Jay Reatard (born Jay Lindsey on May 1, 1980) is a prolific garage punk musician from Memphis, Tennessee who is signed to Matador Records. He is best known for his current solo career as well as his work in The Reatards and Lost Sounds.
16 Nov 2008
Green Synergy Festival Dublin, Dublin
18 Nov 2008
ABC 2 Glasgow, Scotland
19 Nov 2008
Deaf Institute Manchester
20 Nov 2008
The Faversham Leeds
21 Nov 2008
Korova Liverpool
22 Nov 2008
Bodega Nottingham
23 Nov 2008
The Cooler Bristol
24 Nov 2008
Old Blue Last London
26 Nov 2008
The Lexington London
27 Nov 2008
New Slang in Kingston Kingston
27 Nov 2008
Banquet Records – Under 18s ONLY Kingston Upon Thames
28 Nov 2008
Engine Rooms Brighton
History
His recording career began at the age of 15, when a home-made demo tape he had sent in to Goner Records caught the ear of former-Oblivian and Goner Records’ owner, Eric Friedl. Lindsey’s introduction to Friedl and his Oblivians bandmates had come that same year when the Oblivians had returned home to Memphis as an opening act for Rocket from the Crypt. Upon seeing the act live, Lindsey became enamored with their sloppy, lo-fi music and set forth creating his own brand of heavily distorted garage rock music. Friedl was impressed by Lindsey’s demos and signed him to his label, later commenting, “I loved the racket so we did the record, and I’ve been a fan of everything he’s done since. He’s a pretty amazing kid.”
The Reatards
Lindsey named his first project the Reatards, which at the time included only himself as a member, and adopted an Oblivians-influenced surname, calling himself Jay Reatard. The Reatards’ first release on Goner was a 7” EP called “Get Real Stupid,” which featured Lindsey as a solo performer alternating between playing guitar, singing, and beating on a bucket to provide a percussive rhythm. For Lindsey’s second release he recruited a backing band, hiring bassist Steve Albundy and drummer Elvis Wong to accompany him. The Reatards’ first LP as a trio was 1998’s Teenage Hate. This was followed by a second LP, Grown Up Fucked Up, and a number of singles. The Reatards’ first European tour came in 1998, when Jay Lindsey was just 18.
The Lost Sounds
In 2001 Lindsey began recording with Alicja Trout and Rich Crook as the Lost Sounds, a side project which would ultimately usurp the Reatards as Lindsey’s primary musical venture. With alternating male and female vocals, as well as prominently-employed synthesizers, the Lost Sounds were a departure from the guitar-driven garage rock of the Reatards, and had a sound more akin to the early punk rock of The Screamers, a synthesizer-heavy punk band that Lindsey had been exposed to by Elvis Wong shortly after the recording of the Reatards’ first LP. Lindsey once claimed that his time in the Lost Sounds “was and is more fun than anything else I have ever done.” Yet despite Lindsey’s enthusiasm for the band, the Lost Sounds bitterly broke up in 2005.
Side projects
The Bad Times
Jay Lindsey is a prolific songwriter, often acting as a member and contributing compositions to two or more bands concurrently. One of Lindsey’s first side projects was the Bad Times, a one-off band which also included Eric Friedl and King Louie Bankston. The band recorded an album’s worth of material after only one practice session, releasing a self-titled LP in 2001. After one live performance the band disbanded, the members returning to their respective solo commitments.
The Final Solutions
While Lindsey was still a member of both the Reatards and the Lost Sounds he joined a side project called the Final Solutions. Lindsey’s association with the future members of the Final Solutions began while he was still a teenager. Fighting problems at home, Lindsey opted to take up residence with members of a local band called the Jackmonkeys. While he was rooming with the band he was conscripted to play drums for them at a battle of the bands which was being held at the school’s cafeteria. With Lindsey on drums (under the moniker ‘the High and Mightys’ the band performed a set of Oblivians covers, earning instant hate in the competition (FS bassist Tommy Trouble’s band, the Squirrels earned third place). After separating for a number of years the group reformed under the name the Final Solutions and began touring and releasing albums.
Shattered Records
In 2004 Jay Lindsey together with, his now ex-girlfriend, Alix Brown of Atlanta rock band the Lids, formed Shattered Records, an independent record label that released mainly limited edition vinyl. Shattered Records released records for a number of lo-fi punk and rock bands, including: Kajun SS, Jack Oblivian, Tokyo Electron, Reatards, Final Solutions, Terror Visions, Angry Angles, Carbonas, Rat Traps, Digital Leather and the Knaughty Knights.
In 2007 Lindsey said Shattered Records is on a definite hold while he promotes his current solo records.
Angry Angles
Out of this partnership came another musical endeavor for Lindsey, the Angry Angles. Together with Brown, and alternating between drummers Paul Artigues from Die Rotzz and Ryan Rousseau from Tokyo Electron, the band began touring the U.S. in the Fall of 2006. Before the band had even released its second single, Lindsey and Brown began a short European tour. The Angry Angles disbanded after releasing a number of vinyl singles.
Solo career
By 2005 both the Reatards and the Lost Sounds had broken up, and Lindsey focused his attention on a handful of side projects, working with and releasing material as Terror Visions and Destruction Unit. Though after he began focusing on his solo career in 2006, Lindsey said he has no desire no reform his previous bands. “I’d just feel like I was going backwards if I worked on anything else,” Lindsey said.
2006 saw the release of ‘Blood Visions’ (In the Red), Lindsey’s first solo album under the moniker Jay Reatard. After a lengthy tour supporting his solo album, in 2008 he signed a multi-album, exclusive deal with the New York based indie label Matador Records. He released six, limited, 7″ singles throughout 2008 with Matador. Soon after the release of the first single and write-ups in NME, Spin Magazine and Rolling Stone, Lindsey began playing larger shows and various music festivals all over the world.
In October 2008 Reatard’s ‘Matador Singles ’08’ LP compiled all six of the 2008 singles on one LP/CD. Lindsey again hit the road to support the album with a second, exstensive 2008 tour. Lindsey’s current records sound drastically different from his early punk records. He said writers often misinterpret his newer sound. “I just think its noisy pop music,” Lindsey said.
Lindsey’s next album, his first proper studio album with Matador, will likely be recorded by January 2009 and released shortly after that. He describes his new batch of songs as more melodic and twee-inspired. The upcoming album will feature “organ, some mandolins, a cello, a lot more back-ups and harmonies,” he said.
While his next record will be more mellow than his previous works, Lindsey said his live show will remain energetic. “I just want it to be like an assault live, and softer on records,” he said.
Partial discography
With The Reatards
Albums
* Teenage Hate LP/CD (1998; Goner)
* Grown Up, Fucked Up LP/CD (1999; Empty)
* Live LP (2004; Goner)
* Bedroom Disasters LP/CD (2004; Empty)
* Not Fucked Enough LP/CD/CD-R (2005; Empty/Shattered)
45s/EPs
* Get Real Stupid 7″ (1998; Goner)
* Get Out Of Our Way 7″ (1999; Blahll!)
* Your So Lewd 7″ (1999; Empty)
* Untitled 7″ (2002; SSLD)
* Monster Child 7″ (2004; Zaxxon)
* Plastic Surgery 7″ (2005; Shattered)
* Totally Shattered Euro Tour 7″ (2005; Split with Angry Angles and Tokyo Electron; Kenrock)
* I Lie Too 7″ (2006; Zaxxon Virile Action)
With The Lost Sounds
Albums
* Memphis Is Dead LP/CD (2001; Big Neck!)
* Black-Wave 2xLP/CD (2001; Empty)
* Rats Brains & Microchips LP/CD (2002; Empty)
* Lost Sounds LP/CD (2004; In the Red)
45s/EPs
* Plastic Skin 7″ (2000; Solid Sex Lovie Doll)
* 1 + 1 = Nothing 7″ (2001; Empty)
* Split 7″ with The Vanishing (2003; Cochon)
* Ice Age 7″ (2004; Holy Cobra Society)
* Future Touch 12″EP/CDEP (2004; In the Red)
Compilations
* Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1 CD-R (2001; Contaminated)
* Outtakes & Demos Vol. 1 LP (2002; Hate)
* Recent Transmissions: Demos & Outtakes Vol. 2 CD (2002; Contaminated)
* Demos II CD (2003; On/On Switch)
* Demos & Outtakes Vol. 2 3×7″ (2004; Rockin’ Bones)
With Bad Times
* Bad Times LP (2001; Goner/Therapeutic)
* Bad Times (Re-Release) CD (2002; Sympathy For The Record Industry)
With The Final Solutions
Albums
* Disco Eraser LP/CD (2003; Misprint)
* Songs by Solutions LP/CD (2007; Goner)
45s/EPs
* Eat Shit 7″ (2002; Therapeutic)
* Eye Don’t Like You 7″ (2005; Shit Sandwich)
* My Love Is Disappointing 7″ (2005; Shattered)
* Return To The Motherland 7″ (2006; Frick & Frack)
* FS/DF 7″ (2007; Jethrow)
With Nervous Patterns
Albums
* Nervous Patterns CD-R/CD/LP (2003/2004; Contaminated/Cochon)
45s/EPs
* You Can’t Change 7″ (2005; Zaxxon)
With Angry Angles
* Things Are Moving 7″ (2005; Shattered)
* Crowds 7″ (2005; P. Trash)
* Totally Shattered Euro Tour 7″ (2005; Split with Angry Angles and Tokyo Electron; Kenrock)
* Split 7″ (2006; Split with Digital Leather; Shattered)
* Apparent-Transparent 7″ (2006; Plastic Idol)
As Terror Visions
* World of Shit LP/CD (2007; FDH)
* Endless Tunnel EP
* Blood in America 7″ (Disordered)
With Destruction Unit
* Self-Destruction of a Man LP/CD (2004; Empty)
* Death to the Old Flesh LP/CD (2006; Empty)
As Jay Reatard
Albums
* Blood Visions LP/CD (2006; In the Red)
45s/EPs
* Hammer I Miss You 7″ (2006; Goner)
* Night of Broken Glass 12″ (2007; In the Red)
* Split with the Boston Chinks 7″ (2007; P. Trash)
* In the Dark 7″/6″ (2007; Squoodge)
* I Know a Place 7″ (2007; Goner)
* Blood Demo 7″ (2008; Stained Circles)
* See/Saw 7″ (2008; Matador)
* Painted Shut 7″ (2008; Matador)
* Always Wanting More 7″ (2008; Matador)
* Fluorescent Grey 7″ (2008; Matador)
* Trapped Here 7″ (2008; Matador)
* No Time 7″ (2008; Matador)
Compilations
* Singles 06-07 LP/CD/DVD (2008; In the Red)
* Matador Singles ’08 (2008; Matador)
Compilation Appearances
* We Heart The Blowtops – Tribute 7″ [Track: Venom Victims Wine] (2006; Big Neck)