Drive Like Jehu

Post-Punk, Post-Hardcore, Progressive Punk, Noise Rock, Math Rock, Emocore, whatever you choose to label San Diegos' Drive Like Jehu, one thing still remains; they were one of the best rock groups to come out of the early 90's and they were one of the most agressive while remaining smart and inventive in their approach. Rick Froberg and John Reis (both later of the Hot Snakes, a stripped down version of Drive Like Jehu) were a great team, laying down searingly dynamic guitar licks over the rumbling, stop-on-a-dime rhythm section of Mike Kennedy and Mark Trombino. The first song alone, "Caress", has enough energy alone to light up the whole city of San Diego and the fact that they continue to pull out the same furious punk rock throughout the whole album cements them as being the pinnacle of a style music they helped create. Never boring, never too mathy or clever, Drive Like Jehu managed to balance the visceral with the thoughtful. The screaming monotone vocals of Rick Froberg are the perfect delivery needed for such a molotiv cocktail of music, and John Reis (also of Rocket From the Crypt fame) adds his vocals to a number of tracks, keeping things new and interesting throughout. They were definitely inspired by many things, including the bourgeoning scene from their home city, the DC post-punk scene and the dissonant and progressive nature of bands like Sonic Youth and Slint. Even more so, they were inspirational to a million bands in the post-punk and especially the emocore scene that flourished after their untimely demise in 1995. Bands like Heroin, Swing Kids and the Locust among a hundred others all owe a portion of their sound to Drive Like Jehu.
Reis and Froberg reunited in 2000 with their stripped down punk band, Hot Snakes, and released three more albums in the same spirit as their predecessors. Hot Snakes are a band worth looking into. Fans should also make it a point to search out Jehu's second album, Yank Crime, as it slays just the same (possibly even more). They were all released on John Reis' own Swami Records imprint, and he does all the graphic design for the label.

(Note: Im listening to the song "If It Kills You" and there is this amazing breakdown part that features the sounds of lazers. Frickin lazers, man! Seriously, this and Yank Crime are two of the best albums I own, hands down.)