Jukebox the Ghost @ Mercury Lounge

Finally, I’m digging my way out of the sea of photographs I took at the CMJ Music Marathon – which was almost a month ago now. Also, this is the first batch of photos to come out of my messing around seriously with Lightroom. Let me know if you can see a difference.

But now… to the band!

Jukebox the Ghost has got to be one of my favorite discoveries of the past year. These are some talented gentlemen who write upbeat songs that they play with a lot of energy. This is despite the fact that they tend to perform their sets fueled on nothing more than energy drinks. This time was no exception, as they had just driven 36 hours from Nevada to make CMJ.

It has become cliché by now to compare Jukebox to Ben Folds, particularly before he dropped the Five. But, as they say, “All clichés are true”; and this is no exception. Both write particularly quirky songs about unconventional subjects – and it would be hard to miss that both rely heavily on the keyboard. To give an example, my favorite song of theirs is actually a three-movement operetta (“Fire in the Sky,” “Where Are All the Scientists Now?” and “A Matter of Time”) that makes fun of not just the Apocalypse, but the idea of the end of the world. Plus, the chorus – “It’s the end of the world, la da de dada da da da” – is pretty damn catchy.

These three have a tendency to tour the Mid-Atlantic relentlessly, so if you see them coming to a town near you, i highly recommend that you go check them out. You won’t be disappointed.

Bonus shot! Not really about the band, but still a good one, I think. I wanted to try and get another version of the shot I liked so much from when I went to see The Constantines play Mercury Lounge earlier this year.