Jonathan Fire*Eater "When the Curtain Calls For You"

So, I've stated recently that The Walkmen have been and still are my favorite band. So of course I went out of my way to find out and listen to as much of their music as I could. Years ago, on Record Store Day, I was talking to one of the employees at a CD Warehouse I frequented about The Walkmen. We chatted and he eventually asked me if I had ever listened to Jonathan Fire*Eater. I had never heard of them and was curious as to why he brought them up. I was quickly educated on their association with The Walkmen. I found out that three of the five members from Jonathan Fire*Eater later formed The Walkmen after they had called it quits! Pretty cool huh?

So of course I had to buy their album. I popped that sucker in and could instantly see the influences and qualities of The Walkmen. However, there were definitely some differences. The music was loose and not nearly as cerebral as The Walkmen. Hamilton Leithauser, who wasn't apart of JF*E, and his raspy croons were sung by Ryan Cheney, who actually has a pretty similar voice ironically. The music is incredibly fun and the organs, reverb, and disheveled delivery are pure 90's.

It's a shame their career as a band was short lived, ranging from around 1994 to 1998, even though it spawned my most cherished band. I've never listened to a band with as much energy and, well, fun as JF*E.

Here is the first song off their killer full-length "Wolf Songs for Lambs"; an album that may be difficult to find but well worth the effort to obtain.