The Jane Anchor
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The Jane Anchor

| INDIE

| INDIE
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Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"Caution To The Wind"

"Honed and polished in all her earlier musical projects, Lafty's signature style—call it finessed aggression—has arrived at a self-assured comfort zone on The Jane Anchor's first full-length, Second Wave (Lark Lane). It's a smart, assertive, emotive reflection of her reborn songwriting courage. Live show staples "Crawl," "Sinner" and "Give Me a Reason" are polished and preserved. Intense new tracks such as the fierce "Skyline" and introspective "Anniversary" rock out, but meticulously. No surprise there; Lafty's a perfectionist." -- Pat Rapa - Philadelphia City Paper


"Caution To The Wind"

"Honed and polished in all her earlier musical projects, Lafty's signature style—call it finessed aggression—has arrived at a self-assured comfort zone on The Jane Anchor's first full-length, Second Wave (Lark Lane). It's a smart, assertive, emotive reflection of her reborn songwriting courage. Live show staples "Crawl," "Sinner" and "Give Me a Reason" are polished and preserved. Intense new tracks such as the fierce "Skyline" and introspective "Anniversary" rock out, but meticulously. No surprise there; Lafty's a perfectionist." -- Pat Rapa - Philadelphia City Paper


"The Jane Anchor Sails Off With 'Second Wave'"

"Second Wave the debut full-length from The Jane Anchor is one of the finest CDs released by a Philly band this year." - Metro Philadelphia


"The Jane Anchor Sails Off With 'Second Wave'"

"Second Wave the debut full-length from The Jane Anchor is one of the finest CDs released by a Philly band this year." - Metro Philadelphia


"Program Director of Philadelphia's Top Commercial Radio Station Speaks Up"

"On this new record TJA crashes over you in a wash of sound - crisp and taut, but full and warm at the same time. The songs are richer and deeper than anything they've done before, and the overall effect is one of great promise starting to be realized." - Jim McGuinn, Program Director, Y-100 (WPLY 100.3, Philadelphia)


"Program Director of Philadelphia's Top Commercial Radio Station Speaks Up"

"On this new record TJA crashes over you in a wash of sound - crisp and taut, but full and warm at the same time. The songs are richer and deeper than anything they've done before, and the overall effect is one of great promise starting to be realized." - Jim McGuinn, Program Director, Y-100 (WPLY 100.3, Philadelphia)


"Plenty of Pop Melodies Dancing Over Dissonant Chords"

"The Jane Anchor is the latest vehicle for indie songstress/guitarist Kara Lafty (formerly of Moped & Sonny Sixkiller), and her new group gells seamlessly with plenty of pop melodies dancing over dissonant chords. The tunes are crafty and catchy, but they don't let the sweetness take over--the big guitars and driving drums make sure of that. This one deserves to be turned up loud." - Mish Mash Indie Music Reviews


"Plenty of Pop Melodies Dancing Over Dissonant Chords"

"The Jane Anchor is the latest vehicle for indie songstress/guitarist Kara Lafty (formerly of Moped & Sonny Sixkiller), and her new group gells seamlessly with plenty of pop melodies dancing over dissonant chords. The tunes are crafty and catchy, but they don't let the sweetness take over--the big guitars and driving drums make sure of that. This one deserves to be turned up loud." - Mish Mash Indie Music Reviews


"Usher in The Jane Anchor"

"Philadelphia is known for the Eagles, the Liberty Bell, the Rocky steps, and cheese steaks. Usher in The Jane Anchor and they might just be known for something new and refreshing in the indie rock world as well. If you could imagine if Kelley Deal led the Pixies instead of Frank Black than you might have caught onto the surf of “Second Wave." Kara Lafty leads the band with her crooning and guitar play and is aptly backed up with a band that knows how to rock out to even the most sublime of tunes." - Smother.net


"Usher in The Jane Anchor"

"Philadelphia is known for the Eagles, the Liberty Bell, the Rocky steps, and cheese steaks. Usher in The Jane Anchor and they might just be known for something new and refreshing in the indie rock world as well. If you could imagine if Kelley Deal led the Pixies instead of Frank Black than you might have caught onto the surf of “Second Wave." Kara Lafty leads the band with her crooning and guitar play and is aptly backed up with a band that knows how to rock out to even the most sublime of tunes." - Smother.net


"Beguiling, Invigorating Rock"

"Guitarist/vocalist Kara Lafty, makes speedy, Windex-bright pop...She's got a knack for crafting beguiling, invigorating rock." - CMJ New Music Report


"Beguiling, Invigorating Rock"

"Guitarist/vocalist Kara Lafty, makes speedy, Windex-bright pop...She's got a knack for crafting beguiling, invigorating rock." - CMJ New Music Report


"Lafty Crafts Her Own Brand"

"Combining jagged riffs and angular changes with a sound stripped down to the chassis, Lafty crafts her own brand of ringing hooks and body-jerking backbeats. But it's not just about the breathless, exhilarating sound of this band that makes them a great listen, as Lafty has a way with clever lyrics, which are by turns incisive and inspired. Her dulcet-voiced delivery catches you in its sway, conveying a sense of vulnerability and lovelorn despair." - Amplifier Magazine


"Lafty Crafts Her Own Brand"

"Combining jagged riffs and angular changes with a sound stripped down to the chassis, Lafty crafts her own brand of ringing hooks and body-jerking backbeats. But it's not just about the breathless, exhilarating sound of this band that makes them a great listen, as Lafty has a way with clever lyrics, which are by turns incisive and inspired. Her dulcet-voiced delivery catches you in its sway, conveying a sense of vulnerability and lovelorn despair." - Amplifier Magazine


Discography

Second Wave LP (Lark Lane Records - 2004)
Just Wait EP (Self Released - 2003)

*Listen to the debut full-length CD, Second Wave, on The Jane Anchor website: www.thejaneanchor.com*

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

With the November '04 release of their first full-length album, "Second Wave" (Lark Lane Records), Philly rockers, The Jane Anchor, led by singer / guitarist Kara Lafty, is primed to make an ocean-sized splash onto the national scene. The eleven-song follow-up to TJA's 2003 "Just Wait EP" didn't come together in one night, or in one year, but developed over a course of life lessons," says Lafty. From the opening track "Crawl," with its wall of guitars washing over vulnerable lyrics ("I'd give up everything just to crawl inside"), to the sparsely beautiful "Summer," showcasing Lafty's earthy guitar and wistful voice ("I am counting my way to sleep / A million kisses and I'm falling deep"), "Second Wave" showcases a songwriter and band with an impressive palette of musical colors and moods. Lafty is joined by bassist Joann Schmidt, guitarist / vocalist John Faye, and drummer Dave Anthony, all members of another notable Philadelphia band, IKE. The chemistry and camaraderie that shines in their explosive live shows and on record is a combination that Lafty had searched for in previous incarnations of TJA, all of which were well-received but still left her with the feeling that she could push herself and her music further.

The seeds for the current lineup of the band were planted in 2002, when Schmidt, then the drummer of the all-girl Philly darlings, The Dirty Triplets (and a fan of Lafty's former band Sonny Sixkiller), recruited Lafty as lead guitarist to make the Triplets, ironically, a quartet. While the Dirty Triplets burned out in less than a year, Schmidt and Lafty forged a close friendship which would become the emotional core of TJA. With the addition of Faye as a second guitarist, playing a supporting musical role for the first time in his career (in addition to fronting IKE, he was also the leader of the mid-90’s band The Caulfields) , and, in the summer of '03, Anthony on drums, The Jane Anchor was now set to record Lafty's most heartfelt and earnest songs to date.

The process of bringing "Second Wave" to completion was not easy. The sessions, recorded and co-produced by Cliff Hillis, were spread out over six months, as the band found small windows of time within their busy schedules to journey down to Target Studios in Maryland and Hillis' home studio, Better Living Through Compression, located in Wilmington, DE. It was within those closed quarters, however, that Lafty delivered the strongest vocal performances of her career. "I think Kara sang so incredibly because the material demands it," states Faye, whose own impassioned back-up singing provides the girl-boy vocal dynamic that defines TJA. And it's true - the 11 songs on the record are a testimony to what Lafty has endured, overcome, and been challenged by over the past several years. "Skyline" showcases Lafty's empathetic side as she sings, "Flying fists and bleeding hearts / I wonder why there's a hole in the skyline / It's come to this / Flying fists beating straight through," seeking understanding in a post 9/11 world. "Give Me A Reason" and the rocker "Anniversary" are Lafty at her lyrical best as she dissects personal relationships with brutal honesty. "The Rays" and the aforementioned "Summer" highlight Lafty's softer side, offering glowing pop daydreams reminiscent of The Innocence Mission.

In spite of the inherent difficulties of moving a band forward, The Jane Anchor is ready to ride "Second Wave" to new audiences in Philadelphia and far beyond the city limits, delivering on the promise and considerable buzz generated by "Just Wait." The band has already become a familiar name on many college play lists and has shared stages with such notable acts as Fountains of Wayne, Juliana Hatfield, The Damnwells, The Butchies, Mates of State, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. In a review of "Just Wait," M.J. Fine of the Philadelphia City Paper stated, "A great song can blow your mind and wrest control of your body. Most bands would be lucky to write one in their career." With "Second Wave," The Jane Anchor prove themselves lucky and much, much more.