Jawbox

Artist Playlists

About Jawbox

Few bands embodied the sound of fabled indie Dischord Records like Washington, D.C.’s Jawbox. With unusual time signatures, stop-start rhythms, jagged, jutting guitars, and J. Robbins’s (later paired with Bill Barbot’s) off-kilter, rancorous, just-shy-of-hardcore vocals, Jawbox hold a focal spot in the indie-rock universe. Two records on Dischord and a blistering live show earned them a devoted following and caught the eye of Atlantic Records. Unlike many underground phenomena, the band continued to put out superior, adventurous, if a tad more melodic, work when inked to a major label. While their two Atlantic albums sold scantly, they were deftly chiseled records, and the single “Savory” did get some MTV airplay. Jawbox dissolved in 1996, Barbot and Robbins going on to found the similarly tuned Burning Airlines.

ORIGIN
Washington, D.C.
FORMED
1989
GENRE
Alternative

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