CoronaVinyl Day 348 (J): Tremble Under Boom Lights by Jonathan Fire*Eater

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Today's CoronaVinyl category is "J," and among my purchases a couple weeks ago when I visited Third Man Records was Tremble Under Boom Lights by Jonathan Fire*Eater, from 1996.

Jonathan Fire*Eater is one of those mythical bands that relatively few people know about, but they were hugely influential.  I first found out about them a couple years ago when I was reading the excellent oral history of New York City rock in the early '00s, Meet Me in the Bathroom: Rebirth and Rock and Roll in New York City 2001-2011 by Lizzy Goodman, which discussed bands like The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, TV on the Radio, and others.  

One of the first bands that really started the rejuvenation of rock in NYC in that era was Jonathan Fire*Eater, who released one EP and one album in 1996 and 1997, respectively, and then broke up, but were seen as one of the sparks that lit the fire of the post-punk revival of the early '00s.  Led by charismatic frontman Stewart Lupton, it was a five-piece band that wore its early punk/pre-punk influences on its sleeve.

Before today, I had never heard a single Jonathan Fire*Eater song.  Tremble Under Boom Lights was originally a five-song EP in 1996 -- and that comprises the first side of the album I have -- but then it was reissued by Third Man in 2019 on vinyl with five bonus tracks from 1995 that make up the second side.

This is unlike anything you would have expected to be released in 1995 or 1996.  The songs are stripped down, indie garage rock, but with an art rock bent.  It reminds me a lot of Television, but also with some Stooges, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, Velvet Underground, Cramps, and '60s psychedelic rock and garage rock influences.  At the same time, it sounds like the songs could have been released in 1969 or 2002, foreshadowing some of the great garage and indie rock bands of the early '00s, like The Strokes, The Libertines, and The Walkmen (which makes sense, as you'll see).

It's good stuff, and I'll be listening to more of it.  After Tremble Under Boom Lights, the band got signed by David Geffen's new DreamWorks label, released a full length album in 1997 (Wolf Songs for Lambs), and then broke up.  Three of the band members went on to form The Walkmen, while Lupton went back to college and then played in several bands over the years, before dying in 2018 at the age of 43.

Favorite Song on Side 1:  "Give Me Daughters"
This song starts with a frantic psychedelic organ riff before breaking into a very Television-eqsue.  Again, it sounds like it could have been released in the late '60s or mid '70s.

Favorite Song on Side 2:  "When Prince Was a Kid"
First of all, Prince was never a kid.  But if he was, this song would be about that.  This one is a little more punky and fast-paced than their other songs.