Artist Profile: Jukebox The Ghost

August 16, 2011 Other Artists, Site

Artist Profile: Jukebox The Ghost

BNLUK recommendation: If you like BNL, you may also like… Jukebox The Ghost.

In the first of what could – but probably won’t – evolve into a series of BNLUK musical recommendations, please set aside a few moments to discover the chirpy pop/rock maestros that are: Jukebox The Ghost. Read more…

Fresh off a Stateside tour supporting Barenaked Ladies, the Philadelphia-based trio have won over a large portion of BNL’s fan base through their dynamic and energetic live shows. The Ladies frequently hand-pick their supporting artists on tour (as we have seen with Boothby Graffoe repeatedly opening UK shows), and in Jukebox The Ghost, they have provided a very popular act indeed.

Jukebox The Ghost, who win joint-top prize with BNL for Daftest Band Name Ever, are currently working on a third album after releasing Let Live and Let Ghosts (2008) and Everything Under The Sun (2010). These two LPs have been critically acclaimed from the likes of All Music and The Washington Post, and have spawned the singles “Hold It In“, “Schizophrenia” and “Empire“. A silly name isn’t the only similarity to BNL: Jukebox The Ghost have a canny knack for penning somewhat dark, gloomy lyrics to bright and catchy melodies. They have also been known to spontaneously burst into pop covers at their live shows.

JTG have previously toured with the likes of Guster, Ben Folds and Tally Hall, and this October, embark on a European tour with James Blunt. But we can forgive them that. (Details here).

The Guardian managed to grind out an article on JTG back in 2009 as part of its New Band of the Day series, commenting “they bounce around stage like hyperactive pre-schoolers” and drawing many comparisons with Ben Folds Five.

Even when they’re singing about the end of the world, they sound relentlessly, even pathologically cheerful, but if you can stand that, you’ll be playing air piano in no time.

– Paul Lester, The Guardian

Jukebox The Ghost jet to the UK this November for a show at London’s Barfly (3rd November). Tickets are a steal at £7 each, and come with a free song download – more information here. So, if you’re looking for something fun to do on a Thursday evening: head to the Barfly, be merry, and jig along to the tunes of Jukebox The Ghost.

Videos to whet your appetite:

Here are two tracks from second album Everything Under The Sun. YouTube comments include “I can’t handle this band, they’re too spectacular” and “THIS IS SO GOOD”, which nicely articulate what this entire post has attempted to say.