The Joy Circuit
There are times when your sanity is put to test because you say you like bands that no one else knows. Are you crazy? Are you making that band up because you feel alone in this world? If you knew who The Joy Circuit was, I can assure you this: you’re not alone or crazy, that band did exist.
It’s like witnessing the presence of a ghost whenever you go searching for this band in the Internet, there’s almost nothing said about them. Maybe it’s because Mr. Jeff Garber (TJC’s vocalist & guitarist, also from Castor, National Skyline and Year of the Rabbit. That’s a CV.) is not that into Internet stuff.
The Joy Circuit was in fact the backing band of Mr. Ken Andrews’ (ex-Failure) project, Year of the Rabbit, a short-lived project that still pounds happily in our ears (certainly does in my iPod – Editor). The band was comprised also of Tim Dow (Drums) and Salomon Snyder (Bass), from Shiner and Cupcakes (and Veruca Salt), respectively. Sometimes it’s just amazing how 3 people can make music so loud (and clear).
Editor’s note: care to listen to one of their songs?
There are times where you only think, what the &@# happened? 3 talented minds that couldn’t make it there in the mainstream? I could utterly say The Joy Circuit really knew what they wanted from their instruments, and gosh, was it sweet! Mr. Garber’s voice and tone are quite particular in this project, it’s like if he was going through one of those difficult phases we all know well and really sang his heart out. It’s not like he doesn’t do so in his current project, National Skyline, it’s just that the music in The Joy Circuit sounds like a pretty painful and confusing stage of his life, if I dare to say.
The Joy Circuit released only one EP, called EP1 (simple, obvious yet original name for an ep) in 2005, which includes 5 pieces of memorable music like you won’t get them anywhere. I’d dare to say also this is one of the most creative bands that I’ve ever listened to, offering rock riffs, 180º twists in their songs (that’s called Creativity and it’s about to become extinct nowadays) and guitar effects that really blow my mind, simple and supportive bass lines, so accurate that would make me think of Mr. Snyder’s as the band’s metronome, and drums, wow! Mr. Dow just makes me want to go and buy a new set of drums and go back to my old drummer phase: flawless syncopation and traces of little jamming in every song, guaranteed! Mr. Garber’s voice is deep, solemn, but still gets the liberty to scream at the exact moment of desperation at the song’s climax, just to make sure there’s something big going on.
From EP1 we get dark, lonely and desperate tunes, 5 tracks that would fill your spirit with unease (not a bad unease), like a spirit under pressure still trying to look functional as the bomb is about to explode. ‘X’s’ and ‘Secret Fires’, track 3 and 5, turn out to be my favorites from this EP.
There’s a second EP, surprisingly called EP2 and for our misfortune, The Joy Circuit disbanded in the making of this. I found out this is actually a demo, a little taste of what it was supposed to be. I’m personally more into EP2, a rare collectioner’s piece and a really hard thing to find in the net. I guess there’re no hard copies of this.
It’s said that every album tells a story. If so, EP1 was the moment before the bomb exploded, self-containment would be the synonym; EP2 in the other hand is a shameless explosion of moods from all the band members. From this phantom-like release, we get tunes as ‘Like a Moth’, the opening tune and blueprint of breakup, screams of confusion and lack of desire to stay here on Earth.
It’s also important to recall the band’s lyrics, so wise, deep and clear that would portray anxiety, sincerity and the things that come to your mouth when you’re alone or facing an uncomfortable situation. Talking about facing, EP2’s second track, ‘Of a Common Age’ is the song where Mr. Garber’s really puts his throat into risk, singing about an obsession, call it a woman, an event, a bad dream: “ (…) holding off a million tears of pain (…) I will make you lie, I will carry on. Of a common age I will make you lie, I will make you love”. There are times in one’s life where not even a word from the person you love the most in this world can bring you up, but this song did the job for me while going through a very difficult season. If defenseless, this song can really make you cry and make you see there’s more to life than this.
In this EP, Mr. Garber’s elegant screams would really feel like a confirmation of his own existence, struggling to stay alive, a connection to reality among the atmosphere this assembly displays, like bare feet on the cold ground.
‘Run in circles’ is another brilliant moment from EP2, and reminds me of his later project, National Skyline, because of the somewhat dreamy atmosphere and guitar riff. The most “famous” song from this EP would be ‘The New Sunrise’, with some people asking desperately for this song in the Internet.
‘Blow’ is a wonderful way to close this spiritual journey and there are two versions available: finished and unfinished. I just love the idea to have the original band’s jam without lyrics: the music can say so much…
If there’s a time to say that the Internet doesn’t hold the universal truth, then this is it. The band’s history is uncertain, no one knows whether the band formed when Year of the Rabbit split, some say Jeff Garber’s voice sounds like Mr. Andrew’s or like Bono’s before going far too commercial, some say this is Mr. Garber’s best project of all, and I utterly disagree with this.
When there are only 10 people in the world who have expressed their admiration for this band in the most famous communication channel nowadays and when there are different versions of the same tale, then you can say you really found a one-of-a-kind band, forged 100% in the indie world. The Joy Circuit was a band made from members coming from unfairly, low recognised bands. They had the raw talent that would accompany me in my very own dreamy and desperate seasons of my life.
I’d really like to thank my friends Emilio el Dese, for introducing this genius band to me, and Sam, for letting me know I had a copy of EP2 in my hands (unlabelled files, sorry).
Words: Tonan.
Links
Last.fm. EP1 at Cdbaby. Year of the rabbit in Spotify.
Sloucher.org 