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Missed Out Music

At a time when Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park reigned supreme, a little trio from Dublin made a devastatingly beautiful debut that fell on little ears - meet JJ72.

When I first heard JJ72, I really thought that the singer was a girl or maybe Johnette Napolitano's (Concrete Blonde) kid sister trying to make good. Touted as Ireland's next saving grace, JJ72's self titled debut album displayed a naive innocence full of soaring highs and crushing lows. From soft/loud rockers to Suede-esque dirges, JJ72 had the goods to engage the listener. Formed in 1997 and brought together by a love for Nirvana and Joy Division, Mark Greaney (lead singer) Fergal Matthews (drummer) and Hillary Woods (bass) quickly became darlings of the UK Indie press.

Between 1997 and 2001, the musical pendulum swung back to States as US and UK radio waves were saturated with Rap- Metal (Limp Bizkit) and Dirthead Rock (Staind). The UK Indie world was stuck in sensitive man-rock mode with bands like Travis, Embrace and Stereophonics setting the stage for Coldplay to take charge and melt our emotions down to the quick.

It was no easy chore helping program a college radio station back in 2000. The demand for Rap-Metal was in high gear and turning your average metal-lunkhead listener onto anything that resembled great song-writing ability seemed next to impossible. JJ72 was just another example of a little band with a big heart and an even bigger sound. They tried for the top at the wrong place and time, and petered out of the sky like a single engine Cessna on a cold winter's night. Song's like "October Swimmer" and "Oxygen" would be huge on commercial radio today if given the chance.

JJ72 officially called it quits in 2006 reportedly due to a strained relationship with their label and lack of funds for another album.

STREAM: JJ72 - October Swimmer

Posted by Joe Roth on Dec 24, 2007 @ 12:00 am