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| more corporate. The internet has made a lot of headway, though, and so there is give and take,” Williams said. Still, the band recognizes the value of being hosted by a major label. “Ideally we would be on a label with zillions of dollars that wanted to put all of that into us so that we would be big and famous,” Williams said. “But that’s sort of a pipe dream. Even if you are Mariah Carey it doesn’t always work out like that.” Still, Jump is a band that has never been afraid to dream big. “I’m not sure where we’re going from here,” Williams said. “Hopefully we’ll take over the world.” With songs that range between the utterly heart-breaking to the poppiest of tempos, it seems plausible that Jump could do just that. Between catchy tunes and a wide variety of musical styles, there is something in Jump for everyone to like. And the band isn’t doing too badly on their current label, Brash Music, who is preparing to release the band’s latest EP, Between the Glow and the Light. The disc is a collection of B-sides from the band’ s most recent LP, Between the Dim and the Dark. The new EP will only be sold at shows and online, and will be available beginning April 14th. But Jump was the last of four bands on Friday night, and all had very different styles. Rachel Solomon, a chanteuse from Boston, started off the evening with her band and a solid set of jazz-inspired ballads. Playing the piano and singing, Solomon’s classical training makes her a pleasure to listen to. Although her voice is more akin to Diana Krall’s than to Billie Holiday’s, Solomon has a classic jazz sound that immediately lends itself to passionate love songs. My only criticism, in fact, is that Solomon seems slightly uncomfortable onstage. Unable to totally mask some performance nerves, it seemed as though Solomon was unsure of how to handle the rare moment in which her fingers were not glued to the ivories. Still, her range and talent alone are enough to warrant a second viewing, and as a regular at many Boston haunts, everyone should be sure to catch her live. Boston-based band Averi set up next, and brought an extensive fan base with them – and it’s easy to see why. As Chad Perrone clung to his guitar, the diminutive frontman seemed to bask in the screams of the virile, twelve year old girls of the audience. In a voice nasal enough to be emo, Perrone crooned subtle and poetic lyrics to a wall of screaming, over-sexed pre-teen girls. Especially awe-inspiring lyrics, such as “I want to lick you up and down,” were prefaced by asking the underage girls to close their ears. But in spite of their oh-so-valid attempt at half-decent vocals, the band was brought down by their utterly generic melodies and instrumentals. While the average Averi show might have slightly more originality – saxophonist, Michael Currier was too ill to attend the show – it would take the Jaws of Life to pry these guys out of the iron grip of mediocrity. Despite a valid effort on the part of guitarist Stuart Berk, the set was top-ten radio at its worst – a bastard love child of N’Sync, Toby Keith, and Creed. Nevertheless, it seems obvious that these guys will be signed to a major label within the next couple of years – bringing more of the same trash to stereos nation wide. Next in line came Ross Golan and Molehead. Golan, whose faux-hawk and tight polo shirt would have been more fitting at a pop-punk extravaganza, was a breath of fresh air after the decaying stench of Averi’s set. An instrumental virtuoso, Golan is proof that people are rarely what they seem to be. Backing up hilarious vocals about everything from Martha Stewart to Jesus of Nazareth to the current political situation, Golan has a degree in music from the University of Southern California. “I started playing piano when I was four and studied nine instruments,” Golan said after the show. “But I always thought formal music instruction was pretentious.” Golan said that he decided to pursue a music degree anyway because he thought his unconventional attitude towards composition might spice things up. By being the black sheep of the music program at USC, Golan hoped to show that many musical styles have merit. “There seems to be an attitude that a certain type of music is valid over another, but my attitude is to write things that mean something. I like to speak through satire because I think people tend to listen through laughter.” Between the classical training and the sense of humor, Golan creates a persona that is initially difficult to swallow. Between laugh-out-loud jeers, Golan shot back good-natured jabs of his own until the audience was almost bullied into getting past his initial appearance. Golan doesn’t fit the image that anyone expects of reggae, and therefore he will have a lot of work to do to gain the glowing crowd reaction he deserves. But based on his sound alone, and his good-natured performance attitude, Golan will force his way past all cultural barriers. But by the end of Golan’s performance, the entire crowd was ready for the headliners to flaunt their stuff. Drawing together a performance that lasted nearly four hours, Jump caught everyone’s attention with lilting vocals, eclectic instrumentals and pop hooks that avoided all radio-top-40 taint. Jump is pop music the way it was meant to be – fun, upbeat, and meaningful all at once. It just goes to show that a fantastic closer can pull any variety show together in the end. You can find out more about Rachel Solomon at www.sonicbids.com/RachelSolomon and Ross Golan at www. rossgolan.com. And don’t forget to check out Jump’s new EP at www.jumphq.com. |
