After four records Jawbreaker threw in the towel. The band did so on a disappointing (at the time) and sour note. Dear You, the bands major label effort was by all account an utter failure (though, sometime later fans did come to embrace the album). It was too dark, to saddening. A couple years later ETC. came out post-breakup and a sigh of relief was heard from the Jawbreaker community. One more album spanning the bands short lived career, featuring some of their best music was available for everyone to hear.
For me this album is second only to Twenty Four Hour Revenge Therapy, and yet, by all accounts is not a true record, in the sense that the band went into the recording studio with ETC. as their final thought. Rather, this was the band’s gift to their fans. ETC. was put out on the drummer Adam Pfahler’s own Blackball Records and is a collection of B sides, rare 7” recordings, songs from compilations, and songs that were scrapped on the cutting room floor.
ETC. covers the life of the band showing their progression from quirky pop punk to a slightly darker sound. The sound varies from independent demos to major label productions. There were a lot of great songs that were passed up by the band and a good many others that people living before an advanced internet found hard to find. Adam did a good thing here scotch-taping bits and pieces into one concise record.
If you've never heard this band, their sound is melodic, raw, dark and musically dense. I don't what else to say, but that's the best way for me to describe them.
Songs you should hear:
Kiss the Bottle
Sea Foam Green
Friendly Fire
Friends Back East
Overall Rating:
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