzel with his tall form wrapped around his snare drum.
-Review by Kat Coffin; photo by Cesar Vargas - The Social/ Orlando, FL

"Show openers Plain Jane Automobile, a local band that has been pounding the pavement for over eight years, made no apologies for their love of U2, going so far as to cover "Sunday Bloody Sunday" at the end of their room-rousing set. Having seen this group several years ago and not been impressed, the performance I witnessed felt like an entirely different band. Aiming high and shooting from swaggering hips, they used the power of Duke Crider's impressive vocal range to give the kind of opening set that sends new listeners flocking to the merch table. If this is the new sound of Plain Jane Automobile, I can finally get on board."

-Jen Cray - Ink19

Indie pop quartet Plain Jane Automobile will have you jumping around to their catchy hooks, driving rhythms, Brit-pop style guitars and impassioned tenor vocals. The band recently played at The Social in Orlando, Florida where guitarist Matty Vetter played his Epiphone Sheraton-II during an amazing set. Check this band out at myspace.com/plainjaneautomobile.
- Epiphone News